12945 ZIP Code — Lake Clear, NY

Franklin County, New York

ZIP code 12945 is located in Lake Clear, New York, within Franklin County. It covers approximately 33.81 square miles and serves a population of 528 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 518.

About ZIP code 12945

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 $285,400.

Median household income is $71,250. The poverty rate of 5% is below the national average. 52% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is service, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 20 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is high — 48% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 18% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 12945 reflects a community defined by a strong veteran community, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

528

population

33.81

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

12945 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 12945

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 12945. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Lake Clear	Acceptable
Lake Clear	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

12983 Saranac Lake (2.1 mi) 12970 Paul Smiths (7.7 mi) 12913 Bloomingdale (10.6 mi) 12986 Tupper Lake (11.8 mi) 12989 Vermontville (12.2 mi) 12946 Lake Placid (14.3 mi) 12980 Saint Regis Falls (16.5 mi) 12997 Wilmington (18.6 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	528
Population density	16 / sq mi
State FIPS	36
County FIPS	033

Geography
Land area	33.81 sq mi
Water area	7.55 sq mi
Latitude	44.3704
Longitude	-74.2168
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	38.7%	46.8%	37.0%
$50k – $100k	33.1%	32.0%	27.0%
$100k – $200k	20.4%	17.5%	24.4%
Over $200k	7.7%	3.8%	11.5%

Demographics & statistics

528

Population

People per sq mi

41.9

Median age

$71,250

Median household income

$34,061

Per capita income

$285,400

Median home value

Median monthly rent

100.0%

Home ownership

4.9%

Poverty rate

0.0%

Unemployment

583

Housing units

47.9%

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

65–74

75–84

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	107	20.3%
18 and over	421	79.7%
65 and over	191	36.2%
Median age	41.9 years

Race & ethnicity

White 100%

Group	Count	%
White	528	100%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	38.7%	46.8%	37.0%
$50k – $100k	33.1%	32.0%	27.0%
$100k – $200k	20.4%	17.5%	24.4%
Over $200k	7.7%	3.8%	11.5%

$25k–$35k 3.8%

$35k–$50k 20.3%

$50k–$75k 29.7%

$75k–$100k 30.7%

$100k–$150k 5.7%

$200k+ 9.9%

Range	% of households
$25k–$35k	3.8%
$35k–$50k	20.3%
$50k–$75k	29.7%
$75k–$100k	30.7%
$100k–$150k	5.7%
$200k+	9.9%
Median income	$71,250

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 4.7%

$100k–$150k 13.2%

$150k–$200k 17.9%

$200k–$300k 17.5%

$300k–$500k 20.8%

$1M+ 25.9%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$285,400
Median rent / month	$0
Owner occupied	100.0%
Renter occupied	0.0%
Vacant	63.6%
Single-family detached	93.7%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	0.0%
Median rooms	5.5
Avg household size (owned)	2.49

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	1.0%
2000–2009	11.1%
1990–1999	3.8%
1980–1989	8.7%
1970–1979	20.1%
1960–1969	2.4%
1950–1959	6.7%
1940–1949	2.2%
1939 or earlier	43.9%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	4.6%
1 bedroom	7.9%
2 bedrooms	42.4%
3 bedrooms	35.8%
4 bedrooms	5.5%
5+ bedrooms	3.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	1.9%
1 vehicle	6.1%
2 vehicles	44.3%
3 or more	47.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Propane / LP gas	9.0%
Fuel oil	67.5%
Wood	23.1%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	169	79.7%
Cohabiting couple	22	10.4%
Male householder, no spouse	21	9.9%
Female householder, no spouse	0	0.0%
Households with children under 18	79	37.3%
Households with seniors (65+)	110	51.9%
Average household size	2.49

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	16.0%	27.4%
Married	78.3%	72.6%
Separated	0.0%	0.0%
Widowed	3.8%	0.0%
Divorced	1.9%	0.0%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.0%

Some HS, no diploma 10.1%

HS graduate 18.3%

Some college, no degree 5.8%

Associate's degree 18.0%

Bachelor's degree 18.3%

Graduate / professional 29.6%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	89.9%
Bachelor's or higher	47.9%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	6	5.5%
Kindergarten	19	17.4%
Elementary school	52	47.7%
High school	16	14.7%
College / grad school	16	14.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 24.3%

Arts, food & hospitality 19.3%

Professional & management 18.3%

Construction 14.7%

Public administration 11.0%

Retail trade 8.3%

Transportation & utilities 4.1%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	34.9%
Service	45.9%
Sales & office	0.5%
Natural resources & construction	14.7%
Production & transportation	4.1%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	78.0%
Government	14.7%
Self-employed	2.8%
Unpaid family workers	4.6%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	100.0%
Carpool	0.0%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	0.0%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	20.0

Poverty

All people 4.9%

Under 18 years 11.2%

18 and over 3.3%

Married-couple families 0.0%

Female-led households 100.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	51.9%
Retirement income	34.0%
Supplemental Security	4.7%
Cash public assistance	0.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	0.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	37.5%
High blood pressure	36.7%
High cholesterol	37.4%
Diabetes	11.2%
Heart disease	7.3%
Stroke	3.4%
Asthma	10.6%
Arthritis	27.5%
Kidney disease	3.3%
Pulmonary disease	8.6%
Cancer	7.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	19.7%
Binge drinking	17.3%
No physical activity	26.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	33.1%
Depression	21.5%
Fair or poor health	14.4%
Poor mental health	14.5%
Poor physical health	11.5%
No health insurance	10.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)	79.8%
Visited dentist	62.9%
Cholesterol screening	92.1%
Teeth loss	14.4%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	75	17.8%

Disability	%
Any disability	12.3%
Under 18	0.0%
18–64 years	7.8%
65 and over	24.6%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	94.5%
Public insurance	45.3%
No insurance	0.0%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	508	96.2%
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)	528	100.0%
Born in same state	528	100.0%
Born in different state	492	93.2%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	0	0.0%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	141	26.7%
Arab	90	17%

Ancestry	Count	%
French	52	9.8%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	40.2%
Internet access	93.9%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 12945

What city is ZIP code 12945 in?

ZIP code 12945 is primarily assigned to Lake Clear, New York.

What county is ZIP code 12945 in?

ZIP code 12945 falls within Franklin County, New York.

Does ZIP code 12945 have an older population?

36% of residents in ZIP code 12945 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 12945 have a large retiree population?

52% of households in ZIP code 12945 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 12945 have a large veteran population?

18% of civilians in ZIP code 12945 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 12945?

48% 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 12945 in?

ZIP code 12945 observes the EST timezone.