12121 ZIP Code — Melrose, NY

Rensselaer County, New York

ZIP code 12121 is located in Melrose, New York, within Rensselaer County. It covers approximately 19.29 square miles and serves a population of 2,358 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 518.

About ZIP code 12121

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $231,400. Owner-occupancy is high at 97%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $116,250. 58% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

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

College attainment at 18% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 16% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 12121 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, a strong veteran community, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

2,358

population

19.29

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

12121 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 12121

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 12121. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Melrose	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

12182 Troy (4.2 mi) 12185 Valley Falls (5.2 mi) 12188 Waterford (5.4 mi) 12154 Schaghticoke (6.1 mi) 12094 Johnsonville (6.1 mi) 12180 Troy (7.4 mi) 12047 Cohoes (7.7 mi) 12118 Mechanicville (8 mi) 12052 Cropseyville (8.3 mi) 12183 Troy (8.6 mi) 12065 Clifton Park (10.1 mi) 12189 Watervliet (10.2 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	2,358
Population density	122 / sq mi
State FIPS	36
County FIPS	083

Geography
Land area	19.29 sq mi
Water area	1.09 sq mi
Latitude	42.8519
Longitude	-73.6009
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	25.1%	35.2%	37.0%
$50k – $100k	31.0%	31.4%	27.0%
$100k – $200k	38.1%	27.6%	24.4%
Over $200k	5.8%	5.8%	11.5%

Demographics & statistics

2,358

Population

122

People per sq mi

45.9

Median age

$116,250

Median household income

$39,424

Per capita income

$231,400

Median home value

Median monthly rent

97.3%

Home ownership

1.5%

Poverty rate

3.5%

Unemployment

785

Housing units

18.4%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

158

35–44

152

183

45–54

176

55–59

60–64

158

65–74

152

139

75–84

134

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	487	20.7%
18 and over	1,871	79.3%
65 and over	614	26.0%
Median age	45.9 years

Race & ethnicity

White 97.9%

Black or African American 1%

Two or more races 0.6%

Hispanic or Latino 0.4%

Group	Count	%
White	2,319	97.9%
Black or African American	24	1%
Two or more races	15	0.6%
Hispanic or Latino	10	0.4%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	25.1%	35.2%	37.0%
$50k – $100k	31.0%	31.4%	27.0%
$100k – $200k	38.1%	27.6%	24.4%
Over $200k	5.8%	5.8%	11.5%

$15k–$25k 4.4%

$25k–$35k 5.4%

$35k–$50k 7.1%

$50k–$75k 10.4%

$75k–$100k 9.9%

$100k–$150k 28.0%

$150k–$200k 15.0%

$200k+ 19.8%

Range	% of households
$15k–$25k	4.4%
$25k–$35k	5.4%
$35k–$50k	7.1%
$50k–$75k	10.4%
$75k–$100k	9.9%
$100k–$150k	28.0%
$150k–$200k	15.0%
$200k+	19.8%
Median income	$116,250

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 1.4%

$50k–$100k 1.4%

$100k–$150k 17.5%

$150k–$200k 17.9%

$200k–$300k 22.6%

$300k–$500k 31.8%

$500k–$1M 7.3%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$231,400
Median rent / month	$0
Owner occupied	97.3%
Renter occupied	2.7%
Vacant	9.6%
Single-family detached	79.8%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	9.3%
Median rooms	6.2
Avg household size (owned)	3.28

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	0.0%
2000–2009	1.0%
1990–1999	20.2%
1980–1989	12.4%
1970–1979	23.1%
1960–1969	5.3%
1950–1959	17.1%
1940–1949	1.2%
1939 or earlier	19.5%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	0.0%
2 bedrooms	21.4%
3 bedrooms	51.3%
4 bedrooms	19.8%
5+ bedrooms	7.6%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	0.0%
1 vehicle	16.6%
2 vehicles	42.0%
3 or more	41.3%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	4.8%
Propane / LP gas	10.7%
Fuel oil	55.9%
Wood	25.0%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	483	66.3%
Cohabiting couple	83	11.4%
Male householder, no spouse	121	16.6%
Female householder, no spouse	41	5.6%
Households with children under 18	232	31.9%
Households with seniors (65+)	382	52.5%
Average household size	3.23

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	41.8%	14.2%
Married	48.8%	59.2%
Separated	0.0%	0.0%
Widowed	2.9%	18.1%
Divorced	6.5%	8.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.0%

Some HS, no diploma 1.7%

HS graduate 49.1%

Some college, no degree 14.2%

Associate's degree 16.6%

Bachelor's degree 12.4%

Graduate / professional 5.9%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	98.3%
Bachelor's or higher	18.4%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	14	2.7%
Kindergarten	0	0.0%
Elementary school	270	51.4%
High school	144	27.4%
College / grad school	97	18.5%

Employment

Industry of employment

Professional & management 27.8%

Education & healthcare 26.3%

Finance & real estate 12.0%

Retail trade 10.0%

Manufacturing 7.0%

Construction 5.5%

Public administration 4.4%

Wholesale trade 2.8%

Transportation & utilities 2.3%

Arts, food & hospitality 1.4%

Other services 0.6%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	28.7%
Service	14.6%
Sales & office	30.6%
Natural resources & construction	18.9%
Production & transportation	7.1%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	77.9%
Government	19.9%
Self-employed	2.2%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	83.3%
Carpool	7.5%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	9.2%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	23.7

Poverty

All people 1.5%

Under 18 years 0.0%

18 and over 1.9%

Married-couple families 0.0%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	57.7%
Retirement income	47.4%
Supplemental Security	1.5%
Cash public assistance	0.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	2.6%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	26.6%
High blood pressure	30.8%
High cholesterol	33.2%
Diabetes	8.8%
Heart disease	6.3%
Stroke	2.7%
Asthma	10.0%
Arthritis	24.5%
Kidney disease	2.7%
Pulmonary disease	6.7%
Cancer	7.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	17.1%
Binge drinking	19.7%
No physical activity	22.1%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	34.6%
Depression	21.6%
Fair or poor health	11.0%
Poor mental health	13.7%
Poor physical health	9.3%
No health insurance	9.2%
Visited doctor (checkup)	79.7%
Visited dentist	68.1%
Cholesterol screening	92.3%
Teeth loss	12.2%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	294	15.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	11.4%
Under 18	1.8%
18–64 years	6.0%
65 and over	29.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	84.4%
Public insurance	43.8%
No insurance	0.5%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	2,237	94.9%
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)	2,358	100.0%
Born in same state	2,358	100.0%
Born in different state	2,139	90.7%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	0	0.0%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	580	24.6%
French	431	18.3%
Arab	161	6.8%

Ancestry	Count	%
German	85	3.6%
Dutch	34	1.4%
English	25	1.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	30.9%
Internet access	94.5%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 12121

What city is ZIP code 12121 in?

ZIP code 12121 is primarily assigned to Melrose, New York.

What county is ZIP code 12121 in?

ZIP code 12121 falls within Rensselaer County, New York.

Does ZIP code 12121 have a large retiree population?

58% of households in ZIP code 12121 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Is ZIP code 12121 mostly owner-occupied?

97% of occupied units in ZIP code 12121 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 12121 have an older population?

26% of residents in ZIP code 12121 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 12121 have a large veteran population?

16% of civilians in ZIP code 12121 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What timezone is ZIP code 12121 in?

ZIP code 12121 observes the EST timezone.