Saranac, NY · standard
ZIP Code 12981
Clinton County, New York - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 2,253
- 8/sq mi Low-density area
- $76,450
- Median income Near-median income area
- $182,300
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 23.6%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Saranac pairs an above-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 43%
- household income, US ZIPs
- 39th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 8
- people per sq mi
- 92%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 12981 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 12981 covers 274.8 square miles in Saranac, Clinton County, New York (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 2,253 residents on file, a density of 8 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.
ZIP 12981 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $76,450 (17% below the average New York ZIP), while per-capita income is $30,539. The poverty rate is 19.4%, with unemployment at 0.0%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $182,300 (52% below the average New York ZIP), and median rent is $901; owner occupancy is 91.6%.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 23.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 39.8, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 4 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Clinton County, so 12981 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 →
Top industries in ZIP 12981
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Saranac, NY
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 12981.
- Construction
Construction
6 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
5 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
5 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, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 12981, Saranac, 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
2,253
Population
274.8
Area (sq mi)
8
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 12981?
39.8
Median Age
51.4%
Male
48.6%
Female
1.0%
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?
$76,450
Median Household Income
-17% vs state ZIP avg
$30,539
Per Capita Income
19.4%
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 12981 ranks among New York ZIPs
Saranac, 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)
$76,450 41st percentile higher than 41% 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
1,024housing units
1,024
Total Housing Units
819
Occupied Units
205
Vacant Units
2.76
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$182,300
Median Home Value
-52% vs state ZIP avg
$901
Median Rent
1963
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 20 business establishments in ZIP 12981, employing approximately 56 people with a combined annual payroll of $1,461,000.
20
Businesses
56
Employees
$1.5M
Annual Payroll
3
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 6 | 30.0% |
| Retail trade | 5 | 25.0% |
| Health care and social assistance | 5 | 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 12981 vs 12978 →
ZIP 12981 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 12929
Dannemora (12929)
3,938 residents
- 12981
Saranac (12981)
2,253 residents
- 12985 1,072
Schuyler Falls (12985)
1,072 residents
- 12952 546
Lyon Mountain (12952)
546 residents
- 12978 403
Redford (12978)
403 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 12981 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 12981 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 12978
Redford (12978)
$98,958 median income
- 12981
Saranac (12981)
$76,450 median income
- 12985
Schuyler Falls (12985)
$76,090 median income
- 12929
Dannemora (12929)
$62,411 median income
- 12952
Lyon Mountain (12952)
$52,841 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 12981 ranks #2 of 5 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 12981, both outside NY so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (2,253 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Clinton County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 12981 in?
ZIP code 12981 (Saranac) is located in Clinton County, New York. Clinton County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/clinton-ny.
What is the population of ZIP code 12981?
ZIP code 12981 in Saranac, NY has a population of 2,253 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 12981?
The median household income in ZIP 12981 is $76,450, which is 0% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 12981?
The median home value in ZIP 12981 is $182,300, which is 34% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 12981?
The largest racial group in ZIP 12981 is White at 96.5%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 0.9% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 12981?
ZIP code 12981 has 20 business establishments employing approximately 56 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 12981?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 12981 are: Construction (6), Retail trade (5), Health care and social assistance (5). There are 3 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 12981?
In ZIP code 12981, 60.8% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 23.6% 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 12981?
In ZIP code 12981, approximately 91.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 8.4% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 12981?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 12981 is 19.4% 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 12981's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 12981 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Saranac, 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.