Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Le Ray grades C− overall, 622nd of 745 graded towns in New York, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Natural-hazard risk is low. On the other side, the typical home is worth about $186K, 2.8 years of the Watertown metro’s $66K median household income. 3.1% of residents are 65 or older in Le Ray, against 20% in New York’s towns and 18% across U.S. towns. On civic life, just 43 of New York’s 1,187 towns do worse. Le Ray has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them LeRay Mansion and LeRay Hotel.
Where Le Ray beats most towns.
| Widest gap | Le Ray | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 6.7% | 11.5% |
LeRay Mansion21,782 counted in 2010 and 25,574 in 2020; an estimated 24,259 in 2025.
Since 2020 the trend has turned: down 5.2%, after 17.4% growth in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Le Ray is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 2,944 in 1820, a low of 2,366 in 1920, 25,574 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 1941 and 4 maps from 1903 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Le Ray, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Le Ray.
Le Ray gets more snow than nearly all U.S. towns, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has commutes shorter than most of New York.
Its public schools are run by the Indian River Central School District. One of its 3 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black River SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 572 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NY on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 91% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
28 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Coyote Flats State Forest, at 79 acres.
| Le Ray | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.5% | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Coyote Flats State Forest | 0.5 mi | 79 |
| 2. Maple Street Park | — | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The average commute for its 4,228 working residents takes 13.4 minutes, against 32.6 across New York.
Most working residents leave Le Ray for work: only 6% work in town. Le Ray’s average trip to work is 13 minutes. Since 2013, Le Ray has added 188 jobs, to 1,972 in 2023.
| Le Ray | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 13 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $63,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 9.3% | 12% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Against the 9,600 U.S. towns with household incomes like Le Ray’s, it is healthier than 94%, so its B+ isn’t only a matter of income. Its B+ for health tops all 5 graded neighbors; Black River (B) comes closest.
23% of Le Ray adults have high blood pressure. Only 10 of the 755 New York towns we compare have a lower share of adults who have diabetes than Le Ray. 21% of Le Ray adults have been diagnosed with depression.
| Le Ray | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 17% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 34% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 6.7% | 11% | 12% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 37% | 36% |
| What stands out | Le Ray | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 6.7% | 11.5% |
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 2% | 3.4% |
| More binge drinkers | 23.7% | 16.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The Watertown weather station, 8 miles away, records that 116 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, more than in 98% of U.S. towns.
Le Ray has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Le Ray is 80°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
1 within 15 miles of the center of Le Ray
About 11 of every 100 Le Ray residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
Where Le Ray’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Town in New York, United States
Le Ray is a town in Jefferson County, New York, United States. The population was 25,574 at the 2020 census, up from 21,782 in 2010. The town is named for Jacques-Donatien Le Ray de Chaumont, Count de Chaumont, known as a French "father of the American Revolution". The town is in the central part of the county and is northeast of Watertown. Fort Drum is within the town.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
10 towns share a border with Le Ray.
| Town | NY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Le Ray | #622 | C− | C− | — | C+ | B+ |
| Rutland | #652 | C− | C+ | — | B− | C+ |
| Fort Drum | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Champion | #650 | C− | C | — | B− | C+ |
| Black River | — | — | B− | A+ | B− | B |
| Pamelia | #375 | B− | A− | — | C+ | B− |
| Great Bend | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Watertown | #724 | D− | C+ | D | D | C |
Black River has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Le Ray, Rutland, Champion and Pamelia report no FBI crime data of their own. Fort Drum and Great Bend aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Le Ray with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Le Ray grades C− overall, better than 21% of U.S. towns and #622 of 745 in New York. It grades B+ for health and C+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.