Potsdam is a somewhat small village located in the state of New York. With a population of 8,558 people and four associated neighborhoods, Potsdam is the 211th largest community in New York.

One interesting thing about the economy is that relatively large numbers of people worked from their home: 11.40% of the workforce. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce this is high compared to the rest of the county. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

Potsdam is a small town with a large college student population. Because of this, there is a real youthful, hip vibe to the place, and much of the life in the town is centered on the college. This has helped Potsdam to buck the trend of other small towns that have suffered declining populations over the past 20 to 30 years. Spending by students, and faculty and staff jobs, are a big part of the local economy.

For a small village, there is also a high proportion of single, often educated, people living in Potsdam. This is not typical for smaller communities in America, and adds a feeling of vibrancy to Potsdam.

Compared to the rest of the country, citizens of Potsdam spend much less time in their cars: on average, their commute to work is only 15.74 minutes. This also means that noise and pollution levels in the village are less than they would otherwise be.

The citizens of Potsdam are among the most well-educated in the nation: 44.65% of adults in Potsdam have a bachelor's degree or even advanced degree, whereas the average US city has 21.84% holding at least a bachelor's degree.

The per capita income in Potsdam in 2022 was $21,008, which is low income relative to New York and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $84,032 for a family of four. However, Potsdam contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.

Potsdam is a very ethnically-diverse village. The people who call Potsdam home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Potsdam residents report their race to be White, followed by Asian. Important ancestries of people in Potsdam include Irish, Italian, German, English, and Polish.

The most common language spoken in Potsdam is English. Other important languages spoken here include French and Spanish.