PlainZIP

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
$84,250
Median income
$242,100
Median home value
48.5%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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 New York average), while per-capita income is $24,420. Poverty here runs at 3.9%, with unemployment measured at 9.2%. Housing costs here run $242,100 for a typical home value (36% below the state average), with rent averaging $1,034 a month; 64.2% of homes are owner-occupied.

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 -. To put 12970 in local context, 2 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles appear further down this page alongside 6 additional ZIPs in Franklin County, for a geography-aware comparison.

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

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 12970?

21.5

Median Age

61.3%

Male

38.7%

Female

3.2%

Foreign-Born

White 91.9%
African American 1.5%
Asian 2.5%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 4.2%
Hispanic or Latino 3.6%

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

$24,420

Per Capita Income

3.9%

Poverty Rate

9.2%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 12970 ranks nationally

Paul Smiths, NY household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$84,250 Top 33% higher than 67% 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%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). This entry sits in this band. $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 60.9%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 48.5%

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

What does housing look like?

460

Total Housing Units

218

Occupied Units

242

Vacant Units

2.13

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 64.2%
Renter 35.8%

$242,100

Median Home Value

-36% vs state

$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.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 12970 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.

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

ZIP 12970 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 12970 ranks the highest of 3 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
12976 Rainbow Lake, NY 260 5.1 mi
12939 Gabriels, NY 205 8.4 mi

More ZIP Codes in Franklin County

12953 standard
Malone, NY
Pop: 15,836
12983 standard
Saranac Lake, NY
Pop: 7,494
12986 standard
Tupper Lake, NY
Pop: 6,120
13655 standard
Hogansburg, NY
Pop: 3,512
12966 standard
North Bangor, NY
Pop: 2,915
12920 standard
Chateaugay, NY
Pop: 2,842

Related Areas

Franklin County Paul Smiths, NY New York

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.

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