2026 Compare Cities Economy:
Watertown, NY vs Ithaca, NY

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Highlights
- Household income in Ithaca, is 11% less than it is in Watertown and is 68% below the National Average.
- Watertown unemployment rate is 7.8%.
- Ithaca unemployment rate is 4.5%.
 Watertown, NYIthaca, NYUnited States
 Unemployment Rate  Unlock4.5%6.0%
 Recent Job Growth  Unlock2.8%1.6%
 Future Job Growth16.7%  Unlock33.5%
 Sales Taxes8.0%  Unlock6.2%
 Income Taxes  Unlock6.2%4.6%
 Income per Cap.$29,057  Unlock$37,638
 Household Income  Unlock$40,973$69,021
 Family Median Income$60,074  Unlock$85,028
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 Est. Households By Income
 Watertown, NYIthaca, NYUnited States
 Income Less Than 15K  Unlock23.2%9.4%
 Income between 15K and 20K4.7%  Unlock3.8%
 Income between 20K and 30K  Unlock11.6%8.1%
 Income between 30K and 40K11.1%  Unlock8.0%
 Income between 40K and 50K  Unlock9.4%7.6%
 Income between 50K and 60K8.8%  Unlock7.2%
 Income between 60K and 75K  Unlock6.3%9.6%
 Income between 75K and 100K12.1%  Unlock12.8%
 Income between 100K and 150K  Unlock8.8%16.3%
 Income between 150K and 200K3.8%  Unlock7.8%
 Income greater than 200K  Unlock7.1%9.5%
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 Population By Occupation
 Watertown, NYIthaca, NYUnited States
 Management, business, finance12.9%  Unlock16.4%
 Engineering, computers, science  Unlock13.9%6.5%
 Community, social services2.6%  Unlock1.8%
 Legal  Unlock0.5%1.2%
 Education, library7.8%  Unlock6.2%
 Arts, design, media, sports, entertainment  Unlock4.7%2.0%
 Healthcare practitioners and technology5.7%  Unlock6.2%
 Healthcare support  Unlock1.7%3.3%
 Firefighters, law enforcement2.3%  Unlock2.1%
 Food preparation, serving  Unlock11.1%5.4%
 Building maintenance2.0%  Unlock3.6%
 Personal care  Unlock2.4%2.6%
 Sales, office, administrative support25.8%  Unlock20.9%
 Farming, fishing, forestry  Unlock0.4%0.6%
 Construction, extraction, maintenance/repair5.6%  Unlock8.1%
 Production, transportation, material moving  Unlock3.1%13.1%
Reviews for Watertown    2 Reviews

I don’t live there but visit on occasion. Very quiet town. Ran into a white out blizzard while driving there that a local tells me isn’t unusual. One minute I could  More

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Over 18 years ago

As a city primarily filled and flourished with military families, Watertown is a decent place to live. Because of the population influx from military families, the town  More

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Reviews for Ithaca    32 Reviews

BILL · 

For a small city, its downtown has grown significantly and serves as the hub of the community. The Ithaca Commons remains the central gathering space for locals,  More

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Over 5 years ago

Great place to live. Lots to do, vibrant culture, and beautiful scenery. Don't fear the winter--it's even beautiful then. Only complaint is the housing market. Way  More

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I was born, raised, educated there (Ithaca High and Cornell). In my opinion, before leaving to pursue my career, it seemed like the most beautiful, clean, low crime,  More

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