Zip code 12981: Saranac, New York

Q: What city is zip code 12981?

12981 is assigned to Saranac, New York. The city name is the one the Postal Service prefers for mail addressed to this zip code.

Q: What county is 12981 in?

12981 is mostly in Clinton County, but it extends into 1 other county.

Q: What is the population of 12981?

About 2,259 people live in 12981, according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey.

Q: What is the median household income in 12981?

The median household income in 12981 is $76,450.

Q: What zip codes are near 12981?

The closest zip codes to 12981 are 12978, 12952, 12985, 12929, 12918.

Residential delivery areaClinton CountyEastern Time

Population

2,259

Median household income

$76K

U.S. $81K

Median home value

$182K

U.S. $333K

Median rent

$901/mo

U.S. $1,413

Median age

39.8

U.S. 38.9

Land area

117 sq mi

19 people/sq mi

Boundary is the Census Bureau's ZIP Code Tabulation Area, which closely tracks the postal delivery area.

About 12981

12981 is a rural zip code in Saranac, New York (Clinton County), covering 117 sq mi of land. About 2,259 people live here, or 19 per square mile. The median resident is 39.8 years old, compared with 38.9 nationally.

The median household earns $76,450 a year, close to the national median of $80,734. 19.4% of residents live below the poverty line (U.S.: 12.5%). A typical home is valued at $182,300, or 2.4 years of median household income (U.S.: 4.1 years), which makes homes relatively affordable for local earners. 92% of occupied homes are lived in by their owners, and renters pay a median of $901 a month.

24% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S.: 36%). Commuters average 23.1 minutes each way, and 3% of workers work from home. The most common jobs among working residents are in healthcare; police and fire protection; and sales.

How 12981 compares

Sorted from highest to lowest national percentile

Residents under 1833.3%
99th
U.S. 22% · NY 20.5%39th of 1,693 in NY
Healthcare workers16.7%
98th
U.S. 9.7% · NY 11.8%158th of 1,685 in NY
Homeownership rate91.6%
97th
StrengthU.S. 65.2% · NY 54.3%248th of 1,673 in NY
Housing vacancy20%
93rd
U.S. 10.1% · NY 10%486th of 1,675 in NY
Government workers22.9%
91st
U.S. 14.5% · NY 16.4%439th of 1,685 in NY
Poverty rate19.4%
83rd
WeaknessU.S. 12.5% · NY 14%248th of 1,679 in NY
Broadband access94.7%
73rd
U.S. 91% · NY 90.8%436th of 1,673 in NY
Median age39.8
56th
U.S. 38.9 · NY 39.81,207th of 1,693 in NY
Veterans6%
52nd
U.S. 6.2% · NY 3.7%741st of 1,693 in NY
Median household income$76,450
46th
U.S. $80,734 · NY $85,974938th of 1,602 in NY
Self-employed workers8.8%
43rd
U.S. 10% · NY 9.7%965th of 1,685 in NY
Residents 65 and older15.4%
41st
U.S. 17.2% · NY 17.9%1,320th of 1,693 in NY
Bachelor's degree or higher23.6%
30th
U.S. 35.7% · NY 40.2%1,180th of 1,691 in NY
Average commute23.1 min
30th
U.S. 26.4 min · NY 32.6 min1,146th of 1,618 in NY
Median earnings per worker$42,218
30th
U.S. $49,666 · NY $55,3211,337th of 1,676 in NY
Income inequality (Gini)0.408
27th
U.S. 0.483 · NY 0.517981st of 1,669 in NY
Per capita income$30,539
20th
WeaknessU.S. $44,673 · NY $50,7121,443rd of 1,690 in NY
Median home value$182,300
17th
U.S. $332,700 · NY $423,8001,101st of 1,614 in NY
Median gross rent$901
14th
U.S. $1,413 · NY $1,6211,035th of 1,367 in NY
Tech workers0.8%
10th
U.S. 3.8% · NY 3.5%1,176th of 1,685 in NY
Foreign-born residents1%
6th
U.S. 14.1% · NY 22.8%1,397th of 1,693 in NY
Population2,259
4th
U.S. 334,922,499 · NY 19,852,3661,000th of 1,693 in NY
Work from home3.1%
3rd
U.S. 15.1% · NY 14.9%1,538th of 1,685 in NY
Population density19/sq mi
2nd
U.S. 95/sq mi · NY 421/sq mi1,594th of 1,693 in NY
Diversity index6.8
2nd
U.S. 61.4 · NY 65.51,513th of 1,693 in NY
Rent-burdened renters20.3%
2nd
StrengthU.S. 51.1% · NY 52.1%1,394th of 1,579 in NY
Unemployment rate0%
1st
StrengthU.S. 5.2% · NY 6.4%1,509th of 1,685 in NY
Uninsured rate0.8%
1st
StrengthU.S. 8.4% · NY 5.1%1,467th of 1,689 in NY

Measure	12981	Clinton	NY	U.S.	National percentile	Rank in NY
Residents under 18	33.3%	18%	20.5%	22%	99th	39th of 1,693
Healthcare workers	16.7%	10.8%	11.8%	9.7%	98th	158th of 1,685
Homeownership rateStrength	91.6%	69.4%	54.3%	65.2%	97th	248th of 1,673
Housing vacancy	20%	10.9%	10%	10.1%	93rd	486th of 1,675
Government workers	22.9%	22.2%	16.4%	14.5%	91st	439th of 1,685
Poverty rateWeakness	19.4%	13.7%	14%	12.5%	83rd	248th of 1,679
Broadband access	94.7%	88%	90.8%	91%	73rd	436th of 1,673
Median age	39.8	41.9	39.8	38.9	56th	1,207th of 1,693
Veterans	6%	7.8%	3.7%	6.2%	52nd	741st of 1,693
Median household income	$76,450	$71,224	$85,974	$80,734	46th	938th of 1,602
Self-employed workers	8.8%	8%	9.7%	10%	43rd	965th of 1,685
Residents 65 and older	15.4%	19%	17.9%	17.2%	41st	1,320th of 1,693
Bachelor's degree or higher	23.6%	27.6%	40.2%	35.7%	30th	1,180th of 1,691
Average commute	23.1 min	20.4 min	32.6 min	26.4 min	30th	1,146th of 1,618
Median earnings per worker	$42,218	$48,463	$55,321	$49,666	30th	1,337th of 1,676
Income inequality (Gini)	0.408	0.448	0.517	0.483	27th	981st of 1,669
Per capita incomeWeakness	$30,539	$38,591	$50,712	$44,673	20th	1,443rd of 1,690
Median home value	$182,300	$180,600	$423,800	$332,700	17th	1,101st of 1,614
Median gross rent	$901	$1,003	$1,621	$1,413	14th	1,035th of 1,367
Tech workers	0.8%	1.6%	3.5%	3.8%	10th	1,176th of 1,685
Foreign-born residents	1%	4.8%	22.8%	14.1%	6th	1,397th of 1,693
Population	2,259	78,493	19,852,366	334,922,499	4th	1,000th of 1,693
Work from home	3.1%	7.6%	14.9%	15.1%	3rd	1,538th of 1,685
Population density	19/sq mi	76/sq mi	421/sq mi	95/sq mi	2nd	1,594th of 1,693
Diversity index	6.8	21.9	65.5	61.4	2nd	1,513th of 1,693
Rent-burdened rentersStrength	20.3%	45.9%	52.1%	51.1%	2nd	1,394th of 1,579
Unemployment rateStrength	0%	4.1%	6.4%	5.2%	1st	1,509th of 1,685
Uninsured rateStrength	0.8%	3.1%	5.1%	8.4%	1st	1,467th of 1,689

The percentile is the share of Americans who live in a zip code with a lower value, so the 50th percentile is typical. Rank 1 is the highest value in the state. Both include zip codes with at least 100 residents. Strengths and weaknesses mark measures in the best or worst fifth nationally, where higher or lower is clearly better (income, poverty, education, commute, broadband, insurance and similar). Measures like age or density are left unmarked.

People

Age

Under 5

28%

5–17

18–24

25–34

16%

35–44

14%

45–54

10%

55–64

12%

65–74

75+

Median age

39.8

Under 18

33.3%

65 and over

15.4%

Race and ethnicity

White97%
Black0%
Hispanic0.9%
Asian0%
Native American0%
Pacific Islander0%
Other0%
Multiracial3%

Diversity index

6.8

U.S. 61.4

Foreign-born

U.S. 14.1%

Born in state

84%

Language spoken at home (households)

English only

100%

Spanish

Other Indo-European

Asian / Pacific

Other

Households

Households: 819
Average household size: 2.8
Family households: 75.9%
Married couples: 50.2%
Living alone: 23.3%
Veterans (of adults): 6%
Male / female: 51% / 49%

Income and poverty

Household income distribution

<$25k

17%

$25–50k

21%

$50–75k

11%

$75–100k

17%

$100–150k

25%

$150–200k

$200k+

Median household income

12981

$76,450

Clinton Co.

$71,224

New York

$85,974

United States

$80,734

Per capita income

$30,539

U.S. $44,673

Poverty rate

19.4%

U.S. 12.5%

Households earning $150K+

U.S. 23%

Income inequality (Gini)

0.408

U.S. 0.483

Housing

Median home value

12981

$182,300

Clinton Co.

$180,600

New York

$423,800

United States

$332,700

Median gross rent

12981

$901

Clinton Co.

$1,003

New York

$1,621

United States

$1,413

Types of housing

Single-family

89%

2–4 units

5–19 units

20+ units

Mobile home

Boat, RV, van

Housing units: 1,024
Owner-occupied: 91.6%
Vacant: 20%
Median year built: 1963
Median rooms: 6.5
Renters paying 30%+ of income: 20.3%
Renters paying 50%+ of income: 0%
Home value to income: 2.4× (U.S. 4.1×)

Work and commute

How people get to work

Drove alone

89%

Carpooled

Transit

Walked

Bicycle

Worked from home

Other

Commute time (one way)

<10 min

17%

10–19

10%

20–29

29%

30–44

42%

45–59

0.7%

60+

Average commute

23.1 min

U.S. 26.4 min

Unemployment

U.S. 5.2%

In labor force

62.5%

U.S. 63.5%

Jobs and careers

What employed residents do, wherever they work

Occupations

Healthcare

17%

Police and fire

15%

Sales

14%

Office and admin

14%

Food service

12%

Management

Business and finance

Cleaning and personal care

Legal and social services

Education

Engineering and science

Construction and repair

Production

Computer and math

0.8%

Transportation and moving

0.3%

Arts, media and sports

Farming, fishing and forestry

Industries

Health care and social assistance

24%

Public administration

19%

Restaurants and hotels

15%

Retail

11%

Manufacturing

Education

Transportation, warehousing and utilities

Professional and technical services

Construction

Wholesale

Other services

Admin, support and management

Information

Finance, insurance and real estate

0.6%

Arts and recreation

0.3%

Agriculture and mining

Median earnings per worker

$42,218

U.S. $49,666

Self-employed

8.8%

U.S. 10%

Government workers

22.9%

U.S. 14.5%

Nonprofit workers

10.6%

U.S. 8.8%

Median earnings by type of work

Type of work	12981	U.S.
Management, business, science and arts	$69,063	$74,888
Service	$40,127	$26,804
Sales and office	$31,034	$40,476
Construction and maintenance	—	$49,199
Production and transportation	—	$39,989

Education, internet and health coverage

Highest education (adults 25+)

No diploma

High school

37%

Some college

19%

Associate's

12%

Bachelor's

15%

Graduate

High school graduate or higher: 91.2%
Bachelor's degree or higher: 23.6%
Graduate or professional degree: 8.3%
Households with broadband: 94.7%
Cable, fiber or DSL: 87.2%
No internet access: 5%
Without health insurance: 0.8%
Limited-English households: 0%

Geography

City (USPS): Saranac
State: New York
County: Clinton County
Center point: 44.6271° N, 73.8458° W
Land area: 117 sq mi
Water area: 0.8 sq mi
Time zone: Eastern Time (UTC-5, UTC-4 in summer)
Zip type: Residential delivery area

12981 spans 2 counties

Clinton County95% of land
Franklin County6% of land

Zip codes near 12981

Search by radius

Zip	City	Distance	Population	IncomeMedian income	Home value
12978	Redford, NY	2.9 mi	340	$98,958	$70,500
12952	Lyon Mountain, NY	6.4 mi	286	$52,841	—
12985	Schuyler Falls, NY	7 mi	755	$76,090	$157,900
12929	Dannemora, NY	8.9 mi	2,684	$62,411	$134,400
12918	Cadyville, NY	9.5 mi	2,412	$91,951	$206,700
12912	Au Sable Forks, NY	11 mi	1,682	$70,046	$189,200
12955	Lyon Mountain, NY	12 mi	503	$78,487	$164,200
12989	Vermontville, NY	12 mi	1,110	$84,464	$228,400
12934	Ellenburg Center, NY	13 mi	1,120	$77,734	$115,100
12969	Owls Head, NY	14 mi	279	$65,469	$101,300
12962	Morrisonville, NY	14 mi	5,654	$77,847	$189,000
12972	Peru, NY	15 mi	6,895	$125,373	$201,700

Zip codes like 12981 elsewhere

Matched on income, home values, age, density, education, housing and commuting

Questions about 12981

What city is zip code 12981?

12981 is assigned to Saranac, New York. The city name is the one the Postal Service prefers for mail addressed to this zip code.

What county is 12981 in?

12981 is mostly in Clinton County, but it extends into 1 other county.

What is the population of 12981?

About 2,259 people live in 12981, according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey.

What time zone is 12981 in?

12981 is in Eastern Time.

What is the median household income in 12981?

The median household income in 12981 is $76,450.

What zip codes are near 12981?

The closest zip codes to 12981 are 12978, 12952, 12985, 12929, 12918.

Demographic figures are 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Area 12981, from the U.S. Census Bureau. Small areas have wide margins of error. How we build these numbers.