12974 ZIP Code — Port Henry, NY

Essex County, New York

ZIP code 12974 is located in Port Henry, New York, within Essex County. It covers approximately 6.80 square miles and serves a population of 2,054 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 518/838.

About ZIP code 12974

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $143,800. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 75%.

Median household income is $53,827. SNAP benefit usage at 22% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 41% 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 34 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 27% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (21%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include disability rates above the national average at 25%.

Overall, ZIP code 12974 reflects a community defined by a significant Social Security-dependent population and elevated reliance on food assistance.

2,054

population

6.80

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

12974 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 12974

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 12974. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Port Henry	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

12956 Mineville (3.4 mi) 12960 Moriah (4.6 mi) 12961 Moriah Center (5.6 mi) 12928 Crown Point (7.3 mi) 05491 Vergennes (9.1 mi) 12993 Westport (9.5 mi) 12964 New Russia (9.6 mi) 05734 Bridport (9.9 mi) 12932 Elizabethtown (12.3 mi) 12936 Essex (13.5 mi) 12883 Ticonderoga (14.2 mi) 05770 Shoreham (14.3 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	2,054
Population density	302 / sq mi
State FIPS	36
County FIPS	031

Geography
Land area	6.80 sq mi
Water area	0.00 sq mi
Latitude	44.0556
Longitude	-73.4605
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	518/838

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	44.8%	42.8%	37.0%
$50k – $100k	32.1%	32.8%	27.0%
$100k – $200k	17.9%	19.0%	24.4%
Over $200k	5.2%	5.4%	11.5%

Demographics & statistics

2,054

Population

302

People per sq mi

55.5

Median age

$53,827

Median household income

$32,728

Per capita income

$143,800

Median home value

Median monthly rent

74.6%

Home ownership

16.6%

Poverty rate

3.8%

Unemployment

793

Housing units

27.0%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

114

25–34

132

35–44

45–54

127

55–59

147

153

60–64

176

162

65–74

187

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	267	13.0%
18 and over	1,787	87.0%
65 and over	486	23.7%
Median age	55.5 years

Race & ethnicity

White 91.4%

Two or more races 5.2%

Hispanic or Latino 2.5%

Black or African American 0.4%

Other race 0.3%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	1,925	91.4%
Two or more races	110	5.2%
Hispanic or Latino	52	2.5%
Black or African American	8	0.4%
Other race	7	0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	4	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	44.8%	42.8%	37.0%
$50k – $100k	32.1%	32.8%	27.0%
$100k – $200k	17.9%	19.0%	24.4%
Over $200k	5.2%	5.4%	11.5%

Under $10k 5.3%

$10k–$15k 9.3%

$15k–$25k 16.8%

$25k–$35k 3.7%

$35k–$50k 11.0%

$50k–$75k 16.1%

$75k–$100k 3.3%

$100k–$150k 29.0%

$150k–$200k 1.1%

$200k+ 4.5%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	5.3%
$10k–$15k	9.3%
$15k–$25k	16.8%
$25k–$35k	3.7%
$35k–$50k	11.0%
$50k–$75k	16.1%
$75k–$100k	3.3%
$100k–$150k	29.0%
$150k–$200k	1.1%
$200k+	4.5%
Median income	$53,827

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 6.5%

$50k–$100k 25.8%

$100k–$150k 21.2%

$150k–$200k 29.9%

$200k–$300k 15.0%

$300k–$500k 1.6%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$143,800
Median rent / month	$0
Owner occupied	74.6%
Renter occupied	25.4%
Vacant	9.7%
Single-family detached	65.6%
Large apartment buildings	6.6%
Mobile homes	1.7%
Median rooms	5.7
Avg household size (owned)	2.32

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	0.0%
2000–2009	0.0%
1990–1999	14.3%
1980–1989	0.4%
1970–1979	8.9%
1960–1969	5.6%
1950–1959	12.1%
1940–1949	9.5%
1939 or earlier	49.1%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	5.5%
1 bedroom	8.7%
2 bedrooms	47.2%
3 bedrooms	28.9%
4 bedrooms	7.9%
5+ bedrooms	1.7%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	23.5%
1 vehicle	35.7%
2 vehicles	20.2%
3 or more	20.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	5.4%
Electricity	19.1%
Propane / LP gas	7.4%
Fuel oil	61.9%
Wood	6.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	285	30.7%
Cohabiting couple	76	8.2%
Male householder, no spouse	192	20.7%
Female householder, no spouse	376	40.5%
Households with children under 18	196	21.1%
Households with seniors (65+)	343	36.9%
Average household size	2.19

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	33.7%	34.0%
Married	45.9%	41.8%
Separated	0.3%	0.0%
Widowed	7.4%	17.8%
Divorced	12.6%	6.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.0%

Some HS, no diploma 9.1%

HS graduate 33.3%

Some college, no degree 13.9%

Associate's degree 15.8%

Bachelor's degree 15.8%

Graduate / professional 11.3%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	89.9%
Bachelor's or higher	27.0%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	7	2.9%
Kindergarten	0	0.0%
Elementary school	56	22.9%
High school	71	29.0%
College / grad school	111	45.3%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 23.4%

Other services 16.6%

Retail trade 14.7%

Manufacturing 10.4%

Professional & management 9.1%

Arts, food & hospitality 8.6%

Agriculture & mining 7.6%

Construction 5.8%

Public administration 2.6%

Finance & real estate 1.3%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	52.6%
Service	23.0%
Sales & office	13.6%
Natural resources & construction	5.4%
Production & transportation	5.5%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	86.2%
Government	5.0%
Self-employed	8.8%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	72.3%
Carpool	11.9%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	1.9%
Work from home	13.9%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	33.6

Poverty

All people 16.6%

Under 18 years 16.9%

18 and over 16.6%

Married-couple families 24.9%

Female-led households 13.3%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	40.5%
Retirement income	28.6%
Supplemental Security	14.1%
Cash public assistance	1.7%
Food stamps / SNAP	22.3%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	30.9%
High blood pressure	35.0%
High cholesterol	34.4%
Diabetes	10.5%
Heart disease	7.6%
Stroke	3.6%
Asthma	10.5%
Arthritis	27.0%
Kidney disease	3.3%
Pulmonary disease	8.6%
Cancer	7.5%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	20.5%
Binge drinking	17.4%
No physical activity	27.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	34.4%
Depression	21.6%
Fair or poor health	14.7%
Poor mental health	15.0%
Poor physical health	11.7%
No health insurance	11.9%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.1%
Visited dentist	62.3%
Cholesterol screening	90.3%
Teeth loss	17.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	106	5.9%

Disability	%
Any disability	24.7%
Under 18	3.7%
18–64 years	25.4%
65 and over	34.2%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	61.6%
Public insurance	59.0%
No insurance	1.5%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,921	93.5%
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)	2,037	99.2%
Born in same state	1,969	95.9%
Born in different state	1,180	57.4%
Foreign born	68	3.3%
Naturalized citizen	17	0.8%
Not a US citizen	17	100.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	217	10.6%
French	216	10.5%
German	60	2.9%
Arab	22	1.1%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	13	0.6%
English	11	0.5%
Dutch	11	0.5%
Irish	3	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	45.2%
Internet access	95.7%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 12974

What city is ZIP code 12974 in?

ZIP code 12974 is primarily assigned to Port Henry, New York.

What county is ZIP code 12974 in?

ZIP code 12974 falls within Essex County, New York.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 12974?

17% of residents in ZIP code 12974 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 12974 have a large retiree population?

41% of households in ZIP code 12974 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 12974?

The median home value in ZIP code 12974 is $143,800.

What is the population of ZIP code 12974?

ZIP code 12974 has an estimated population of 2,054 residents, with a density of 302 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 12974 in?

ZIP code 12974 observes the EST timezone.