12936 ZIP Code — Essex, NY

Essex County, New York

ZIP code 12936 is located in Essex, New York, within Essex County. It covers approximately 40.85 square miles and serves a population of 671 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 518/838.

About ZIP code 12936

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $217,600. Owner-occupancy is high at 89%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $71,154. 55% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 24 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is high — 49% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

Overall, ZIP code 12936 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

671
population
40.85
sq mi land
Standard
ZIP type
Eastern (ET)
timezone
12936 ZIP code map
Cities in ZIP code 12936

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 12936. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City Status
Essex Acceptable
Essex Preferred
Nearby ZIP codes
12993 Westport (4.5 mi) 05456 Ferrisburgh (6.1 mi) 12996 Willsboro (8.5 mi) 05445 Charlotte (8.7 mi) 05473 North Ferrisburgh (8.9 mi) 05491 Vergennes (9 mi) 12950 Lewis (11.2 mi) 12932 Elizabethtown (11.7 mi) 12956 Mineville (12.5 mi) 05472 New Haven (12.9 mi) 05482 Shelburne (13 mi) 12964 New Russia (13 mi)
Demographics updated 06/2026
Population
Total population 671
Population density 16 / sq mi
State FIPS 36
County FIPS 031
Geography
Land area 40.85 sq mi
Water area 0.10 sq mi
Latitude 44.2427
Longitude -73.3836
Timezone Eastern (ET)
Area code 518/838
Total population by age
Gender
Race & ethnicity
Economics updated 06/2026
Household income
Income range This ZIP County avg State avg
Under $50k 32.9% 42.8% 37.0%
$50k – $100k 52.5% 32.8% 27.0%
$100k – $200k 13.2% 19.0% 24.4%
Over $200k 1.4% 5.4% 11.5%

Demographics & statistics

671
Population
16
People per sq mi
57.8
Median age
$71,154
Median household income
$39,021
Per capita income
$217,600
Median home value
$1,298
Median monthly rent
88.7%
Home ownership
10.4%
Poverty rate
6.3%
Unemployment
621
Housing units
49.0%
Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female
6
Under 5
6
15
5–9
15
19
10–14
18
17
15–19
16
16
20–24
16
32
25–34
31
16
35–44
16
44
45–54
42
14
55–59
14
61
60–64
59
62
65–74
60
28
75–84
28
10
85+
10
← Male
Female →

Age summary

GroupCount%
Under 1810315.4%
18 and over56884.6%
65 and over19829.5%
Median age57.8 years

Race & ethnicity

White 96.3%
Two or more races 3%
Hispanic or Latino 0.4%
Other race 0.3%
GroupCount%
White64996.3%
Two or more races203%
Hispanic or Latino30.4%
Other race20.3%

Household income

Income range This ZIP County avg State avg
Under $50k 32.9% 42.8% 37.0%
$50k – $100k 52.5% 32.8% 27.0%
$100k – $200k 13.2% 19.0% 24.4%
Over $200k 1.4% 5.4% 11.5%
Under $10k 4.2%
$10k–$15k 3.9%
$15k–$25k 0.3%
$25k–$35k 10.6%
$35k–$50k 9.4%
$50k–$75k 27.4%
$75k–$100k 14.2%
$100k–$150k 14.2%
$150k–$200k 6.8%
$200k+ 9.0%
Range% of households
Under $10k4.2%
$10k–$15k3.9%
$15k–$25k0.3%
$25k–$35k10.6%
$35k–$50k9.4%
$50k–$75k27.4%
$75k–$100k14.2%
$100k–$150k14.2%
$150k–$200k6.8%
$200k+9.0%
Median income$71,154

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 3.6%
$50k–$100k 6.9%
$100k–$150k 15.3%
$150k–$200k 20.7%
$200k–$300k 13.1%
$300k–$500k 29.5%
$500k–$1M 10.2%
$1M+ 0.7%

Housing overview

MetricValue
Median home value$217,600
Median rent / month$1,298
Owner occupied88.7%
Renter occupied11.3%
Vacant52.7%
Single-family detached91.2%
Large apartment buildings0.0%
Mobile homes5.3%
Median rooms6.2
Avg household size (owned)2.17

Year built

Era%
2020 or later0.3%
2010–20190.9%
2000–200911.1%
1990–19994.1%
1980–198911.0%
1970–19799.8%
1960–19692.4%
1950–19595.2%
1940–19493.5%
1939 or earlier51.7%

Bedrooms

Size% of units
No bedroom (studio)4.7%
1 bedroom7.5%
2 bedrooms21.6%
3 bedrooms36.6%
4 bedrooms26.5%
5+ bedrooms3.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles% of households
No vehicle7.7%
1 vehicle31.0%
2 vehicles42.3%
3 or more19.0%

Heating fuel

Fuel type%
Utility gas1.3%
Electricity0.6%
Propane / LP gas15.8%
Fuel oil46.5%
Wood30.3%
No fuel used3.5%

Households & families

Household typeCount%
Married-couple family18158.4%
Cohabiting couple165.2%
Male householder, no spouse5317.1%
Female householder, no spouse6019.4%
Households with children under 184313.9%
Households with seniors (65+)14446.5%
Average household size2.16

Marital status

StatusMaleFemale
Never married19.9%24.3%
Married63.8%55.8%
Separated0.0%3.7%
Widowed3.0%7.8%
Divorced13.3%8.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.3%
Some HS, no diploma 2.7%
HS graduate 25.8%
Some college, no degree 15.2%
Associate's degree 5.1%
Bachelor's degree 25.0%
Graduate / professional 23.9%
Metric%
HS diploma or higher95.1%
Bachelor's or higher49.0%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

TypeCount%
Nursery / preschool33.2%
Kindergarten33.2%
Elementary school6265.3%
High school2021.1%
College / grad school77.4%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 35.6%
Agriculture & mining 12.9%
Professional & management 9.2%
Arts, food & hospitality 7.4%
Other services 7.4%
Retail trade 6.7%
Construction 6.4%
Public administration 4.9%
Transportation & utilities 2.8%
Finance & real estate 2.5%
Manufacturing 2.1%
Information 2.1%

Occupation

Category%
Management, business & arts52.1%
Service19.6%
Sales & office15.6%
Natural resources & construction9.8%
Production & transportation2.8%

Employment type

Type%
Private sector67.8%
Government17.5%
Self-employed12.3%
Unpaid family workers2.5%

Commute

Method%
Drive alone64.7%
Carpool8.0%
Public transit0.0%
Walk2.9%
Work from home15.1%
Other means9.3%
Avg commute (minutes)23.7

Poverty

All people 10.4%
Under 18 years 21.4%
18 and over 8.5%
Married-couple families 1.7%
Female-led households 53.8%

Income support

Source% of households
Social Security55.2%
Retirement income48.4%
Supplemental Security3.2%
Cash public assistance0.3%
Food stamps / SNAP9.0%

Health indicators

Condition%
Obesity28.6%
High blood pressure35.4%
High cholesterol36.0%
Diabetes10.2%
Heart disease7.5%
Stroke3.3%
Asthma9.8%
Arthritis27.6%
Kidney disease3.2%
Pulmonary disease7.6%
Cancer8.6%
Behavior / access%
Smoking16.1%
Binge drinking17.0%
No physical activity23.0%
Less than 7 hrs sleep31.8%
Depression19.8%
Fair or poor health12.1%
Poor mental health12.9%
Poor physical health10.2%
No health insurance9.7%
Visited doctor (checkup)79.4%
Visited dentist68.9%
Cholesterol screening92.7%
Teeth loss11.9%

Veterans & disability

VeteransCount%
Civilian veterans264.6%
Disability%
Any disability16.1%
Under 182.9%
18–64 years14.3%
65 and over26.3%

Health insurance coverage

Type%
Private insurance63.3%
Public insurance45.6%
No insurance13.0%
Uninsured under 1936.4%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

LanguageCount%
English only65998.2%
Spanish8813.4%
Other Indo-European00.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander8813.4%
Other languages00.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

OriginCount%
Native born (US)66398.8%
Born in same state65898.1%
Born in different state38256.9%
Foreign born50.7%
Naturalized citizen81.2%
Not a US citizen675.0%

Ancestry

AncestryCount%
French18727.9%
Italian13520.1%
English263.9%
German172.5%
AncestryCount%
Irish172.5%
Polish81.2%
Arab71%
Norwegian30.4%

Technology access

Metric% of households
Computer access46.2%
Internet access88.7%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 12936

What city is ZIP code 12936 in?

ZIP code 12936 is primarily assigned to Essex, New York.

What county is ZIP code 12936 in?

ZIP code 12936 falls within Essex County, New York.

Does ZIP code 12936 have an older population?

30% of residents in ZIP code 12936 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 12936 have a large retiree population?

55% of households in ZIP code 12936 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Is ZIP code 12936 mostly owner-occupied?

89% of occupied units in ZIP code 12936 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 12936?

49% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.

What timezone is ZIP code 12936 in?

ZIP code 12936 observes the EST timezone.

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