12842 ZIP Code — Indian Lake, NY

Hamilton County, New York

ZIP code 12842 is located in Indian Lake, New York, within Hamilton County. It covers approximately 164.57 square miles and serves a population of 705 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 518.

About ZIP code 12842

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 $190,300. Owner-occupancy is high at 83%, well above the national average.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 17 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 23% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 12842 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

705

population

164.57

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

12842 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 12842

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 12842. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Indian Lake	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

12812 Blue Mountain Lake (10.3 mi) 12857 Olmstedville (10.5 mi) 12851 Minerva (12.7 mi) 12843 Johnsburg (14.3 mi) 12164 Speculator (14.5 mi) 12108 Lake Pleasant (15.3 mi) 12853 North Creek (16.1 mi) 13436 Raquette Lake (16.6 mi) 12190 Wells (17.1 mi) 12886 Wevertown (17.7 mi) 12852 Newcomb (18.5 mi) 12847 Long Lake (19.3 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	705
Population density	4 / sq mi
State FIPS	36
County FIPS	041

Geography
Land area	164.57 sq mi
Water area	9.58 sq mi
Latitude	43.7505
Longitude	-74.2530
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	518

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	35.4%	36.0%	37.0%
$50k – $100k	38.4%	40.2%	27.0%
$100k – $200k	26.3%	21.4%	24.4%
Over $200k	0.0%	2.4%	11.5%

Demographics & statistics

705

Population

People per sq mi

55.3

Median age

Median household income

$40,533

Per capita income

$190,300

Median home value

$713

Median monthly rent

82.9%

Home ownership

3.5%

Poverty rate

4.0%

Unemployment

1,211

Housing units

22.9%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

35–44

45–54

55–59

60–64

65–74

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	100	14.2%
18 and over	605	85.8%
65 and over	162	23.0%
Median age	55.3 years

Race & ethnicity

White 90.2%

Two or more races 7.2%

Hispanic or Latino 2.2%

Black or African American 0.3%

Asian 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	650	90.2%
Two or more races	52	7.2%
Hispanic or Latino	16	2.2%
Black or African American	2	0.3%
Asian	1	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	35.4%	36.0%	37.0%
$50k – $100k	38.4%	40.2%	27.0%
$100k – $200k	26.3%	21.4%	24.4%
Over $200k	0.0%	2.4%	11.5%

Under $10k 3.2%

$15k–$25k 6.0%

$25k–$35k 17.4%

$35k–$50k 14.2%

$50k–$75k 10.4%

$75k–$100k 7.3%

$100k–$150k 32.9%

$150k–$200k 6.3%

$200k+ 2.2%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.2%
$15k–$25k	6.0%
$25k–$35k	17.4%
$35k–$50k	14.2%
$50k–$75k	10.4%
$75k–$100k	7.3%
$100k–$150k	32.9%
$150k–$200k	6.3%
$200k+	2.2%
Median income	$0

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 3.8%

$50k–$100k 1.1%

$100k–$150k 29.0%

$150k–$200k 20.6%

$200k–$300k 22.1%

$300k–$500k 19.1%

$500k–$1M 4.2%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$190,300
Median rent / month	$713
Owner occupied	82.9%
Renter occupied	17.1%
Vacant	75.0%
Single-family detached	93.4%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	3.5%
Median rooms	4.6
Avg household size (owned)	2.14

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	4.3%
2000–2009	8.2%
1990–1999	8.3%
1980–1989	16.0%
1970–1979	16.1%
1960–1969	13.7%
1950–1959	9.1%
1940–1949	2.5%
1939 or earlier	21.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	3.4%
1 bedroom	10.4%
2 bedrooms	33.6%
3 bedrooms	38.0%
4 bedrooms	11.8%
5+ bedrooms	2.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	2.5%
1 vehicle	34.5%
2 vehicles	48.1%
3 or more	14.9%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	3.2%
Electricity	7.6%
Propane / LP gas	12.3%
Fuel oil	54.7%
Wood	18.7%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	224	70.9%
Cohabiting couple	5	1.6%
Male householder, no spouse	33	10.4%
Female householder, no spouse	54	17.1%
Households with children under 18	49	15.5%
Households with seniors (65+)	121	38.3%
Average household size	2.14

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	23.4%	13.5%
Married	75.9%	70.7%
Separated	0.6%	0.0%
Widowed	0.0%	6.3%
Divorced	0.0%	9.5%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.4%

Some HS, no diploma 5.5%

HS graduate 46.6%

Some college, no degree 10.3%

Associate's degree 12.4%

Bachelor's degree 16.3%

Graduate / professional 6.5%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	92.1%
Bachelor's or higher	22.9%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	3	3.5%
Kindergarten	0	0.0%
Elementary school	55	64.7%
High school	12	14.1%
College / grad school	15	17.6%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 20.3%

Retail trade 18.0%

Finance & real estate 16.2%

Agriculture & mining 11.8%

Construction 11.8%

Arts, food & hospitality 10.0%

Public administration 6.4%

Professional & management 3.6%

Wholesale trade 1.0%

Transportation & utilities 0.8%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	31.6%
Service	24.4%
Sales & office	23.9%
Natural resources & construction	11.3%
Production & transportation	8.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	60.9%
Government	26.5%
Self-employed	12.6%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	79.4%
Carpool	0.0%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	12.6%
Work from home	5.9%
Other means	2.1%
Avg commute (minutes)	16.5

Poverty

All people 3.5%

Under 18 years 0.0%

18 and over 4.1%

Married-couple families 0.0%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	41.8%
Retirement income	31.3%
Supplemental Security	0.0%
Cash public assistance	1.6%
Food stamps / SNAP	8.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	28.3%
High blood pressure	36.7%
High cholesterol	37.1%
Diabetes	10.9%
Heart disease	8.4%
Stroke	3.6%
Asthma	9.9%
Arthritis	29.9%
Kidney disease	3.5%
Pulmonary disease	8.2%
Cancer	9.3%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	15.5%
Binge drinking	15.2%
No physical activity	23.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	34.3%
Depression	19.6%
Fair or poor health	13.0%
Poor mental health	12.9%
Poor physical health	10.7%
No health insurance	9.1%
Visited doctor (checkup)	80.8%
Visited dentist	69.0%
Cholesterol screening	93.8%
Teeth loss	12.4%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	43	7.1%

Disability	%
Any disability	12.8%
Under 18	0.0%
18–64 years	15.1%
65 and over	14.2%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	66.2%
Public insurance	44.0%
No insurance	6.7%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	679	96.3%
Spanish	0	0.0%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	703	99.7%
Born in same state	701	99.4%
Born in different state	587	83.3%
Foreign born	2	0.3%
Naturalized citizen	2	0.3%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	197	27.9%
French	71	10.1%
English	67	9.5%
German	23	3.3%

Ancestry	Count	%
Irish	14	2%
Arab	13	1.8%
Polish	11	1.6%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	44.8%
Internet access	88.6%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 12842

What city is ZIP code 12842 in?

ZIP code 12842 is primarily assigned to Indian Lake, New York.

What county is ZIP code 12842 in?

ZIP code 12842 falls within Hamilton County, New York.

Is ZIP code 12842 mostly owner-occupied?

83% of occupied units in ZIP code 12842 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 12842 have a large retiree population?

42% of households in ZIP code 12842 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 12842?

The median home value in ZIP code 12842 is $190,300.

What is the population of ZIP code 12842?

ZIP code 12842 has an estimated population of 705 residents, with a density of 4 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 12842 in?

ZIP code 12842 observes the EST timezone.