12304 ZIP Code — Schenectady, NY

Schenectady County, New York

ZIP code 12304 is located in Schenectady, New York, within Schenectady County. It covers approximately 6.66 square miles and serves a population of 21,901 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 518.

About ZIP code 12304

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 $152,600. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 58%.

Median household income is $63,349. Poverty affects 20% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 21% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 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 23 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 12304 reflects a community defined by economic challenges above the national average, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

21,901

population

6.66

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

12304 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 12304

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 12304. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Schenectady	Acceptable
Schenectady	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

12303 Schenectady (1.2 mi) 12309 Schenectady (2.5 mi) 12307 Schenectady (3.3 mi) 12305 Schenectady (4 mi) 12345 Schenectady (4 mi) 12308 Schenectady (4.2 mi) 12084 Guilderland (4.6 mi) 12205 Albany (5.2 mi) 12085 Guilderland Center (5.8 mi) 12110 Latham (5.8 mi) 12148 Rexford (6 mi) 12203 Albany (6.5 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	21,901
Population density	3,288 / sq mi
State FIPS	36
County FIPS	093

Geography
Land area	6.66 sq mi
Water area	0.02 sq mi
Latitude	42.7664
Longitude	-73.8950
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	518

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	46.7%	36.1%	37.0%
$50k – $100k	33.0%	31.0%	27.0%
$100k – $200k	18.5%	26.6%	24.4%
Over $200k	1.8%	6.4%	11.5%

Demographics & statistics

21,901

Population

3,288

People per sq mi

40.8

Median age

$63,349

Median household income

$33,898

Per capita income

$152,600

Median home value

$1,057

Median monthly rent

57.9%

Home ownership

19.5%

Poverty rate

7.2%

Unemployment

5,653

Housing units

23.0%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

655

Under 5

655

639

5–9

639

640

10–14

640

595

15–19

595

836

20–24

836

1,422

25–34

1,422

1,136

35–44

1,136

1,291

45–54

1,291

970

55–59

970

822

60–64

822

1,134

65–74

1,134

556

75–84

556

257

85+

257

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	4,772	21.8%
18 and over	17,129	78.2%
65 and over	3,893	17.8%
Median age	40.8 years

Race & ethnicity

White 48.6%

Black or African American 16.5%

Two or more races 10.5%

Hispanic or Latino 9.6%

Asian 9.2%

Other race 5.4%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	11,775	48.6%
Black or African American	4,011	16.5%
Two or more races	2,547	10.5%
Hispanic or Latino	2,336	9.6%
Asian	2,219	9.2%
Other race	1,310	5.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	39	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	46.7%	36.1%	37.0%
$50k – $100k	33.0%	31.0%	27.0%
$100k – $200k	18.5%	26.6%	24.4%
Over $200k	1.8%	6.4%	11.5%

Under $10k 7.4%

$10k–$15k 5.4%

$15k–$25k 8.7%

$25k–$35k 5.9%

$35k–$50k 13.1%

$50k–$75k 19.1%

$75k–$100k 13.8%

$100k–$150k 13.4%

$150k–$200k 6.8%

$200k+ 6.5%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	7.4%
$10k–$15k	5.4%
$15k–$25k	8.7%
$25k–$35k	5.9%
$35k–$50k	13.1%
$50k–$75k	19.1%
$75k–$100k	13.8%
$100k–$150k	13.4%
$150k–$200k	6.8%
$200k+	6.5%
Median income	$63,349

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 3.9%

$50k–$100k 17.4%

$100k–$150k 27.4%

$150k–$200k 21.4%

$200k–$300k 16.6%

$300k–$500k 11.3%

$500k–$1M 1.6%

$1M+ 0.2%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$152,600
Median rent / month	$1,057
Owner occupied	57.9%
Renter occupied	42.1%
Vacant	6.5%
Single-family detached	57.4%
Large apartment buildings	6.9%
Mobile homes	1.4%
Median rooms	5.5
Avg household size (owned)	2.62

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.1%
2010–2019	3.3%
2000–2009	3.8%
1990–1999	7.1%
1980–1989	6.0%
1970–1979	10.3%
1960–1969	10.8%
1950–1959	16.7%
1940–1949	8.9%
1939 or earlier	33.1%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	3.0%
1 bedroom	14.4%
2 bedrooms	25.4%
3 bedrooms	44.2%
4 bedrooms	12.2%
5+ bedrooms	0.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	15.4%
1 vehicle	46.4%
2 vehicles	26.2%
3 or more	12.0%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	69.7%
Electricity	20.6%
Propane / LP gas	4.7%
Fuel oil	3.0%
No fuel used	1.1%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	3,143	36.1%
Cohabiting couple	986	11.3%
Male householder, no spouse	1,864	21.4%
Female householder, no spouse	2,722	31.2%
Households with children under 18	2,244	25.7%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,978	34.2%
Average household size	2.47

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	43.4%	31.2%
Married	38.4%	40.5%
Separated	1.7%	0.5%
Widowed	2.2%	13.7%
Divorced	14.4%	14.1%

Education

Less than 9th grade 6.2%

Some HS, no diploma 7.9%

HS graduate 30.9%

Some college, no degree 17.9%

Associate's degree 14.0%

Bachelor's degree 14.3%

Graduate / professional 8.8%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	85.8%
Bachelor's or higher	23.0%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	395	8.0%
Kindergarten	186	3.8%
Elementary school	1,948	39.5%
High school	1,147	23.2%
College / grad school	1,260	25.5%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 27.7%

Retail trade 12.7%

Professional & management 11.6%

Arts, food & hospitality 10.9%

Finance & real estate 6.9%

Public administration 6.9%

Construction 6.0%

Transportation & utilities 5.6%

Other services 4.0%

Wholesale trade 2.6%

Manufacturing 2.5%

Information 2.0%

Agriculture & mining 0.5%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	33.3%
Service	24.9%
Sales & office	21.1%
Natural resources & construction	7.4%
Production & transportation	13.4%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	80.1%
Government	15.0%
Self-employed	4.9%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	74.2%
Carpool	8.1%
Public transit	6.3%
Walk	1.4%
Work from home	7.4%
Other means	2.6%
Avg commute (minutes)	22.8

Poverty

All people 19.5%

Under 18 years 33.3%

18 and over 15.6%

Married-couple families 11.6%

Female-led households 29.6%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	38.1%
Retirement income	27.9%
Supplemental Security	7.2%
Cash public assistance	2.3%
Food stamps / SNAP	20.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	29.0%
High blood pressure	32.0%
High cholesterol	32.5%
Diabetes	9.9%
Heart disease	6.4%
Stroke	3.3%
Asthma	10.7%
Arthritis	23.3%
Kidney disease	3.0%
Pulmonary disease	7.1%
Cancer	6.7%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	17.4%
Binge drinking	16.3%
No physical activity	25.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	34.6%
Depression	20.9%
Fair or poor health	14.2%
Poor mental health	15.2%
Poor physical health	10.6%
No health insurance	13.6%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.6%
Visited dentist	61.6%
Cholesterol screening	89.9%
Teeth loss	15.9%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	754	4.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	15.2%
Under 18	4.4%
18–64 years	11.3%
65 and over	43.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	58.3%
Public insurance	52.0%
No insurance	4.5%
Uninsured under 19	2.4%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	20,591	94.0%
Spanish	1,055	5.1%
Other Indo-European	250	1.2%
Asian & Pacific Islander	612	3.0%
Other languages	168	0.8%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	18,418	84.1%
Born in same state	17,957	82.0%
Born in different state	15,675	71.6%
Foreign born	461	2.1%
Naturalized citizen	3,483	15.9%
Not a US citizen	2,448	70.3%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	2,954	13.5%
French	1,783	8.1%
Arab	838	3.8%
English	346	1.6%
German	318	1.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
Irish	80	0.4%
Polish	59	0.3%
Norwegian	23	0.1%
Dutch	13	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	39.8%
Internet access	89.3%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 12304

What city is ZIP code 12304 in?

ZIP code 12304 is primarily assigned to Schenectady, New York.

What county is ZIP code 12304 in?

ZIP code 12304 falls within Schenectady County, New York.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 12304?

20% of residents in ZIP code 12304 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 12304 have a large retiree population?

38% of households in ZIP code 12304 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 12304?

The median home value in ZIP code 12304 is $152,600.

What is the population of ZIP code 12304?

ZIP code 12304 has an estimated population of 21,901 residents, with a density of 3,286 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 12304 in?

ZIP code 12304 observes the EST timezone.