12870 ZIP Code — Schroon Lake, NY

Essex County, New York

ZIP code 12870 is located in Schroon Lake, New York, within Essex County. It covers approximately 98.44 square miles and serves a population of 1,690 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 518.

About ZIP code 12870

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 $247,300. Owner-occupancy is high at 78%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($62,639) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 53% 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 16 minutes is near the national average. Remote work is prevalent — 28% of workers work from home.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 39% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 12870 reflects a community defined by high homeownership, a high rate of remote workers, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

1,690

population

98.44

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

12870 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 12870

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 12870. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Schroon Lake	Acceptable
Schroon Lake	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

12858 Paradox (5.2 mi) 12808 Adirondack (8 mi) 12860 Pottersville (9.4 mi) 12815 Brant Lake (10.2 mi) 12855 North Hudson (10.9 mi) 12851 Minerva (12.4 mi) 12883 Ticonderoga (13.5 mi) 12928 Crown Point (14.3 mi) 12853 North Creek (14.3 mi) 12836 Hague (15.1 mi) 12817 Chestertown (15.3 mi) 12857 Olmstedville (15.9 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	1,690
Population density	17 / sq mi
State FIPS	36
County FIPS	031

Geography
Land area	98.44 sq mi
Water area	6.29 sq mi
Latitude	43.8571
Longitude	-73.7746
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	49.0%	42.8%	37.0%
$50k – $100k	31.9%	32.8%	27.0%
$100k – $200k	13.7%	19.0%	24.4%
Over $200k	5.3%	5.4%	11.5%

Demographics & statistics

1,690

Population

People per sq mi

54.0

Median age

$62,639

Median household income

$39,828

Per capita income

$247,300

Median home value

$686

Median monthly rent

78.2%

Home ownership

11.4%

Poverty rate

4.2%

Unemployment

1,631

Housing units

39.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

35–44

45–54

103

55–59

60–64

185

65–74

194

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	256	15.1%
18 and over	1,434	84.9%
65 and over	575	34.0%
Median age	54.0 years

Race & ethnicity

White 94.9%

Two or more races 2.1%

Hispanic or Latino 1.8%

Other race 0.8%

Black or African American 0.3%

Group	Count	%
White	1,634	94.9%
Two or more races	37	2.1%
Hispanic or Latino	31	1.8%
Other race	13	0.8%
Black or African American	6	0.3%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	49.0%	42.8%	37.0%
$50k – $100k	31.9%	32.8%	27.0%
$100k – $200k	13.7%	19.0%	24.4%
Over $200k	5.3%	5.4%	11.5%

Under $10k 5.1%

$10k–$15k 1.9%

$15k–$25k 8.9%

$25k–$35k 7.7%

$35k–$50k 15.6%

$50k–$75k 18.0%

$75k–$100k 13.4%

$100k–$150k 13.8%

$150k–$200k 8.7%

$200k+ 6.9%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	5.1%
$10k–$15k	1.9%
$15k–$25k	8.9%
$25k–$35k	7.7%
$35k–$50k	15.6%
$50k–$75k	18.0%
$75k–$100k	13.4%
$100k–$150k	13.8%
$150k–$200k	8.7%
$200k+	6.9%
Median income	$62,639

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 2.4%

$50k–$100k 2.4%

$100k–$150k 21.3%

$150k–$200k 8.9%

$200k–$300k 28.2%

$300k–$500k 28.3%

$500k–$1M 7.5%

$1M+ 1.0%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$247,300
Median rent / month	$686
Owner occupied	78.2%
Renter occupied	21.8%
Vacant	58.2%
Single-family detached	83.7%
Large apartment buildings	1.2%
Mobile homes	3.5%
Median rooms	5.1
Avg household size (owned)	2.25

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.8%
2010–2019	2.5%
2000–2009	18.8%
1990–1999	11.1%
1980–1989	9.6%
1970–1979	14.7%
1960–1969	5.9%
1950–1959	6.0%
1940–1949	6.8%
1939 or earlier	23.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	3.8%
1 bedroom	10.4%
2 bedrooms	24.9%
3 bedrooms	39.1%
4 bedrooms	15.2%
5+ bedrooms	6.5%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	5.7%
1 vehicle	34.0%
2 vehicles	38.3%
3 or more	21.9%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	1.1%
Electricity	14.2%
Propane / LP gas	32.3%
Fuel oil	32.3%
Wood	15.9%
Solar	0.8%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	426	56.9%
Cohabiting couple	33	4.4%
Male householder, no spouse	95	12.7%
Female householder, no spouse	195	26.0%
Households with children under 18	177	23.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	395	52.7%
Average household size	2.23

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	24.9%	19.9%
Married	61.1%	55.6%
Separated	0.0%	5.0%
Widowed	4.2%	11.3%
Divorced	9.8%	8.3%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.2%

Some HS, no diploma 3.0%

HS graduate 27.2%

Some college, no degree 19.3%

Associate's degree 11.3%

Bachelor's degree 18.4%

Graduate / professional 20.7%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	96.9%
Bachelor's or higher	39.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	5	1.8%
Kindergarten	19	6.8%
Elementary school	120	43.0%
High school	58	20.8%
College / grad school	77	27.6%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 26.7%

Other services 14.0%

Construction 12.1%

Finance & real estate 12.1%

Professional & management 8.9%

Arts, food & hospitality 8.8%

Retail trade 6.2%

Public administration 5.3%

Wholesale trade 2.0%

Manufacturing 1.1%

Information 1.1%

Agriculture & mining 0.9%

Transportation & utilities 0.9%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	52.0%
Service	17.8%
Sales & office	17.4%
Natural resources & construction	8.9%
Production & transportation	3.9%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	69.2%
Government	18.0%
Self-employed	12.1%
Unpaid family workers	0.8%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	59.4%
Carpool	4.9%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	6.6%
Work from home	28.4%
Other means	0.6%
Avg commute (minutes)	16.3

Poverty

All people 11.4%

Under 18 years 27.0%

18 and over 8.6%

Married-couple families 3.3%

Female-led households 32.9%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	52.9%
Retirement income	45.5%
Supplemental Security	5.7%
Cash public assistance	4.8%
Food stamps / SNAP	9.9%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	29.6%
High blood pressure	37.0%
High cholesterol	36.5%
Diabetes	11.0%
Heart disease	8.1%
Stroke	3.6%
Asthma	10.1%
Arthritis	29.0%
Kidney disease	3.5%
Pulmonary disease	8.1%
Cancer	8.9%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	15.6%
Binge drinking	15.8%
No physical activity	24.0%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	31.7%
Depression	19.9%
Fair or poor health	13.0%
Poor mental health	12.9%
Poor physical health	10.8%
No health insurance	9.1%
Visited doctor (checkup)	80.6%
Visited dentist	68.2%
Cholesterol screening	92.9%
Teeth loss	12.5%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	115	8.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	20.1%
Under 18	9.8%
18–64 years	14.4%
65 and over	33.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	69.8%
Public insurance	60.9%
No insurance	1.5%
Uninsured under 19	5.4%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,645	97.3%
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)	1,634	96.7%
Born in same state	1,629	96.4%
Born in different state	1,033	61.1%
Foreign born	5	0.3%
Naturalized citizen	56	3.3%
Not a US citizen	29	51.8%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	282	16.7%
French	260	15.4%
English	91	5.4%
Arab	63	3.7%

Ancestry	Count	%
German	41	2.4%
Norwegian	8	0.5%
Dutch	6	0.4%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	44.3%
Internet access	93.2%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 12870

What city is ZIP code 12870 in?

ZIP code 12870 is primarily assigned to Schroon Lake, New York.

What county is ZIP code 12870 in?

ZIP code 12870 falls within Essex County, New York.

Does ZIP code 12870 have an older population?

34% of residents in ZIP code 12870 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 12870 have a large retiree population?

53% of households in ZIP code 12870 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the population of ZIP code 12870?

ZIP code 12870 has an estimated population of 1,690 residents, with a density of 17 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 12870?

The median household income in ZIP code 12870 is $62,639, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 12870 in?

ZIP code 12870 observes the EST timezone.