Watertown-Fort Drum cost of living
Prices in the Watertown-Fort Drum, NY metro area run at 87.7 against a national average of 100, ranking it #345 of 387 metros. Rents there sit at 53.2.
What drives the number
Prices in Watertown-Fort Drum run at 87.7 where the national average is 100, so about 12.3 per cent below the country as a whole. It ranks #345 of 387 metro areas. Against New York as a whole it is 20.2 points less expensive, which is the unusual direction, and it means the expensive part of the state is somewhere else.
Housing is unusually cheap relative to everything else here. Rents sit at 53.2 against goods at 99.7 and other services at 132.2, so the overall figure of 87.7 understates how affordable the housing itself is. Services, which are priced by local wages, are what hold the overall number up.
Low prices only help if pay does not fall by more. Dividing the local median wage by 87.7 is how to check, and the wage pages carry that comparison.
The vertical line is the national average of 100. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, SARPP, 2024.
What the biggest local jobs are really worth
The same pay buys different amounts in different places, so a salary quoted in Watertown-Fort Drum is not comparable to one quoted elsewhere until it is divided by the local parity. These are the occupations that employ the most people here, with the quoted median alongside what that median is worth at national prices.
| Occupation | Employed | Median pay | Worth nationally | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | 1,520 | $33,570 | $38,278 | $34,580 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 1,110 | $31,800 | $36,260 | $30,480 |
| Cashiers | 1,100 | $31,200 | $35,576 | $31,190 |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 950 | $31,200 | $35,576 | $35,240 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 880 | $35,190 | $40,125 | $34,900 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 860 | $40,720 | $46,431 | $33,760 |
| Registered Nurses | 840 | $100,950 | $115,108 | $93,600 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 840 | $40,070 | $45,690 | $37,090 |
Pay from the BLS metro survey, adjusted by dividing by the metro parity of 87.7.
Nearby metro areas
| Metro area | All items | Rents | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | 112.6 | 148.6 | #5 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh | 109.4 | 115.8 | #13 |
| Ithaca | 103.3 | 128.4 | #43 |
| Kingston | 100.7 | 110.2 | #76 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | 99.6 | 102.6 | #94 |
| Rochester | 97.0 | 87.5 | #129 |
Watertown-Fort Drum: common questions
Is Watertown-Fort Drum expensive?
Prices are 12.3% below the national average, a parity of 87.7 where the country is 100. It ranks #345 of the 387 metro areas BEA measures. Against New York as a whole it is 20.2 points less expensive.
What salary do you need in Watertown-Fort Drum?
The median worker there earns $46,630, which buys what $53,170 buys nationally once local prices are taken into account. Comparing a salary offer between cities without this adjustment is comparing nothing useful.
Is housing the reason?
Usually. Rents here are at 53.2 against goods at 99.7. Goods barely vary between American cities because most are shipped and priced nationally; housing varies enormously, and it dominates any cost of living comparison.