PlainZIP

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
$76,450
Median income
$182,300
Median home value
23.6%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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 New York average), while per-capita income is $30,539. Poverty here runs at 19.4%, with unemployment measured at 0.0%. On housing, the median home value is $182,300 (52% below the state average) with median rent at $901 per month, and 91.6% of occupied units are owner-occupied.

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 -. A geography-based comparison follows: 4 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 12981, plus 6 more within Clinton County, give a clearer read than the national average 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 12981

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Saranac, NY

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 12981.

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 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

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 12981?

39.8

Median Age

51.4%

Male

48.6%

Female

1.0%

Foreign-Born

White 96.5%
African American 0.0%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.9%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 2.6%
Hispanic or Latino 0.9%

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

$30,539

Per Capita Income

19.4%

Poverty Rate

0.0%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 12981 ranks nationally

Saranac, NY household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$76,450 Top 43% higher than 57% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $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 60.8%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 23.6%

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

What does housing look like?

1,024

Total Housing Units

819

Occupied Units

205

Vacant Units

2.76

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 91.6%
Renter 8.4%

$182,300

Median Home Value

-52% vs state

$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.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 12981 ranks #2 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 12981 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 12981 ranks #2 of 5 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
12978 Redford, NY 403 1.8 mi
12952 Lyon Mountain, NY 546 6.4 mi
12985 Schuyler Falls, NY 1,072 6.4 mi
12929 Dannemora, NY 3,938 8.9 mi

More ZIP Codes in Clinton County

12901 standard
Plattsburgh, NY
Pop: 33,439
12972 standard
Peru, NY
Pop: 6,364
12962 standard
Morrisonville, NY
Pop: 5,499
12992 standard
West Chazy, NY
Pop: 4,778
12929 standard
Dannemora, NY
Pop: 3,938
12919 standard
Champlain, NY
Pop: 3,037

Related Areas

Clinton County Saranac, NY New York

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.

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