Paul Smiths, NY · standard
ZIP Code 12970
Franklin County, New York - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 963
- 7/sq mi Low-density area
- $84,250
- Median income Above-median income area
- $242,100
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 48.5%
- Bachelor's or higher Above-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Paul Smiths pairs an above-median household income with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 33%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 45%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 7
- people per sq mi
- 64%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 12970 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 12970 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Paul Smiths, Franklin County, New York, home to just 963 residents across 130.1 square miles, a density of 7 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.
ZIP 12970 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $84,250 (9% below the average New York ZIP), while per-capita income is $24,420. The poverty rate is 3.9%, with unemployment at 9.2%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $242,100 (36% below the average New York ZIP), and median rent is $1,034; owner occupancy is 64.2%.
A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 48.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 21.5, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 2 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Franklin County, so 12970 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
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 →
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 12970, Paul Smiths, 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
963
Population
130.1
Area (sq mi)
7
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 12970?
21.5
Median Age
61.3%
Male
38.7%
Female
3.2%
Foreign-Born
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?
$84,250
Median Household Income
-9% vs state ZIP avg
$24,420
Per Capita Income
3.9%
Poverty Rate
9.2%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 12970 ranks among New York ZIPs
Paul Smiths, NY household income vs. every New York ZIP code
Median household income among 1,626 reporting New York ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$84,250 Top 47% higher than 53% of 1,626 New York ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more New York 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?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
460housing units
460
Total Housing Units
218
Occupied Units
242
Vacant Units
2.13
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$242,100
Median Home Value
-36% vs state ZIP avg
$1,034
Median Rent
1938
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 12 business establishments in ZIP 12970, employing approximately 423 people with a combined annual payroll of $12,277,000.
12
Businesses
423
Employees
$12.3M
Annual Payroll
1
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Other services (except public administration) | 3 | 25.0% |
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 12970 vs 12976 →
ZIP 12970 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 12970
Paul Smiths (12970)
963 residents
- 12976 260
Rainbow Lake (12976)
260 residents
- 12939 205
Gabriels (12939)
205 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 12970 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 12970 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 12970
Paul Smiths (12970)
$84,250 median income
- 12976
Rainbow Lake (12976)
$61,406 median income
- 12939
Gabriels (12939)
$51,635 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 12970 ranks the highest of 3 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 12970, both outside NY so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Franklin County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 12970 in?
ZIP code 12970 (Paul Smiths) is located in Franklin County, New York. Franklin County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/franklin-ny.
What is the population of ZIP code 12970?
ZIP code 12970 in Paul Smiths, NY has a population of 963 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 12970?
The median household income in ZIP 12970 is $84,250, which is 10% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 12970?
The median home value in ZIP 12970 is $242,100, which is 13% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 12970?
The largest racial group in ZIP 12970 is White at 91.9%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 3.6% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 12970?
ZIP code 12970 has 12 business establishments employing approximately 423 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 12970?
In ZIP code 12970, 60.9% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 48.5% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 12970?
In ZIP code 12970, approximately 64.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 35.8% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 12970?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 12970 is 3.9% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 12970's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 12970 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Paul Smiths, NY ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.