Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
39% of working residents work locally in Lake Pleasant, above both New York’s towns (10%) and U.S. towns (8%). Of the 759 New York towns we compare, none has a lower share of children under 18 than Lake Pleasant. 85% of the land in Lake Pleasant is conserved, where New York’s towns sit at 5.2% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. West Canada Lake Wilderness, at 29,383 acres with 17.7 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Lake Pleasant has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Lake Pleasant beats most towns.
Census counts: 312 in 1820, 897 in 2020. The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 1897 and 3 maps from 1907 on.
6 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lake Pleasant, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Lake Pleasant.
There are 113 miles of trail across 9 parks and preserves. For Lake Pleasant, the concentration of trails is 0.6 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. West Canada Lake Wilderness | 17.7 mi | 29,383 |
| 2. Jessup River Wild Forest | 16.8 mi | 22,220 |
| 3. Moose River Plains Wild Forest | 8.8 mi | 3,838 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its one school is below. Enrollment at Lake Pleasant’s public school: 67 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Pleasant SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 67 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts
Just over two fifths of Lake Pleasant adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more. People 65 and older are 36% of residents (18% statewide); children under 18 are 5% of residents (21% statewide).
| Lake Pleasant | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 58.3 years | 43 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 41% | 32% | 29% |
54% women, 46% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.3 points. Across New York, 51.2% of residents are women.
| Lake Pleasant | NY | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 2.3% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 2.2% | 9.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.3% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.4% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 5.3% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 16.8% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 17.4% | 13.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 19.8% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 16.5% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 10.9% | 12% | 10.4% |
| High school | 22.4% | 24.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 12.6% | 14.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 13% | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.9% | 22.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 23.1% | 17.9% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 900, single groups can be off by several points
Lake Pleasant has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 77°, January nights drop to 7° and about 129 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Employers in Lake Pleasant shed 99 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 350. About one in three of the town’s working residents works in town. The town’s typical journey to work is 13 minutes. Half commute less than 10 miles.
| Lake Pleasant | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 13 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 19% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $64,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 14% | 12% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
20% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Lake Pleasant. The town beats the New York average on 10 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7. Among adults locally, 84% had a checkup this year and 15% binge drink.
| Lake Pleasant | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 34% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 84% | 81% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 17% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 16% | 17% |
| What stands out | Lake Pleasant | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 8.9% | 14.5% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 11.1% | 17.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 12.7% | 7.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
On expected storm and flood damage, Lake Pleasant sits below 56% of U.S. communities. Expected losses in Lake Pleasant break down as 85% from inland flooding and 5% from cold waves.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Lake Pleasant; the nearest are
About 8 of every 100 Lake Pleasant residents are enrolled in college, about the same as New York.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
6 places in Lake Pleasant on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in New York, United States
Lake Pleasant is a town in Hamilton County, New York, United States. The population was 897 at the 2020 census. It contains the hamlet of Lake Pleasant, the county seat of Hamilton County. The town of Lake Pleasant is within the Adirondack Park and is centrally located in the county. The town is a tourist hub, with seasonal homes comprising about three-quarters of the housing units in the area. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the unofficial summer season, the small town is a busy community, with many activities including a parade, fireworks, summer musical, camping, hiking, water activities, historical activities, art show, geocaching, and mountain biking.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Lake Pleasant has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
