PlainZIP

Tupper Lake, NY · standard

ZIP Code 12986

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

6,120
10/sq mi
$67,883
Median income
$158,900
Median home value
22.5%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Tupper Lake pairs a below-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

43th pct
household income, US ZIPs
29th pct
home value, US ZIPs
10
people per sq mi
73%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 12986 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 12986 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Tupper Lake, Franklin County, New York, home to 6,120 residents across 588.5 square miles, a density of 10 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 12986 reports a modest median household income of $67,883 (27% below the New York average), while per-capita income is $35,777. The poverty rate stands at 16.9% and the unemployment rate at 2.0%. Housing costs here run $158,900 for a typical home value (58% below the state average), with rent averaging $790 a month; 72.7% of homes are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 22.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 48.7, and the average commute is 15 minutes. A geography-based comparison follows: 1 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 12986, plus 6 more within Franklin 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 12986

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Tupper Lake, NY

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 12986.

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 12986, Tupper Lake, 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

6,120

Population

588.5

Area (sq mi)

10

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 12986?

48.7

Median Age

50.0%

Male

50.0%

Female

1.9%

Foreign-Born

White 94.5%
African American 2.0%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.1%
Two or More Ethnicities 2.1%
Hispanic or Latino 1.4%

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?

$67,883

Median Household Income

-27% vs state

$35,777

Per Capita Income

16.9%

Poverty Rate

2.0%

Unemployment Rate

14.7 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 12986 ranks nationally

Tupper Lake, NY household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$67,883 43rd percentile higher than 43% 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 55.5%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 22.5%

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

What does housing look like?

3,681

Total Housing Units

2,335

Occupied Units

1,346

Vacant Units

2.10

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 72.7%
Renter 27.3%

$158,900

Median Home Value

-58% vs state

$790

Median Rent

1956

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 136 business establishments in ZIP 12986, employing approximately 885 people with a combined annual payroll of $40,765,000.

136

Businesses

885

Employees

$40.8M

Annual Payroll

13

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Construction 25 18.4%
Accommodation and food services 22 16.2%
Retail trade 21 15.4%
Health care and social assistance 17 12.5%
Other services (except public administration) 10 7.3%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting 6 4.4%
Finance and insurance 6 4.4%
Real estate and rental and leasing 6 4.4%
Manufacturing 5 3.7%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 5 3.7%
Transportation and warehousing 3 2.2%
Information 3 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 3 2.2%

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 12986 vs 12973 →

ZIP Code City Population Distance
12973 Piercefield, NY 187 6.9 mi

More ZIP Codes in Franklin County

12953 standard
Malone, NY
Pop: 15,836
12983 standard
Saranac Lake, NY
Pop: 7,494
13655 standard
Hogansburg, NY
Pop: 3,512
12966 standard
North Bangor, NY
Pop: 2,915
12920 standard
Chateaugay, NY
Pop: 2,842
12926 standard
Constable, NY
Pop: 2,208

Related Areas

Franklin County Tupper Lake, NY New York

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 12986 in? ▼
ZIP code 12986 (Tupper Lake) 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 12986? ▼
ZIP code 12986 in Tupper Lake, NY has a population of 6,120 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 12986? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 12986 is $67,883, which is 11% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 12986? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 12986 is $158,900, which is 43% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 12986? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 12986 is White at 94.5%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 1.4% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 12986? ▼
ZIP code 12986 has 136 business establishments employing approximately 885 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 12986? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 12986 are: Construction (25), Accommodation and food services (22), Retail trade (21). There are 13 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 12986? ▼
In ZIP code 12986, 55.5% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 22.5% 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 12986? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 12986 is 14.7 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 12986? ▼
In ZIP code 12986, approximately 72.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 27.3% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 12986? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 12986 is 16.9% 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.