Black River vs Watertown
Black River, New York versus Watertown, New York: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Black River and Watertown score about the same overall (47 vs 44 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Black River | Watertown |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $80k | $50k |
| Cost of Living | $49k | $49k |
| Home Value | $210k | $150k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $924 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $411 | $5k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.99% | 1.76% |
| Income Tax | 10.90% | 10.90% |
| Sales Tax | 8.53% | 8.53% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 18.92% | 19.03% |
| Unemployment | 21.9% | 6.3% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 20°F | 20°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 69°F | 69°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 45.1 in | 44.4 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 116.4 in | 116.4 in |
| Sunny Days | 187 days | 240 days |
| Summer Humidity | 60°F | 61°F |
| Comfortable Days | 82 days | 82 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 9.5 | 25.3 |
| Air Quality | 39 AQI | 39 AQI |
| School Quality | 100.0 | 76.8 |
| Violent Crime | 158/100k | 1468/100k |
| Property Crime | 0/100k | 1462/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 1,660 | 24,859 |
| Median Age | 38.6 | 35.1 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.22 | 0.33 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.97 | 1.07 |
| Political Leaning | R+19 | R+19 |
| White (%) | 86.9% | 77.9% |
| Black (%) | 0.0% | 7.2% |
| Hispanic (%) | 2.0% | 7.8% |
| Asian (%) | 7.0% | 1.7% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.2% | 5.3% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | — | 16 min |
| Walkability | 6.4/20 | 8.5/20 |
| Airport Distance | 112 mi | 107 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 89.7% | 84.2% |
| Amenities Nearby | 132.53 | 30.17 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Excellent |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Black River or Watertown more affordable?
- Watertown has the lower cost of living: its index is $49k, compared with Black River's $49k and Watertown's $49k. Median rent is $1k in Black River versus $924 in Watertown.
- Is Black River or Watertown safer?
- Black River has the lower violent crime rate. Black River reports 158/100k and Watertown reports 1468/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Black River or Watertown?
- The median home value is $210k in Black River and $150k in Watertown, so homes are more affordable in Watertown.