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About St. Lawrence County

General Information

St. Lawrence Co. Characteristics
Population Characteristics
Housing
Land Use and Regulations


Location

Situated on the Canadian border in northern New York State, St. Lawrence County offers the ideal setting for the growth and development of your business. We offer exceptional transportation facilities, low commercial power rates and the immediate availability of fully serviced industrial sites and buildings. Additionally, our proximity to major markets in the Northeastern United States and in the Montreal-Toronto corridor of Canada gives you easy access to supplies, company headquarters and customers.


Area

2,685 square miles


Weather

Mean Daily Temperature:
January - 18°F
July - 70°F


Population of Amount
Total 111,931
Potsdam 15,957
Massena 13,121
Ogdensburg 12,364
Canton 10,334
Gouverneur 7,418

Workforce Amount
Labor Force 50,500
Households 40,506
Median Household Income $32,356
Per Capita Income $15,728
Median Home Sales Price $64,962

Local Utilities

Niagara Mohawk Power Corp.
Offers negotiated flexible electric rates for many types of new businesses, negotiable gas transportation rates and fixed rate gas discounts.

Massena Electric Department
Offers negotiated flexible electric and fixed rate electric discounts for many types of new businesses and negotiable firm gas transportation service.  The only municipally-owned utility in the County, Massena Electric provides electric service to Massena and portions of surrounding townships.

St. Lawrence Gas Company
Provides natural gas services to the communities of Canton, Gouverneur, Heuvelton, Lisbon, Madrid, Massena, Norfolk, Norwood, Ogdensburg, Potsdam, Raymondville and Waddington. In addition, the St. Lawrence Gas Company has co-generator projects in Gouverneur and New Brennen.


Market Access

The County’s border location offers advantages for companies serving markets in both the United States and Canada.  Canadian companies serving the US market appreciate the ease of access to the branches and subsidiaries they have located in St. Lawrence County.


Education

Five colleges and universities enroll over 10,000 students, including three colleges operated by the State University System.  Clarkson University is home to the State’s Center for Advanced Technology in Advanced Materials Processing.

Name

Enrolled

Clarkson University, Potsdam  4,384
St. Lawrence University, Canton  1,983
SUNY College of Technology, Canton 2,278
SUNY College at Potsdam 4,562
SUNY College of Environmental
Science & Forestry, Wanakena 
100

Empire Zones

There are New York State certified “Empire Zones” for economic development in Ogdensburg and Potsdam.  To foster business development, in some cases Empire Zone benefits are extended beyond historical contiguous boundaries to other locations.


10 Largest Employers

ALCOA

Clarkson University

St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES 

Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center

Canton-Potsdam Hospital

St. Lawrence County

United Helpers Organization

St. Lawrence University

St. Lawrence NYSARC

SUNY Potsdam