12986 ZIP Code — Tupper Lake, NY

Franklin County, New York

ZIP code 12986 is located in Tupper Lake, New York, within Franklin County. It covers approximately 286.55 square miles and serves a population of 5,356 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 518/838.

About ZIP code 12986

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 $128,200. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 71%.

Median household income is $60,333. 47% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is sales and office, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 17 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 22% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Notable community characteristics include disability rates above the national average at 22%.

5,356

population

286.55

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

12986 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 12986

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 12986. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Tupper Lake	Acceptable
Tupper Lake	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

12983 Saranac Lake (9.8 mi) 12945 Lake Clear (11.8 mi) 12980 Saint Regis Falls (17.3 mi) 12970 Paul Smiths (17.4 mi) 12946 Lake Placid (18.9 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	5,356
Population density	19 / sq mi
State FIPS	36
County FIPS	033

Geography
Land area	286.55 sq mi
Water area	27.98 sq mi
Latitude	44.2418
Longitude	-74.3752
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	44.5%	46.8%	37.0%
$50k – $100k	31.6%	32.0%	27.0%
$100k – $200k	20.2%	17.5%	24.4%
Over $200k	3.7%	3.8%	11.5%

Demographics & statistics

5,356

Population

People per sq mi

47.4

Median age

$60,333

Median household income

$34,967

Per capita income

$128,200

Median home value

$650

Median monthly rent

71.1%

Home ownership

16.5%

Poverty rate

3.2%

Unemployment

2,952

Housing units

22.4%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

271

10–14

258

172

15–19

163

20–24

284

25–34

270

357

35–44

341

344

45–54

328

195

55–59

185

239

60–64

227

377

65–74

360

216

75–84

205

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,019	19.0%
18 and over	4,337	81.0%
65 and over	1,276	23.8%
Median age	47.4 years

Race & ethnicity

White 92.7%

Black or African American 2.8%

Two or more races 2.2%

Hispanic or Latino 1.7%

Other race 0.3%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%

Asian 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	5,052	92.7%
Black or African American	151	2.8%
Two or more races	122	2.2%
Hispanic or Latino	91	1.7%
Other race	17	0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	11	0.2%
Asian	3	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	44.5%	46.8%	37.0%
$50k – $100k	31.6%	32.0%	27.0%
$100k – $200k	20.2%	17.5%	24.4%
Over $200k	3.7%	3.8%	11.5%

Under $10k 3.1%

$10k–$15k 7.2%

$15k–$25k 8.9%

$25k–$35k 8.2%

$35k–$50k 9.9%

$50k–$75k 23.3%

$75k–$100k 13.1%

$100k–$150k 17.7%

$150k–$200k 3.8%

$200k+ 4.8%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.1%
$10k–$15k	7.2%
$15k–$25k	8.9%
$25k–$35k	8.2%
$35k–$50k	9.9%
$50k–$75k	23.3%
$75k–$100k	13.1%
$100k–$150k	17.7%
$150k–$200k	3.8%
$200k+	4.8%
Median income	$60,333

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 7.8%

$50k–$100k 35.2%

$100k–$150k 13.6%

$150k–$200k 14.3%

$200k–$300k 11.8%

$300k–$500k 11.1%

$500k–$1M 5.9%

$1M+ 0.4%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$128,200
Median rent / month	$650
Owner occupied	71.1%
Renter occupied	28.9%
Vacant	35.2%
Single-family detached	76.1%
Large apartment buildings	3.7%
Mobile homes	3.9%
Median rooms	5.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.34

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	2.0%
2000–2009	7.8%
1990–1999	8.7%
1980–1989	7.2%
1970–1979	15.2%
1960–1969	8.2%
1950–1959	7.2%
1940–1949	13.1%
1939 or earlier	30.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.1%
1 bedroom	16.4%
2 bedrooms	24.8%
3 bedrooms	35.3%
4 bedrooms	19.7%
5+ bedrooms	1.7%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	11.1%
1 vehicle	42.3%
2 vehicles	30.6%
3 or more	16.0%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	2.5%
Electricity	59.0%
Propane / LP gas	8.0%
Fuel oil	16.2%
Wood	13.1%
No fuel used	0.6%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,017	43.2%
Cohabiting couple	194	8.2%
Male householder, no spouse	458	19.4%
Female householder, no spouse	687	29.2%
Households with children under 18	484	20.5%
Households with seniors (65+)	981	41.6%
Average household size	2.09

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	37.4%	23.0%
Married	47.0%	48.7%
Separated	2.2%	2.2%
Widowed	3.2%	15.2%
Divorced	10.2%	10.9%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.9%

Some HS, no diploma 7.2%

HS graduate 30.9%

Some college, no degree 21.2%

Associate's degree 15.3%

Bachelor's degree 13.9%

Graduate / professional 8.5%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	89.9%
Bachelor's or higher	22.4%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	8	0.7%
Kindergarten	17	1.5%
Elementary school	576	51.6%
High school	335	30.0%
College / grad school	180	16.1%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 31.4%

Retail trade 17.7%

Public administration 14.5%

Arts, food & hospitality 7.8%

Construction 6.4%

Other services 4.6%

Agriculture & mining 3.6%

Transportation & utilities 3.5%

Manufacturing 3.4%

Professional & management 3.1%

Information 1.8%

Finance & real estate 1.6%

Wholesale trade 0.7%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	27.1%
Service	23.7%
Sales & office	28.8%
Natural resources & construction	9.8%
Production & transportation	10.6%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	64.3%
Government	29.5%
Self-employed	5.7%
Unpaid family workers	0.5%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	72.6%
Carpool	14.3%
Public transit	0.3%
Walk	6.9%
Work from home	5.4%
Other means	0.5%
Avg commute (minutes)	17.4

Poverty

All people 16.5%

Under 18 years 23.6%

18 and over 15.0%

Married-couple families 2.9%

Female-led households 31.6%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	47.1%
Retirement income	34.5%
Supplemental Security	5.0%
Cash public assistance	1.7%
Food stamps / SNAP	16.2%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	35.0%
High blood pressure	33.7%
High cholesterol	36.8%
Diabetes	9.8%
Heart disease	6.7%
Stroke	3.1%
Asthma	10.2%
Arthritis	24.9%
Kidney disease	3.0%
Pulmonary disease	7.5%
Cancer	7.1%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	18.7%
Binge drinking	18.8%
No physical activity	25.8%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.8%
Depression	21.1%
Fair or poor health	13.0%
Poor mental health	14.7%
Poor physical health	10.2%
No health insurance	11.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.5%
Visited dentist	63.7%
Cholesterol screening	90.1%
Teeth loss	14.6%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	386	8.9%

Disability	%
Any disability	22.3%
Under 18	9.5%
18–64 years	16.6%
65 and over	46.2%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	76.5%
Public insurance	46.7%
No insurance	2.1%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	5,212	97.3%
Spanish	14	0.3%
Other Indo-European	5	0.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander	9	0.2%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	5,218	97.4%
Born in same state	5,165	96.4%
Born in different state	4,410	82.3%
Foreign born	53	1.0%
Naturalized citizen	138	2.6%
Not a US citizen	125	90.6%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	1,152	21.5%
German	767	14.3%
French	472	8.8%
Arab	302	5.6%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	40	0.7%
Polish	31	0.6%
Irish	2	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	44.0%
Internet access	87.4%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 12986

What city is ZIP code 12986 in?

ZIP code 12986 is primarily assigned to Tupper Lake, New York.

What county is ZIP code 12986 in?

ZIP code 12986 falls within Franklin County, New York.

Does ZIP code 12986 have a large retiree population?

47% of households in ZIP code 12986 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 12986?

17% of residents in ZIP code 12986 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 12986?

The median home value in ZIP code 12986 is $128,200.

What is the population of ZIP code 12986?

ZIP code 12986 has an estimated population of 5,356 residents, with a density of 19 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 12986 in?

ZIP code 12986 observes the EST timezone.