12983 ZIP Code — Saranac Lake, NY

Franklin County, New York

ZIP code 12983 is located in Saranac Lake, New York, within Franklin County. It covers approximately 115.76 square miles and serves a population of 7,336 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 518.

About ZIP code 12983

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 $187,700. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 59%.

The gap between median ($61,237) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 38% 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 15 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 40% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

7,336

population

115.76

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

12983 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 12983

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 12983. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Saranac Lake	Acceptable
Saranac Lake	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

12945 Lake Clear (2.1 mi) 12970 Paul Smiths (8.9 mi) 12986 Tupper Lake (9.8 mi) 12913 Bloomingdale (12.4 mi) 12989 Vermontville (14.1 mi) 12946 Lake Placid (14.8 mi) 12980 Saint Regis Falls (15.8 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	7,336
Population density	63 / sq mi
State FIPS	36
County FIPS	033

Geography
Land area	115.76 sq mi
Water area	14.49 sq mi
Latitude	44.3505
Longitude	-74.2486
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	42.8%	46.8%	37.0%
$50k – $100k	33.7%	32.0%	27.0%
$100k – $200k	19.9%	17.5%	24.4%
Over $200k	3.6%	3.8%	11.5%

Demographics & statistics

7,336

Population

People per sq mi

44.6

Median age

$61,237

Median household income

$41,092

Per capita income

$187,700

Median home value

$791

Median monthly rent

59.3%

Home ownership

13.7%

Poverty rate

2.9%

Unemployment

3,292

Housing units

40.4%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

188

Under 5

163

230

5–9

199

152

10–14

131

223

15–19

193

256

20–24

221

500

25–34

433

454

35–44

392

416

45–54

360

308

55–59

266

387

60–64

335

568

65–74

492

194

75–84

167

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,286	17.5%
18 and over	6,050	82.5%
65 and over	1,529	20.8%
Median age	44.6 years

Race & ethnicity

White 92.8%

Black or African American 2.7%

Two or more races 2.4%

Hispanic or Latino 1%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%

Asian 0.4%

Other race 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	6,876	92.8%
Black or African American	203	2.7%
Two or more races	180	2.4%
Hispanic or Latino	76	1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	41	0.6%
Asian	29	0.4%
Other race	7	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	42.8%	46.8%	37.0%
$50k – $100k	33.7%	32.0%	27.0%
$100k – $200k	19.9%	17.5%	24.4%
Over $200k	3.6%	3.8%	11.5%

Under $10k 3.2%

$10k–$15k 6.6%

$15k–$25k 9.5%

$25k–$35k 8.6%

$35k–$50k 10.3%

$50k–$75k 20.3%

$75k–$100k 12.2%

$100k–$150k 15.5%

$150k–$200k 7.4%

$200k+ 6.2%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.2%
$10k–$15k	6.6%
$15k–$25k	9.5%
$25k–$35k	8.6%
$35k–$50k	10.3%
$50k–$75k	20.3%
$75k–$100k	12.2%
$100k–$150k	15.5%
$150k–$200k	7.4%
$200k+	6.2%
Median income	$61,237

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 2.7%

$50k–$100k 14.2%

$100k–$150k 11.7%

$150k–$200k 26.7%

$200k–$300k 20.5%

$300k–$500k 17.4%

$500k–$1M 3.1%

$1M+ 3.6%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$187,700
Median rent / month	$791
Owner occupied	59.3%
Renter occupied	40.7%
Vacant	26.4%
Single-family detached	66.1%
Large apartment buildings	7.0%
Mobile homes	1.6%
Median rooms	5.0
Avg household size (owned)	2.18

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.4%
2010–2019	1.6%
2000–2009	6.3%
1990–1999	6.6%
1980–1989	8.6%
1970–1979	9.8%
1960–1969	8.6%
1950–1959	6.9%
1940–1949	5.0%
1939 or earlier	46.2%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	5.7%
1 bedroom	18.0%
2 bedrooms	31.2%
3 bedrooms	29.0%
4 bedrooms	11.6%
5+ bedrooms	4.5%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	11.7%
1 vehicle	45.8%
2 vehicles	32.6%
3 or more	9.9%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	5.5%
Electricity	16.1%
Propane / LP gas	16.7%
Fuel oil	55.9%
Wood	4.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,339	38.7%
Cohabiting couple	496	14.3%
Male householder, no spouse	868	25.1%
Female householder, no spouse	755	21.8%
Households with children under 18	611	17.7%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,111	32.1%
Average household size	2.03

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	41.2%	32.9%
Married	44.3%	44.9%
Separated	1.9%	1.5%
Widowed	2.5%	8.7%
Divorced	10.0%	12.0%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.2%

Some HS, no diploma 6.3%

HS graduate 18.7%

Some college, no degree 20.6%

Associate's degree 12.9%

Bachelor's degree 21.0%

Graduate / professional 19.4%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	92.5%
Bachelor's or higher	40.4%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	67	4.7%
Kindergarten	27	1.9%
Elementary school	623	43.8%
High school	287	20.2%
College / grad school	417	29.3%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 39.7%

Retail trade 12.9%

Arts, food & hospitality 11.7%

Professional & management 8.5%

Public administration 6.4%

Other services 5.7%

Construction 3.8%

Finance & real estate 2.9%

Transportation & utilities 2.6%

Information 2.5%

Agriculture & mining 1.3%

Manufacturing 1.0%

Wholesale trade 0.7%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	40.9%
Service	23.9%
Sales & office	22.1%
Natural resources & construction	6.1%
Production & transportation	7.1%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	67.6%
Government	24.5%
Self-employed	7.8%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	70.5%
Carpool	13.0%
Public transit	0.4%
Walk	8.2%
Work from home	6.6%
Other means	1.3%
Avg commute (minutes)	14.9

Poverty

All people 13.7%

Under 18 years 15.1%

18 and over 13.4%

Married-couple families 2.1%

Female-led households 25.4%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	38.3%
Retirement income	31.1%
Supplemental Security	5.9%
Cash public assistance	3.2%
Food stamps / SNAP	13.7%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	33.2%
High blood pressure	33.0%
High cholesterol	32.7%
Diabetes	9.7%
Heart disease	6.8%
Stroke	3.2%
Asthma	10.6%
Arthritis	25.0%
Kidney disease	3.1%
Pulmonary disease	7.5%
Cancer	7.1%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	17.2%
Binge drinking	18.1%
No physical activity	24.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.2%
Depression	21.5%
Fair or poor health	12.8%
Poor mental health	14.8%
Poor physical health	10.3%
No health insurance	10.1%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.8%
Visited dentist	64.7%
Cholesterol screening	90.0%
Teeth loss	13.7%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	395	6.5%

Disability	%
Any disability	13.0%
Under 18	5.1%
18–64 years	12.5%
65 and over	21.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	71.7%
Public insurance	43.0%
No insurance	5.1%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	6,985	95.2%
Spanish	23	0.3%
Other Indo-European	2	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	12	0.2%
Other languages	9	0.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	7,250	98.8%
Born in same state	7,237	98.7%
Born in different state	5,433	74.1%
Foreign born	13	0.2%
Naturalized citizen	86	1.2%
Not a US citizen	53	61.6%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	1,734	23.6%
French	1,075	14.7%
Arab	445	6.1%
German	153	2.1%
English	141	1.9%

Ancestry	Count	%
Irish	67	0.9%
Polish	27	0.4%
Norwegian	23	0.3%
Dutch	22	0.3%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	47.1%
Internet access	89.9%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 12983

What city is ZIP code 12983 in?

ZIP code 12983 is primarily assigned to Saranac Lake, New York.

What county is ZIP code 12983 in?

ZIP code 12983 falls within Franklin County, New York.

Does ZIP code 12983 have a large retiree population?

38% of households in ZIP code 12983 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 12983?

The median home value in ZIP code 12983 is $187,700.

What is the population of ZIP code 12983?

ZIP code 12983 has an estimated population of 7,336 residents, with a density of 63 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 12983?

The median household income in ZIP code 12983 is $61,237, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 12983 in?

ZIP code 12983 observes the EST timezone.