Rutland (Township), 1864
Rutland’s story
220 years in pictures
Census counts: 1,945 in 1820, 3,038 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 1864 and 4 maps from 1895 on.
- 1806Rutland is settled
RutlandNY
Trash & recyclingPopulation
2,952
2025 Census estimate · −2.5% since 2020
Median home value
$202K
Census ACS
Household income
$72K
median
Median age
38.3
years
Jobs based here
247
A commuter town
TownGrade
C−
#652 of 745 in NY
Is Rutland a good place to live?
Rutland is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades C− overall, 652nd among New York's 745 graded towns, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is schools: its schools outperform 49% of the state's. Its lowest everyday mark is in incomes: the median household income is $72K, and 18% of residents live below the poverty line. A typical home there costs about $202K, 3 years of the Watertown metro’s $66K median household income. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 92% of U.S. towns. Felts Mills Day Use Area, at 282 acres with 5.7 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
What makes Rutland stand out
Where Rutland beats most towns.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave Rutland for work
Where Rutland’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
247jobs based in Rutland
3%of working residents work in town
9 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Rutland grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Rutland is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.2 of 20; 7.8% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 26% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listA−Open →Jobs & incomeC−Open →Cost of livingC+Open →HealthSamaritan Medical Center 6.4 miles awayC+Open →SchoolsBehind 51% of New York districts on tests and graduationB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors2% conserved landBOpen →History3 notable people born hereB−Open →Civic life3.5 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsCOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateSnowy winters, 78° summer afternoons, 228″ of snow–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 38.3–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Rutland: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Rutland, and how to reach them.
PowerNational Grid19.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterRutland Town WD 1 water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers95% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpTown of Rutland Transfer StationPay per bagTown site
SchoolsCopenhagen Central School DistrictCarthage Central School District2 districts serve Rutland; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
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 codes13612, 13601, 13638, 1362613612 53% · 13601 23% · 13638 13% · 13626 8%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 Rutland.
Rutland gets more snow than nearly all U.S. towns and sends most of its workers to Watertown and beyond.
#359for trails in NY
| Rutland | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 2.3% | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
2.3%
conserved · 664 of 28,951 acres
15 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Felts Mills Day Use Area | 5.7 mi | 282 |
| 2. Pinckney State Forest | 2.4 mi | 220 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
Most working residents commute out of Rutland
Rutland has 247 jobs for its 1,001 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. The average commute takes 23.2 minutes, against 32.6 across New York.
Most working residents leave Rutland for work: only 3% work in town. Jobs based in Rutland grew to 247 in 2023, 61 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Watertown (28%), Watertown (8%) and Le Ray (6%).
3%work in town
| Rutland | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 3.1% | 10% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $72,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Rutland3%
Watertown28%
Watertown8%
Le Ray6%
Champion6%
9 mi
median commute distance
247
jobs based in Rutland
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 8% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A−
Rutland faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 74% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Rutland since 1998.
26risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold waves
1
paid flood claims since 1998
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Rutland, a typical July afternoon runs cooler than in the typical New York or U.S. town
The Hooker 12 Nnw weather station, 7 miles away, records that 228 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, more than in 100% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 77.8°, cooler than in 96% of U.S. towns; January nights average 8.1°.
At 78°F, Rutland’s July high is against 81°F in New York’s towns and 85°F across U.S. towns. The January low in Rutland is 8°F. Rutland has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers.
228″snow a winter
| Rutland | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 78°F | 81°F | 85°F |
| January low | 8°F | 16°F | 22°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter12–30°
Spring31–52°
Summer55–76°
Fall38–57°
Oct 13
typical first frost
May 2
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthC+
On CDC estimates, Rutland is less healthy than 56% of U.S. towns
Rutland beats the New York average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 10. 42% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Rutland, above both New York’s towns (37%) and U.S. towns (36%). 19% of Rutland adults binge drink.
44%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Rutland | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 37% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 33% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. New York
0 better22 too close to call10 worse
| What stands out | Rutland | NY |
|---|---|---|
| More smokers | 15.6% | 11.3% |
| More adults with obesity | 39.5% | 28.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 7.9% | 6% |
Samaritan Medical Center
6.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
20th
percentile among NY towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Rutland
18pages on Rutland
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Rutland
About 3 of every 100 Rutland residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
Famous people from Rutland
3 notable people were born in Rutland.
About Rutland
Town in New York, United States
Rutland is a town in Jefferson County, New York, United States. The population was 3,038 at the 2020 census. Rutland is in the eastern part of the county, east of Watertown and southwest of Fort Drum.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 46 sq mi
- Elevation
- 978 ft
- Area code
- 315
Rutland’s neighbors
7 towns share a border with Rutland.
Le RayBlack RiverChampionWatertownPinckneyDenmarkRodmanRutland
How the neighbors grade
| Town | NY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rutland | #652 | C− | C+ | — | B− | C+ |
| Le Ray | #622 | C− | C− | — | C+ | B+ |
| Black River | — | — | B− | A+ | B− | B |
| Champion | #650 | C− | C | — | B− | C+ |
| Watertown | #732 | D− | D | — | C− | C+ |
| Pinckney | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Denmark | #557 | C | C+ | — | B | C+ |
| Rodman | — | — | B− | — | B | B− |
Black River and Rodman have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Rutland, Le Ray, Champion, Watertown, Denmark and Rodman report no FBI crime data of their own. Pinckney isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Rutland with a neighbor →
Questions about Rutland
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Rutland, NY a good place to live?
Rutland grades C− overall, better than 16% of U.S. towns and #652 of 745 in New York. It grades C+ for health and B− for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Rutland, NY expensive?
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 Rutland, NY known for?
3 notable people were born here, including Justus Doolittle and Augusta Larned.