12986 ZIP Code, Tupper Lake, NY
12986 is a ZIP code in Tupper Lake, New York — mostly in Franklin County (75% of its land), with smaller parts in St. Lawrence County. It covers 287 square miles of land. The closest ZIP codes are 12973, 12945 and 12970. 5,326 people live here in 2,335 households. It is rural, with fewer than 100 people per square mile, and most homes are owner-occupied (73%). Median household income is $67,883, below the New York median of $85,974; the median age is 48.7, older than most ZIP codes.
Quick facts
- Mailing city: Tupper Lake, NY
- County: Franklin County
- Land area: 287 sq mi
- Population: 5,326
- Median household income: $67,883
- Carrier routes: 7 (2,733 homes)
Key figures
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Residents | 5,326 |
| Households | 2,335 |
| Median household income | $67,883 |
| Income per person | $35,777 |
| Median age | 48.7 |
| Homeowners | 72.7% |
| Median home value | $158,900 |
| Median rent | $790 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.5% |
| Average commute (minutes) | 14.7 |
| Households with kids under 18 | 22.7% |
| Moved in the past year | 7.3% |
| Below the poverty line | 16.9% |
| Broadband internet | 89.0% |
| Speak a non-English language at home | 2.0% |
Household income
| % of households | Value |
|---|---|
| <$10K | 1.8% |
| $10–15K | 2.8% |
| $15–25K | 7.2% |
| $25–35K | 8.5% |
| $35–50K | 15.7% |
| $50–75K | 20.2% |
| $75–100K | 13.0% |
| $100–150K | 20.1% |
| $150–200K | 5.1% |
| $200K+ | 5.6% |
Age
| % of all residents | Value |
|---|---|
| <10 | 8.3% |
| 10–19 | 11.9% |
| 20–24 | 2.0% |
| 25–34 | 13.3% |
| 35–44 | 11.3% |
| 45–54 | 9.8% |
| 55–64 | 16.5% |
| 65–74 | 14.4% |
| 75+ | 12.3% |
Tenure
| % of housing units | Value |
|---|---|
| Owned, with mortgage | 24.6% |
| Owned outright | 22.1% |
| Rented | 17.1% |
| Vacant | 36.2% |
Type of building
| % of housing units | Value |
|---|---|
| Detached house | 78.0% |
| Townhome | 1.1% |
| 2–4 units | 8.6% |
| 5–19 units | 6.3% |
| 20+ units | 2.2% |
| Mobile / other | 3.8% |
Businesses in 12986
136 business establishments with 885 employees (ZIP Codes Business Patterns 2023).
- Construction: 25
- Accommodation and Food Services: 22
- Retail Trade: 21
- Health Care and Social Assistance: 17
- Other Services (except Public Administration): 10
- Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting: 6
- Finance and Insurance: 6
- Real Estate and Rental and Leasing: 6
EDDM carrier routes
12986 has 7 USPS carrier routes with 2,733 residential and 154 business mailboxes. Open the EDDM route map.
Carrier routes in 12986
12986 has 7 USPS carrier routes (4 city (C), 3 highway contract (H)) with 2,733 residential and 154 business mailboxes. Routes range from 151 homes (H003) to 540 homes (C001); the median route has 431 homes. The Census counted 2,335 households in 12986 (2020–2024 average); USPS counts current mailboxes, including new and vacant homes.
| Homes per route | Routes |
|---|---|
| 1–249 | 1 |
| 250–499 | 5 |
| 500–749 | 1 |
| 750–999 | 0 |
| 1,000–1,499 | 0 |
| 1,500+ | 0 |
Best routes in 12986 for…
Most businesses
For B2B offers: office supplies, cleaning, IT, catering and commercial services.
- Route C004 — USPS business mailboxes 67, 493 homes
- Route C001 — USPS business mailboxes 40, 540 homes
- Route C003 — USPS business mailboxes 22, 470 homes
- Route C002 — USPS business mailboxes 15, 431 homes
- Route H001 — USPS business mailboxes 7, 262 homes
Select these 5 routes on the route map
Every carrier route in 12986
| Route | Type | Homes | Businesses | Est. median income | Est. owners | Est. families with kids | Est. moved in past year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C001 | City | 540 | 40 | $68,774 | — | — | — |
| C002 | City | 431 | 15 | $53,415 | — | — | — |
| C003 | City | 470 | 22 | $68,774 | — | — | — |
| C004 | City | 493 | 67 | $53,415 | — | — | — |
| H001 | Highway contract | 262 | 7 | $53,415 | — | — | — |
| H002 | Highway contract | 386 | 3 | $64,751 | — | — | — |
| H003 | Highway contract | 151 | 0 | $63,344 | — | — | — |
Income, owners, families and movers are estimates for each route (how we estimate them); mailbox counts are current USPS figures. Open 12986 on the EDDM route map.
How route demographics are estimated
Mailbox counts come from USPS; demographics are estimates
The number of homes and businesses on each carrier route is the current USPS EDDM count. The Census Bureau does not publish figures for carrier routes, so income, homeownership, ages, families, movers and housing age on a route are EDDM2GO estimates built from Census block groups (neighborhood areas of roughly 600 to 3,000 people).
How a route gets its figures: the block-group length-share method
We trace each route's streets every 25 meters and record which block group each stretch falls in. The route's homes are spread along its streets in proportion to length, so a route with 60% of its street length in one block group is assumed to have 60% of its homes there. Each block group then contributes its Census counts in proportion to the share of its housing units that sit on the route (capped at the whole block group). Medians are recalculated from the combined income, home-value and age brackets, the way the Census Bureau computes them, not averaged.
Margins of error
Census survey figures carry a margin of error at 90% confidence; we carry it through the calculation and show it as ±. Our margins treat the route-to-block-group split as exact, so the real uncertainty is larger. Routes with fewer than 100 estimated households, large margins, or streets we could not place are flagged.
Different years
USPS mailbox counts are current. Census figures are 5-year averages for 2020–2024, so a new subdivision may have more homes on the route today than the Census counted. Use the route figures to compare routes with each other, not as an exact head count.
Why some routes show identical figures
Two routes that run through the same block group get the same percentages and medians, because the Census publishes one set of figures for the whole block group. Their mailbox counts still differ, and those are exact.
Route and mailbox counts: USPS EDDM route data. Route demographics: EDDM2GO estimates from U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year block-group data (2020–2024) and 2024 cartographic block-group boundaries. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Nearby ZIP codes
- 12973 (7.9 mi)
- 12945 (11.2 mi)
- 12970 — Paul Smiths CDP, NY (16.1 mi)
- 12983 — Saranac Lake village, NY (16.7 mi)
- 12977 (17.3 mi)
- 12927 — Cranberry Lake CDP, NY (18.7 mi)
- 12946 — Lake Placid village, NY (19.2 mi)
- 12939 (19.7 mi)
Areas that include 12986
- Tupper Lake, NY ZIP codes — 1 ZIP code
- Franklin County ZIP codes — 22 ZIP codes
- St. Lawrence County ZIP codes — 51 ZIP codes
- New York ZIP code data
Where it ranks
- No. 5 of 14: highest median home value in Franklin County
- No. 2 of 14: highest median age in Franklin County
Mail every home in 12986
Route counts on this page price as Full Service 6.5 × 9 postcards: we print, bundle by carrier route and hand the mailing to USPS. Prefer to take it to the Post Office yourself? Print only costs less and you pay postage at drop-off.
EDDM guides
ZIP code statistics describe the Census ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) 12986, which approximates the USPS ZIP code area. Census figures: American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024.
Frequently asked questions
- What city is 12986 in?
- 12986 is a Tupper Lake, NY mailing address. None of its land lies inside a Census-defined city or community.
- What county is 12986 in?
- 12986 is mostly in Franklin County (75% of its land), with smaller parts in St. Lawrence County.
- What is the population of 12986?
- About 5,326 people (±84), according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates for 2020–2024. The 2020 Census counted 5,363.
- What is the median household income in 12986?
- $67,883 (±$11,616), compared with $85,974 for New York as a whole. Half the households in the ZIP code earn more and half earn less.
- How many carrier routes and mailboxes are in 12986?
- 7 USPS carrier routes with 2,733 residential and 154 business mailboxes (2,887 in all), from the route data stored by EDDM2GO. An EDDM mailing can target any combination of these routes.
- What ZIP codes are near 12986?
- The closest, measured center to center: 12973 (7.9 mi), 12945 (11.2 mi), 12970 (16.1 mi, Paul Smiths), 12983 (16.7 mi, Saranac Lake), 12977 (17.3 mi) and 12927 (18.7 mi, Cranberry Lake).
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.