Massena and Watertown receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Massena
Watertown
Opportunity
44 · Bottom 24%
vs44 · Bottom 25%
Growth
24 · Bottom 11%
vs24 · Bottom 11%
Climate
53 · Bottom 2%
vs52 · Bottom 2%
Physical resilience
70 · Top 36%
vs79 · Top 26%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs89 · Top 33%
Access
51 · Bottom 4%
vs65 · Bottom 9%
Economic stability
35 · Bottom 12%
vs43 · Bottom 21%
Measured values
| Metric | Massena | Watertown | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,238 | 24,375 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $51,458 | $51,753 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $37,739 | $33,731 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,260/sq mi | 2,699/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $94,400 | $158,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $722 | $967 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 55.4% | 40.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 4.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.5% | -0.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.1% | 26.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 24.3% | 20.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 0 | 30 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.0 | 1.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 81°F | 79°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 6°F | 10°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 33.9" | 37.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 72 mi | 57 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 18.9 min | 17.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 42.6 | 35.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Massena
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Watertown
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Full profiles: Massena, NY · Watertown, NY · How this is calculated: methodology