Adams (Village); Adams Business Directory, 1864
Adams’s story
224 years in pictures
Census counts: 2,467 in 1820, 4,973 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1864 and 4 maps from 1893 on.
- 1802Adams is settled
AdamsNY
Trash & recyclingPhoto: Doug Kerr from Upstate New York · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,636
2025 Census estimate · −3.3% since 2020
Median home value
$192K
Census ACS
Household income
$64K
median
Median age
41.2
years
Jobs based here
277
A commuter town
Is Adams a good place to live?
The best of Adams’ subject grades is an A+ for history; the weakest is a C for incomes. Adams’ July high is 79°F, below both New York’s towns (81°F) and U.S. towns (85°F). Adams has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Adams stand out
Where Adams beats most towns.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Adams for work
Where Adams’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
277jobs based in Adams
2%of working residents work in town
13 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Adams grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Adams is from typical.
Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 31% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB+Open →Jobs & incomeCOpen →HealthSamaritan Medical Center 12 miles awayBOpen →Cost of livingC+Open →SchoolsBeat 55% of New York districts on tests and graduationBOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.2 of 20; 11.6% of households have no car; 2.6% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0 miles of trails; 1% conserved landCOpen →History8 notable people born hereA+Open →Civic life2.6 library visits per resident; 4.7 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateSnowy winters, 79° summer afternoons, 116″ of snow–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 41.2; 31% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Adams: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Adams, and how to reach them.
PowerNational Grid19.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterAdams Village water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers90% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpTown of Adams Transfer Site/Recycling CenterDrop-offTown site
Register to voteOnlineIn New York you can register online until 10 days before Election Day, in person until 10 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before and received 10 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereJefferson County Board of ElectionsJefferson County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2024
ZIP code1360513605 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Adams.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C
A smaller share of working residents in Adams work locally than in the typical New York or U.S. town
2.1% of Adams working residents work locally, against 10% in New York’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Jobs based in Adams fell to 277 in 2023, 77 fewer than in 2013. The median household income in Adams is $64,000.
2%work in town
| Adams | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 2.1% | 10% | 8% |
| Median household income | $64,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Adams2%
Watertown30%
Watertown12%
Adams9%
Hounsfield4%
13 mi
median commute distance
277
jobs based in Adams
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 49% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
Low risk in Adams, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 69% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Adams.
31risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesStrong wind
3
paid flood claims since 1979
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Adams, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Adams has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Adams’ January low is 11°F.
116″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter14–31°
Spring33–53°
Summer57–78°
Fall39–58°
Oct 1
typical first frost
May 11
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Safety
Crime reported in Adams
Adams's reported crime rate is well below New York's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. No violent crimes were reported in 2023.
| Adams | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2023) | 2.4 per 1,000 residents | 10.1 | 13.1 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2023) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 0.9 | 1.8 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Adams0
New York4
U.S.3.9
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Adams2.4
New York18.7
U.S.19.5
0
violent crimes reported in 2023
4
property crimes reported in 2023
FBI crime data, 2023 · crimes reported to police
HealthB
Residents of Adams are healthier than 59% of U.S. towns
Adams beats the New York average on 6 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 9. 20% of adults binge drink in Adams.
59%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade
| Adams | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 17% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 33% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 37% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 34% | 35% |
32 measures vs. New York
6 better17 too close to call9 worse
| What stands out | Adams | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 12.7% | 17.2% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.9% | 7.9% |
| More adults with obesity | 37.7% | 28.8% |
Samaritan Medical Center
12 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Who lives here
Fewer young adults than New York overall
Adults 18 to 34 are 18% of residents (23% statewide); people 65 and older are 22% of residents (18% statewide). 24% of Adams residents are under 18. Adams has lost 3.3% of its people since 2020, down to 1,636 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
41.2median age · NY 39.8
| Adams | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 24% | 20% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 22% | 20% | 18% |
| Median age | 41.2 years | 43 years | 40.5 years |
AdamsNew YorkUnited States
Ages · share of residents
16%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma7%
High school27%
Some college19%
Associate’s15%
Bachelor’s14%
Graduate18%
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5 points. Across New York, 51.2% of residents are women.
| Adams | NY | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13.5% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.1% | 9.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.3% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 15.7% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.9% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 8.4% | 13.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.9% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 12.3% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7.3% | 12% | 10.4% |
| High school | 27.3% | 24.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 18.7% | 14.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 15.4% | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 13.5% | 22.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 17.8% | 17.9% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,600, single groups can be off by several points
1.2%conserved
| Adams | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.2% | 5.2% | 4.3% |
1.2%
conserved · 11 of 921 acres
0.1 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Firemen's Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HousingCost of living grade C+
A home in Adams sells for about $177K at the median
$177Kmedian sale price
1
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Adams
20pages on Adams
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Adams
About 3 of every 100 Adams residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
Famous people from Adams
8 notable people were born in Adams.
About Adams
Town in New York, United States
Adams is a town in Jefferson County, New York, United States. Named after President John Adams, the town had a population of 5,143 at the 2010 census. The town contains a village also named Adams. The village and town are south of Watertown.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1802
- Area
- 42 sq mi
- Elevation
- 619 ft
- ZIP code
- 13605
- Area code
- 315
Questions about Adams
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Adams, NY expensive?
The typical home is worth about $192,000, 63% below the New York typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
What is Adams, NY known for?
8 notable people were born here, including Julius Sterling Morton and Bruce Cooper Clarke.