What percentage of people rent in Watertown, NY?

Name: Renters and owners in Watertown, NY, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

59.1% (±3.7 points) of the occupied homes in Watertown, NY are rented (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

That is 7,017 renting households against 4,850 that own their home.

In Watertown, the share of households that rent went from 56.7% in 2015–2019 to 59.1% in 2020–2024 (+2.4 percentage points), not a measurable change.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Households that rent: 59.1% (±3.7 points)
Renting households: 7,017 (±531)
Median renter income: $38,518 (±$3,891)

Who rents and who owns in Watertown

Tenure, estimate (90% margin of error)
	Watertown	Jefferson County	New York	United States
Renter-occupied share	59.1% (±3.7 points)	45.3% (±1.6 points)	45.7% (±0.2 points)	34.8%
Renting households	7,017 (±531)	21,588 (±884)	3,525,661 (±12,362)	45,017,354
Owning households	4,850 (±445)	26,018 (±723)	4,196,985 (±19,607)	84,210,142
Average renter household size	1.7 (±0.1)	2.1 (±0.1)	2.3 (±0.0)	2.3
Average owner household size	2.3 (±0.1)	2.5 (±0.1)	2.7 (±0.0)	2.6
Median renter household income	$38,518 (±$3,891)	$46,409 (±$3,971)	$57,803 (±$395)	$52,966
Median owner household income	$81,154 (±$5,539)	$87,905 (±$2,518)	$114,563 (±$568)	$100,009

In Watertown, the renter share is higher than in Jefferson County (45.3%).

It is also higher than in New York (45.7%).

It is higher than the national figure (34.8%).

In Jefferson County, Watertown ranks 2 of 23 places with a published estimate, from highest to lowest renter share.

Statewide, it ranks 15 of 1,004.

Rankings use the estimates alone; where margins of error overlap, neighboring ranks may not truly differ.

How renting in Watertown has changed since 2015–2019

2015–2019 and 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates
	2015–2019	2020–2024	Amount of change	Verdict
Households that rent	56.7% (±2.7 points)	59.1% (±3.7 points)	+2.4 percentage points	Not a measurable change
Median gross rent	$806 (±$34)	$967 (±$57)	+20.0%	No measurable change after inflation
Median household income	$40,253 (±$3,144)	$51,753 (±$4,571)	+28.6%	No measurable change after inflation

The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.

Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.

The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.

Households that rent in places near Watertown

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Watertown
Place	Distance	Households that rent	Compared with this place
Watertown	—	59.1% (±3.7 points)	—
Town of Watertown	2.8 mi	45.1% (±7.0 points)	Lower
Village of Glen Park	3.2 mi	23.7% (±16.2 points)	Lower
Village of Brownville	4.3 mi	20.6% (±11.3 points)	Lower
Calcium	5.6 mi	92.0% (±4.4 points)	Higher
Town of Pamelia	5.7 mi	23.3% (±9.3 points)	Lower
Village of Black River	6.2 mi	36.8% (±12.3 points)	Lower
Town of Rutland	6.5 mi	26.3% (±6.9 points)	Lower
Village of Dexter	7.1 mi	35.8% (±12.6 points)	Lower

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Town of Watertown, NY (45.1%), Village of Glen Park, NY (23.7%), Village of Brownville, NY (20.6%).

Nearby places with a measurably higher figure: Calcium, NY (92.0%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Households that rent across Jefferson County, place by place

Rank	Place	Households that rent
1	Town of Le Ray	79.7% (±2.9 points)
2	Watertown	59.1% (±3.7 points)
3	Town of Wilna	48.2% (±8.0 points)
4	Town of Champion	46.1% (±6.4 points)
5	Town of Watertown	45.1% (±7.0 points)
6	Town of Philadelphia	36.0% (±7.8 points)
7	Town of Hounsfield	35.9% (±6.6 points)
8	Town of Clayton	28.3% (±6.2 points)

Showing 8 of 23 places in Jefferson County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about Watertown

How many renters are there in Watertown?

Watertown has an estimated 7,017 (±531) renting households, 59.1% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Is renting growing in Watertown?

In Watertown, the share of households that rent went from 56.7% in 2015–2019 to 59.1% in 2020–2024 (+2.4 percentage points), not a measurable change.

How big are renting households in Watertown?

A renting household in Watertown has 1.7 people on average, against 2.3 in an owned home.

How much do renters earn in Watertown?

The median renting household in Watertown, NY has an income of $38,518 (±$3,891) a year, against $81,154 for households that own their home.

Sources

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) and detailed tables (acs/acs5) for Watertown city, Jefferson County, New York (county subdivision:78608, in state:36 county:045).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The 2015–2019 figures are DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, B25064_001E, B25064_001M, B19013_001E, B19013_001M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0047E, DP04_0047M, DP04_0046E, DP04_0046M, DP04_0049E, DP04_0049M, DP04_0048E, DP04_0048M, B25119_003E, B25119_003M, B25119_002E, B25119_002M

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.