PlainZIP

Albany, NY · standard

ZIP Code 12206

Albany County, New York - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

16,395
2,979/sq mi
$41,548
Median income
$162,300
Median home value
30.7%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Albany pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with below-median home values, in a suburban-density, renter-heavy area.

7th pct
household income, US ZIPs
31th pct
home value, US ZIPs
2,979
people per sq mi
27%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 12206 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 12206 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Albany, Albany County, New York, home to 16,395 residents across 5.5 square miles, a density of 2,979 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 12206 reports a modest median household income of $41,548 (55% below the New York average), while per-capita income is $26,641. Poverty here runs at 34.6%, with unemployment measured at 11.5%. Housing costs here run $162,300 for a typical home value (57% below the state average), with rent averaging $1,210 a month; 26.6% of homes are owner-occupied.

A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 30.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 32, and the average commute is 20 minutes. Beyond these figures, 10 nearby ZIP codes within about 10 miles are surfaced below, along with 6 more sharing Albany County, letting you compare 12206 to its immediate surroundings rather than a national baseline alone.

Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →

Top industries in ZIP 12206

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Albany, NY

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 12206.

establishments

What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 12206, Albany, NY · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

16,395

Population

5.5

Area (sq mi)

2,979

People / sq mi

New York

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 12206?

32.0

Median Age

53.2%

Male

46.8%

Female

23.2%

Foreign-Born

White 34.6%
African American 38.7%
Asian 11.3%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 9.0%
Hispanic or Latino 10.8%

Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How much do residents earn?

$41,548

Median Household Income

-55% vs state

$26,641

Per Capita Income

34.6%

Poverty Rate

11.5%

Unemployment Rate

20.2 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 12206 ranks nationally

Albany, NY household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$41,548 7th percentile higher than 7% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What is the education profile here?

High School Graduate or Higher 62.9%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 30.7%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

8,382

Total Housing Units

6,522

Occupied Units

1,860

Vacant Units

2.19

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 26.6%
Renter 73.4%

$162,300

Median Home Value

-57% vs state

$1,210

Median Rent

1949

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How have home values changed over time?

FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals

+30.6%

YoY Change (2024)

281

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+181%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 12206 have increased 30.6% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +181% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +6.7% 177
2021 +13.3% 200
2022 +22.9% 246
2023 -12.7% 215
2024 +30.6% 281

Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 509 business establishments in ZIP 12206, employing approximately 8,259 people with a combined annual payroll of $485,454,000.

509

Businesses

8,259

Employees

$485.5M

Annual Payroll

16

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 94 18.5%
Other services (except public administration) 84 16.5%
Health care and social assistance 78 15.3%
Accommodation and food services 61 12.0%
Construction 47 9.2%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 30 5.9%
Finance and insurance 24 4.7%
Wholesale trade 23 4.5%
Information 13 2.5%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 12 2.4%
Manufacturing 9 1.8%
Educational services 9 1.8%
Real estate and rental and leasing 8 1.6%
Transportation and warehousing 7 1.4%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 7 1.4%
Management of companies and enterprises 3 0.6%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.

Nearby ZIP Codes

Want a side-by-side? Compare 12206 vs 12210 →

ZIP 12206 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 12206 ranks #3 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 12206 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 12206 ranks #null of 9 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
12210 Albany, NY 10,158 1.6 mi
12209 Albany, NY 10,121 2.5 mi
12208 Albany, NY 20,702 2.0 mi
12211 Albany, NY 11,303 2.4 mi
12222 Albany, NY 6,489 2.3 mi
12207 Albany, NY 1,948 2.2 mi
12202 Albany, NY 9,628 3.0 mi
12204 Albany, NY 7,349 2.9 mi
12203 Albany, NY 29,952 3.4 mi
12077 Glenmont, NY 6,246 5.5 mi

More ZIP Codes in Albany County

12203 standard
Albany, NY
Pop: 29,952
12205 standard
Albany, NY
Pop: 26,977
12110 standard
Latham, NY
Pop: 21,908
12208 standard
Albany, NY
Pop: 20,702
12047 standard
Cohoes, NY
Pop: 19,664
12189 standard
Watervliet, NY
Pop: 17,568

Related Areas

Albany County Albany, NY New York

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 12206 in? ▼
ZIP code 12206 (Albany) is located in Albany County, New York. Albany County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/albany-ny.
What is the population of ZIP code 12206? ▼
ZIP code 12206 in Albany, NY has a population of 16,395 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 12206? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 12206 is $41,548, which is 46% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 12206? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 12206 is $162,300, which is 42% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 12206? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 12206 is African American at 38.7%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 10.8% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 12206? ▼
ZIP code 12206 has 509 business establishments employing approximately 8,259 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 12206? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 12206 are: Retail trade (94), Other services (except public administration) (84), Health care and social assistance (78). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 12206? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 12206 increased by 30.6% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 181%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 12206? ▼
In ZIP code 12206, 62.9% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 30.7% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 12206? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 12206 is 20.2 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 12206? ▼
In ZIP code 12206, approximately 26.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 73.4% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 12206? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 12206 is 34.6% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.