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Jefferson County, New York: crime rate, income and local data
The violent-crime rate in Jefferson County was 1.4 per 1,000 residents (2021-2025 average, FBI), 64% lower than the statewide rate (3.8). Median household income is $66,301 and the unemployment rate was 4.2% in August 2026. About 115,040 people live in the county.
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Jefferson County?
Police agencies in Jefferson County reported an average of 155 violent crimes and 1,181 property crimes a year from 2021 to 2025. The violent rate, 1.4 per 1,000 people, is 64% lower than the New York rate (3.8); nationally it is 3.7. For property crime the county rate is 10.3 per 1,000 (New York: 15.7; U.S.: 18.1). Most violent crimes here are aggravated assaults (66%). CDC death records show about 2 homicide deaths a year in the county (1.9 per 100,000), a count that includes cases police may classify differently.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Jefferson County | Per 1,000 | New York per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 155 | 1.4 | 3.8 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 0 | 0.00 | 0.03 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 44 | 0.38 | 0.26 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 9 | 0.08 | 1.0 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 102 | 0.89 | 2.5 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 1,181 | 10.3 | 15.7 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 132 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 1,014 | 8.8 | 12.9 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 35 | 0.31 | 1.4 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (14 agencies; 100% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Jefferson County?
Half of households in Jefferson County make more than $66,301 and half make less; across New York the midpoint is $85,974. The typical owner-occupied home is valued at $188,200 by its owners; renters pay a median $1,213. 15.8% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 15.6%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 4.2% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 2,001 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Jefferson County | New York | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 115,040 | 19,852,366 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $66,301 | $85,974 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $188,200 | $423,800 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $1,213 | $1,621 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 5.9% | 6.4% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 13.7% | 14.0% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 15.8% | 15.6% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 26.5% | 40.2% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 54.7% | 54.3% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 33.7 | 39.8 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 90.8% | 90.8% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 5.5% | 5.1% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Jefferson County?
On FEMA's National Risk Index, Jefferson County has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Relatively Low”. No single hazard among floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat waves, earthquakes and hurricanes is rated higher than “Relatively Moderate”. The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
EPA lists 2 active Superfund sites (final or proposed) in Jefferson County: Crown Cleaners Of Watertown Inc. and Black River Pcbs. A listing means EPA is managing a long-term cleanup; it does not by itself mean anyone is exposed today.
Industrial chemical releases
7 facilities in the county filed Toxics Release Inventory reports for 2024, together reporting 124,069 pounds of listed chemicals released on site. Reported releases are legal permitted amounts in most cases.
Disasters, air and water
Jefferson County was covered by 3 federal major disaster declarations from 2016 through 2025 (Tropical Storm 1, Severe Storm 1, Flood 1), not counting COVID-19. EPA air monitors logged 0 days in 2024 when the air quality index reached “unhealthy for sensitive groups” or worse. Of 57 community water systems, 2 had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 2 (moderate). NHTSA counted 8 traffic deaths in the county in 2024, including 1 pedestrian.
Is there road construction in Jefferson County?
On October 11, 2026 the state transportation feed listed 6 highway work zones in Jefferson County (all active that day). Where crews are working: NY 3, NY 12E and US 11. The map's construction layer is refreshed every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Jefferson County?
Jefferson County has 39 public schools (2024-25) and 5 private schools (2023-24) in federal school lists. 3 nursing homes are certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 56 fire or EMS stations and 17 police or sheriff stations. 15 state parks or recreation areas: Burnham Point State Park, Canoe Picnic Point State Park, Cedar Point State Park, Dewolf Point State Park and Grass Point State Park and 10 more.
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Jefferson County
Gun shops
4 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map in Jefferson County, plus 11 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). On the ATF list: Runnings (Watertown), Steiner's Holding LLC (Watertown), Walmart #1871 (Watertown) and Walmart #5497 (Evans Mills).
Liquor stores
22 liquor stores are on the map in Jefferson County: Allens Liquors And Wines (Watertown), Arsenal Wine & Liquor Depot (Watertown), Bargain Wine & Liquor (Watertown), Bay Spirits (Alexandria Bay), Bennett Family Stores, LLC (Adams Center), Blinky's Liquors (Watertown), Cape Vincent Liquor Store (Cape Vincent), Chaumont Wine & Liquor (Chaumont) and 14 more.
Planned Parenthood
There is no Planned Parenthood health center in Jefferson County on the map.
See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Jefferson County?
Jefferson County averaged 155 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 1.4 per 1,000 residents, 64% lower than the New York rate (3.8). The property-crime rate was 10.3 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Jefferson County?
$66,301 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $85,974 for New York and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Jefferson County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 4.2% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 2,001 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Jefferson County?
On FEMA's National Risk Index, Jefferson County has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Relatively Low”. No single hazard among floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat waves, earthquakes and hurricanes is rated higher than “Relatively Moderate”.
Are there Superfund sites in Jefferson County?
EPA lists 2 active Superfund sites (final or proposed) in Jefferson County: Crown Cleaners Of Watertown Inc. and Black River Pcbs.
Is there road construction in Jefferson County right now?
On October 11, 2026 the state transportation feed listed 6 highway work zones in Jefferson County (all active that day). Where crews are working: NY 3, NY 12E and US 11.
How many nursing homes are in Jefferson County?
3 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does Jefferson County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis County | 26,607 | 0.35 | $68,182 |
| Oswego County | 117,953 | 1.1 | $69,183 |
| St. Lawrence County | 107,226 | 0.85 | $62,850 |
More: New York statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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