Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Watson’s best subject grades are an A− for cost of living and an A for the outdoors; its weakest is a C− for hazard risk. On cost of living, just 93 of New York’s 1,215 towns do better. 51% of the land in Watson is conserved, above both the New York town median (5.2%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). The biggest place to walk is Independence River Wild Forest, 26,443 acres with 32 miles of trail. Watson has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Watson beats most towns.
50.9% of the town is conserved land, across 6 parks and preserves.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Watson is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 909 in 1830, a low of 528 in 1930, 1,881 in 2010. The archive holds 2 maps from 1911 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Watson, 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 Watson.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Independence River Wild Forest | 32 mi | 26,443 |
| 2. Independence River State Forest | 3.7 mi | 430 |
| 3. Pepperbox Wilderness | 0.8 mi | 630 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Most working residents leave Watson for work: only 4% work in town. Watson’s average trip to work is 33 minutes, against 25 minutes in New York’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Since 2013, Watson has lost 45 jobs, to 94 in 2023.
| Watson | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 33 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.9% | 10% | 8% |
| Median household income | $69,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Watson’s July high is 77°F. Watson has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 67% of U.S. communities. Since 1984, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Watson.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Watson beats the New York average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 9. 40% of adults have obesity in Watson.
| Watson | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 33% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 14% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 17% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 81% | 81% | 79% |
| What stands out | Watson | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 12.9% | 17.2% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 11% | 14.5% |
| More adults with obesity | 40.3% | 28.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Watson; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Watson residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
Where Watson’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Town in New York, United States
Watson is a town in Lewis County, New York, United States. The population was 1,802 at the 2020 census. The town is named after early landowner James Watson. The town is at the eastern border of the county and is east of Lowville, the county seat.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
6 towns share a border with Watson.
| Town | NY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watson | — | — | A− | — | B− | B− |
| Lowville | #382 | B− | B | — | B+ | B− |
| Martinsburg | — | — | A− | — | B+ | B− |
| Greig | — | — | B | — | B− | C |
| New Bremen | #545 | C | B+ | — | C | C+ |
| Webb | — | — | C | A | B | B |
| Croghan | #550 | C | B+ | — | C | C+ |
Watson, Martinsburg, Greig and Webb have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Watson, Lowville, Martinsburg, Greig, New Bremen and Croghan report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Watson with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.
