The Town Files

Henderson, New York

Town in Jefferson County · population 1,438 (2020 Census)

Map: where Henderson is in New YorkHenderson
Median home
$213,900
Household income
$92,400
Jan low / Jul high
10° / 79°
Snow a year
156 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
2
Median age
60.9

Henderson is a town of 1,438 people in Jefferson County, New York. The median home is worth $213,900, close to the typical New York town ($217,700). It ranks quieter than 96% of New York towns, better for cycling than 94% of New York towns, better for a vacation home than 86% of New York towns.

How Henderson ranks

Percentile among New York towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of New York towns.

Henderson lifestyle rankings vs other New York townsRetirement80th pctFamilies41st pctQuiet96th pctWalkability15th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals12th pctVibrancy9th pctHip & trendy37th pctCollege town7th pctUpscale51st pctVacation homes86th pctSeaside characterbottomCycling94th pctTransit48th pctDriving64th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Henderson is worth $213,900, close to the typical New York town ($217,700). Homes cost about 2.3 times the median household income of $92,400, which is more affordable than 72% of New York towns. Median rent is $833 a month. 88.7% of households own their home.

Henderson vs Jefferson County vs typical New York townHendersonJefferson CountyTypical New York townHome value$213,900$188,200$217,700Household income$92,400$66,301$80,740Monthly rent$833$1,213$1,080
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of New York towns with 500+ people.
HousingHendersonTypical New York town
Median home value$213,900$217,700
Median rent$833$1,080
Median household income$92,400$80,740
Home value ÷ income2.3×2.8×
Homeownership88.7%79.5%
Median year built19641965
Seasonal / vacation homes47.2%—

Who lives in Henderson

PeopleHendersonTypical New York town
Median age60.943.5
Age 65 and over42.3%20.4%
Under 1811.8%—
Bachelor's degree or higher29.7%30.4%
Below the poverty line9.1%9.3%
Veterans11.1%—
Born outside the U.S.1.5%—
Work from home15.1%11.1%
Average commute29.6 min26.0 min
Homes with broadband92.4%91.1%

Weather in Henderson

July highs average 79.2°F and January lows 10.0°F. About 37.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 156.4 inches of snow (typical New York town: 62.9 in). Expect about 2 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 151 nights at or below freezing.

Henderson monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°32° freezing30°10°Jan31°11°Feb40°21°Mar54°33°Apr66°44°May75°53°Jun79°59°Jul78°57°Aug71°49°Sep58°39°Oct47°30°Nov36°19°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.943.62.238.62.418.93.15.23.00.23.13.03.23.64.21.33.413.23.135.4
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Watertown Intl Ap station (12.4 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 2 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Henderson since 1950, compared with 5 for the typical New York town. The strongest, an F1, struck on August 28, 1983 about 8.7 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 28, 1983.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Henderson by decade11950s01960s01970s11980s01990s02000s02010s02020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 5 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on July 20, 1992.

Severe weather in Jefferson County since 1996

Storm events in Jefferson County since 1996 by typeHail24Flood19Blizzard6High Wind64Heavy Snow63Flash Flood10Frost/Freeze21Winter Storm55
NOAA Storm Events Database, Jefferson County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 3 deaths recorded.

Jefferson County has been included in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, other.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
September 24, 2024Tropical StormDR-4825: Remnants Of Tropical Storm Debby
November 20, 2022Winter StormEM-3589: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm
March 20, 2020BiologicalDR-4480: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3434: Covid-19
December 19, 2019Severe StormDR-4472: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding

Jobs and pay in Jefferson County

Jefferson County had 40,308 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $55,545 a year. Unemployment was 4.4% in 2023; in Henderson itself the ACS puts it at 4.5%.

Largest industries in Jefferson CountyHealth care & social assistan…6,712 jobs · $62,819Retail5,675 jobs · $37,065Hotels & restaurants4,049 jobs · $25,397Manufacturing1,758 jobs · $66,346Construction1,708 jobs · $68,764Transportation & warehousing1,483 jobs · $51,968
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Jefferson County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Jefferson 4.4%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Henderson

Henderson questions

Is Henderson, New York a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Henderson scores better for retirees than 80% of New York towns and quieter than 96%. 42.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 60.9).

How much does a house cost in Henderson?

The median owner-occupied home in Henderson is valued at $213,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $92,400, so homes cost about 2.3 times income. Median rent is $833 a month.

What is the weather like in Henderson?

July highs average 79.2°F and January lows 10.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 37.1 inches of precipitation a year and 156.4 inches of snow.

Does Henderson get tornadoes?

2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Henderson since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on August 28, 1983. The typical New York town has had 5.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Henderson's Census boundary (GEOID 3604534055). Comparisons use the median of New York towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.