Clayton (Township), 1864
Clayton’s story
192 years in pictures
Census counts: 3,990 in 1840, 5,153 in 2010. The archive holds 17 old photos and papers going back to 1864 and 3 maps from 1900 on.
- 1834Clayton is settled
ClaytonNY
Photo: Smerdis · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,656
2025 Census estimate · −4.9% since 2020
Typical home
$330K
+7.5% in a year
Household income
$61K
median
Median age
45.2
years
Jobs based here
1,023
A job hub
Is Clayton a good place to live?
Clayton’s best subject grades are an A for safety, an A− for walkability, and an A+ for history; its weakest is a D for incomes. Only 73 of New York’s 1,216 towns score lower on incomes. 29% of residents are 65 or older in Clayton, where New York’s towns sit at 20% and U.S. towns at 18%. The biggest park or preserve is French Creek Wildlife Management Area, at 33 acres. Clayton's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 81% of U.S. towns. Clayton has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Clayton stand out
Where Clayton beats most towns.
0historic places
HistoryA+
Settled in 1834
A long history
A history going back 192 years.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Clayton0
New York3.7
U.S.3.3
SafetyA
No violent crime reported in 2025
FBI data, 2025. Crimes reported to police.
Natural hazardsA
Low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
A shrinking town
Clayton has shrunk 18% since 2010
1,978 counted in 2010 and 1,705 in 2020; an estimated 1,656 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Clayton grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Clayton is from typical.
SafetyAOpen →Jobs & incomeDOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 24% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listAOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.6 of 20; 10.7% of households have no car; 11.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitA−Open →Cost of livingC−Open →HealthRiver Hospital Clinics 10.6 miles awayA−Open →SchoolsBeat 67% of New York districts on tests and graduationB+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trail; 4% conserved landA−Open →History2 notable people born hereA+Open →Civic life7.9 library visits per resident; 8.3 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Clayton: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Clayton, and how to reach them.
PowerNational Grid19.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterClayton Village water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers95% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Clayton’s trash rules yet
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 code1362413624 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 Clayton.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
A job hub: Clayton has 1.7 jobs for every working resident and draws in 872 commuters
About one in 4 of Clayton’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Clayton has added 320 jobs, to 1,023 in 2023. Clayton’s median household income is $61,000, against $82,000 in New York’s towns and $80,000 across U.S. towns.
25%work in town
| Clayton | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 25% | 10% | 8% |
| Median household income | $61,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Clayton25%
Clayton32%
Watertown12%
Alexandria7%
Orleans6%
17 mi
median commute distance
1,023
jobs based in Clayton
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
A−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 84% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
SafetyA
Clayton reports less crime per resident than 92% of U.S. towns
The violent crime rate in Clayton is 0 per 1,000 residents.
92%of U.S. towns report more crimeASafety Grade
| Clayton | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 0.8 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 6 per 1,000 residents | 7.5 | 9.9 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Clayton0
New York3.7
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Clayton6
New York15.7
U.S.15.5
92nd
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
0
violent crimes reported in 2025
10
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
HousingCost of living grade C−
A typical Clayton home is worth about $330K
The typical Clayton home is worth about $330,000, up 7.5% in a year, 37% below the New York typical home. 50% of households own their home in Clayton.
$330KZillow home value
| Clayton | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 50% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,071 a month | $1,101 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Clayton$330K
New York$525K
+7.5%
value change, 1 year
3
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
HealthA−
Residents of Clayton are healthier than 76% of U.S. towns
Clayton beats the New York average on 11 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 83% of Clayton adults had a checkup this year.
76%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
| Clayton | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 83% | 81% | 79% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 16% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 37% | 36% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 17% | 19% |
32 measures vs. New York
11 better17 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Clayton | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10% | 17.2% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 8.9% | 14.5% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.9% | 7.7% |
River Hospital Clinics
10.6 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A
Clayton faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 76% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 19 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Clayton.
24risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland flooding
19
paid flood claims since 1978
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Who lives here
Older than New York overall
People 65 and older are 29% of residents (18% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 32% of residents (39% statewide). Clayton has lost 4.9% of its people since 2020, down to 1,656 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. Clayton’s median age is 45.2 years.
45.2median age · NY 39.8
| Clayton | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 45.2 years | 43 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 37% | 32% | 29% |
ClaytonNew YorkUnited States
Ages · share of residents
18%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma6%
High school26%
Some college13%
Associate’s18%
Bachelor’s17%
Graduate20%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.3 points. Across New York, 51.2% of residents are women. Among residents 65 to 74, 61% are men (NY 47%).
| Clayton | NY | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.8% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.1% | 9.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4.7% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 16.9% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.3% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 6.7% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.6% | 13.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 17.5% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 11.4% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.4% | 12% | 10.4% |
| High school | 25.8% | 24.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 12.8% | 14.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 17.6% | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.4% | 22.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 20% | 17.9% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,700, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
In Clayton, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Clayton has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 80°, January nights drop to 12° and about 116 inches of snow falls in a winter.
116″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter15–31°
Spring34–53°
Summer59–78°
Fall42–58°
Oct 1
typical first frost
May 11
typical last frost
+1.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
4.1%conserved
| Clayton | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 4.1% | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
4.1%
conserved · 67 of 1,636 acres
0.9 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. French Creek Wildlife Management Area | — | 33 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Clayton
20pages on Clayton
The big questions
SchoolsB+Beat 67% of NY districtsSafetyA0 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthA−Better than NY on 11 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingC−$330K typical home · up 7.5% in a yearWork & commuteD$61K median household income · 1,023 jobs hereNatural hazardsAFEMA risk higher than 24% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Clayton; the nearest are
Jefferson Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Watertown18.4 mi$6,264 in-state tuitionSUNY College of Technology at CantonUniversity or college · Public · Canton51.1 mi$8,742 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Clayton residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
A job hub
Every workday, about 872 people come to Clayton for work
Where Clayton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1,023jobs based in Clayton
25%of working residents work in town
17 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Clayton
Town in New York, United States
Clayton is a town in Jefferson County, New York, United States. The population was 5,153 at the 2010 census. The town is named after John M. Clayton, a federal political leader from Delaware. The town contains a village also named Clayton. Both are northwest of Watertown. The village of Clayton, nearby Cape Vincent, and Alexandria Bay are popular tourist destinations on the New York mainland side of the Thousand Islands region.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 104 sq mi
- Area code
- 315
Questions about Clayton
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Clayton, NY expensive?
Yes. That is 5 years of the area's median household income ($66,301 across the Watertown-Fort Drum, NY metro area). 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 Clayton, NY known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Charles E. Bohlen and Danforth E. Ainsworth.