24,574
Population
FY 2023
24.2%
Fund Balance
FY 2025
$3,585
Per-Capita Spending
FY 2025
2.9%
Debt Service
FY 2025
3.3
Fiscal Stress
FY 2025
33.3
Socio-Dem. Stress
FY 2025
Tax Snapshot (Beta)
Beta: source-backed tax context only. This is not a personalized tax-burden estimate.
Current source-backed tax context for New York and Watertown.
| Component | Summary | Effective | Coverage | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NY state personal income tax | NY uses a progressive bracket schedule (4.00% to 10.90% on the current IT-201 schedule). | Tax year 2025 schedule; statutory update starts for tax years beginning after 2025. | Source verified | IT-201-I (2025 PDF); Tax Law §601 |
| NY state sales and use tax (base) | NY state base sales and use tax rate is 4%; local rates are additive by jurisdiction. | In effect as of January 1, 2026. | Loaded | New York State Department of Taxation and Finance sales tax rates |
| NY state-level property tax policy | In New York, real property tax is raised and spent locally by counties, cities, towns, villages, school districts, and special districts; there is no single statewide property-tax rate. | Property-tax guidance page updated July 26, 2024 (accessed April 19, 2026). | Needs review | NY property taxes overview; ORPTS tax bill calculation guide |
Community Profile
Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimates
20.8%
Poverty Rate
2023
25.9%
Bachelor's+ Rate
2023
6.4%
Unemployment Rate
2023
41.6%
Homeownership Rate
2023
$49,692
(2023)
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2010
2023
$32,174
(2023)
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2010
2023
$149,800
(2023)
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2010
2023
$933
(2023)
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2010
2023
35.6
(2023)
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2010
2023
0 = perfect equality · 1 = perfect inequality
0.5
(2023)
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2010
2023
Financial Trends
Curated financial dashboard (1995–2025)
Fiscal Health
$21,354,256
(2025)
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2011
2025
$26,398,100
(2025)
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1995
2025
$2,576,724
(2025)
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1995
2025
24.2%
(2025)
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2011
2025
2.9%
(2025)
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1995
2025
$3,585
(2025)
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2010
2025
0 = healthy · 100 = significant stress
3.3
(2025)
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2013
2025
0 = no stress · 100 = significant stress
33.3
(2025)
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2013
2025
Top Revenue Sources
$25,775,874
(2025)
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1995
2025
$20,543,916
(2025)
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1995
2025
$15,946,518
(2025)
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1995
2025
$13,628,118
(2025)
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1995
2025
$10,381,989
(2025)
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1995
2025
Top Expenditures
$30,625,798
(2025)
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1995
2025
$19,491,238
(2025)
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1995
2025
$9,454,994
(2025)
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1995
2025
$7,787,964
(2025)
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1995
2025
$6,153,327
(2025)
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1995
2025
Financial Documents (57)
| Year | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Watertown OSC Annual Financial Report 2025 | OSC_AFR |
| 2025 | Watertown FSMS Report 2025 | FSMS_MONITORING |
| 2024 | Watertown OSC Annual Financial Report 2024 | OSC_AFR |
| 2024 | Watertown FSMS Report 2024 | FSMS_MONITORING |
| 2023 | Watertown Census ACS 5-Year Estimates 2023 | US_CENSUS_ACS5 |
Governance & Structure
- Structure
- Council manager
- Fiscal Autonomy
- Not specified
- ICMA Recognition
- ICMA-recognized since 1920
- Notes
- County seat of Jefferson County
- OSC Code
220259000000
Not applicable for this entity type.
Fiscally dependent entities that roll up to Watertown:
- Watertown City School District (School district)
Geographic Relationships
This entity is within
- Wholly within: Jefferson County
- Wholly within: New York
Within this entity
- Partly contains: General Brown Central School District
- Partly contains: Watertown City School District