The Town FilesOswegatchie, New York
Town in St. Lawrence County · population 4,158 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $140,300
- Household income
- $85,263
- Jan low / Jul high
- 8° / 80°
- Snow a year
- 85 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 2
- Median age
- 41.5
Oswegatchie is a town of 4,158 people in St. Lawrence County, New York. The median home is worth $140,300, below the typical New York town ($217,700). It ranks easier by car than 93% of New York towns, better for a vacation home than 87% of New York towns, more of a college town than 72% of New York towns.
How Oswegatchie 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.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Oswegatchie is worth $140,300, below the typical New York town ($217,700). Homes cost about 1.6 times the median household income of $85,263, which is more affordable than 96% of New York towns. Median rent is $451 a month. 87.4% of households own their home.
| Housing | Oswegatchie | Typical New York town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $140,300 | $217,700 |
| Median rent | $451 | $1,080 |
| Median household income | $85,263 | $80,740 |
| Home value ÷ income | 1.6× | 2.8× |
| Homeownership | 87.4% | 79.5% |
| Median year built | 1977 | 1965 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 19.0% | — |
Who lives in Oswegatchie
| People | Oswegatchie | Typical New York town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 41.5 | 43.5 |
| Age 65 and over | 21.2% | 20.4% |
| Under 18 | 22.9% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.7% | 30.4% |
| Below the poverty line | 13.8% | 9.3% |
| Veterans | 6.3% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 1.1% | — |
| Work from home | 5.9% | 11.1% |
| Average commute | 19.5 min | 26.0 min |
| Homes with broadband | 86.6% | 91.1% |
Weather in Oswegatchie
July highs average 79.7°F and January lows 7.8°F. About 39.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 84.8 inches of snow (typical New York town: 62.9 in). Expect about 7 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 157 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Oswegatchie since 1950, compared with 5 for the typical New York town. The strongest, an F1, struck on July 10, 1989 about 4.8 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 10, 1989.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 6 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on July 14, 2026.
Severe weather in St. Lawrence County since 1996
St. Lawrence County has been included in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, other.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| September 24, 2024 | Tropical Storm | DR-4825: Remnants Of Tropical Storm Debby |
| August 29, 2024 | Flood | DR-4814: Severe Storm, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| March 15, 2023 | Snowstorm | DR-4694: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm |
| November 20, 2022 | Winter Storm | EM-3589: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm |
| March 20, 2020 | Biological | DR-4480: Covid-19 Pandemic |
Jobs and pay in St. Lawrence County
St. Lawrence County had 34,764 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $62,502 a year. Unemployment was 4.4% in 2023; in Oswegatchie itself the ACS puts it at 2.1%.
Towns near Oswegatchie
- Ogdensburg, NY5.6 mi · 10,064 people · home $85,400
- Lisbon, NY10.2 mi · 4,221 people · home $131,200
- Canton, NY14.3 mi · 11,638 people · home $163,200
- Canton, NY16.1 mi · 7,155 people · home $183,800
- Gouverneur, NY19.0 mi · 6,551 people · home $129,300
- Gouverneur, NY20.3 mi · 3,526 people · home $107,200
- Potsdam, NY22.6 mi · 14,901 people · home $143,400
- Pierrepont, NY24.6 mi · 2,523 people · home $131,300
Oswegatchie questions
Is Oswegatchie, New York a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Oswegatchie scores better for retirees than 61% of New York towns and quieter than 51%. 21.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 41.5).
How much does a house cost in Oswegatchie?
The median owner-occupied home in Oswegatchie is valued at $140,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $85,263, so homes cost about 1.6 times income. Median rent is $451 a month.
What is the weather like in Oswegatchie?
July highs average 79.7°F and January lows 7.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 39.2 inches of precipitation a year and 84.8 inches of snow.
Does Oswegatchie get tornadoes?
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Oswegatchie since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on July 10, 1989. The typical New York town has had 5.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)