Adirondacks & North Country
Jefferson County, New York
Jefferson County is home to 116,721 people across 63 cities, towns, villages, and hamlets. Adirondack peaks, Forest Preserve lands, Olympic Lake Placid, and the St. Lawrence islands.
- Population (2020)
- 116,721
- Region
- Adirondacks & North Country
- Places
- 63
Property tax in Jefferson County
About $9–$22 per $1,000 of market value
Combined full-value rates (county + town/city + school) across the county, FY2025. On a $300,000 home that's roughly $2,618–$6,671 a year before STAR. The exact rate depends on the town, school district, and village. A planning estimate, not a bill.
Almanac Notes
More about Jefferson County
Short, sourced notes tied to this county, with the local color and the things worth knowing before you make a plan.
Cars & Driving
North Country Winter Travel Is a Check-Early Habit
Lake-effect snow, Adirondack elevation, and long rural gaps make winter travel manageable when drivers check forecasts and 511NY before leaving.
Money & Taxes
Watertown Water and Sewer Bills Have a Monthly Due-Day Habit
Watertown homeowners should know the water-sewer billing rhythm, online payment route, and penalty date before the bill sits too long.
The Outdoors
Ellisburg Reaches Lake Ontario at Southwick Beach
Ellisburg's Lake Ontario edge includes Southwick Beach State Park and a sandy public shoreline.
Home & Property
Watertown and Brownville Property Questions Start With Jefferson County GIS
For Watertown town or Brownville property questions, Jefferson County's GIS and property-search tools are the practical starting point before calling local offices.
History & Culture
Hounsfield reads through Sackets Harbor and farm roads
Hounsfield carries lake-plain farm roads, Sackets Harbor history, and the town layer around the village.
History & Culture
Watertown's Black River Still Shapes the Story
Watertown's local story comes from Black River waterpower, Public Square, local industry, and downtown places residents still use.
History & Culture
Alexandria's Thousand Islands story has a castle at its center
Boldt Castle gives Alexandria and Alexandria Bay one of the clearest Thousand Islands identity markers.
History & Culture
Brownville's River Village Still Points Back to General Brown
Brownville's old stone mansion, Black River setting, and village museum give this Jefferson County place a direct line back to General Jacob Brown.
History & Culture
Sackets Harbor Still Carries Lake Ontario War Memory
Sackets Harbor is a waterfront village whose local identity still runs through shipbuilding, barracks, and the War of 1812.
Cities (1)
Towns (22)
Villages (19)
Hamlets (21)
Statewide starting points
County, assessor, STAR, and environment lookups
Start with the state county directory, then use ORPTS for assessor, equalization-rate, and municipal profile data. Exact local offices and deadlines still come from the county, city, town, village, or borough office.
- NY.Gov county directory
- ORPTS Municipal Data Portal — assessors & rates
- STAR property-tax break
- DECinfo Locator
Use this carefully: County pages here are orientation pages. Current forms, deadlines, local offices, and parcel-specific details come from the responsible office.
Tax rates: NYS Dept of Taxation & Finance (ORPTS), Real Property Tax Rates and Levy Data by Municipality, data.ny.gov dataset iq85-sdzs. (FY2025). Population: U.S. Census 2020. Reviewed June 2026.
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