Hiram Congdon House · National Register of Historic Places
Putnam’s story
205 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2003.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1821Putnam is settled
PutnamNY
5 bordering townsMap →
Hiram Congdon House · Photo: Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
563
2025 Census estimate · −0.5% since 2020
Median home value
$266K
Census ACS
Household income
$92K
median
Median age
53.6
years
Jobs based here
53
A commuter town
Is Putnam a good place to live?
36% of residents are 65 or older in Putnam, above both the New York town median (20%) and the median of U.S. towns (18%). Lake George Wild Forest, at 898 acres with 2.2 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Putnam has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Putnam stand out
Where Putnam beats most towns.
Small town
563 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
HagueBensonOrwellDresdenTiconderogaPutnam
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Putnam: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Putnam, and how to reach them.
PowerNational Grid19.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterWhitehall Village water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers92% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Putnam’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn New York you can register online until 10 days before Election Day, in person until 10 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before and received 10 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereWashington County Board of ElectionsWashington County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP codes12861, 1288312861 95% · 12883 5%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Putnam.
Who lives here
Older than New York overall
People 65 and older are 36% of residents (18% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 11% of residents (23% statewide). At 53.6 years, Putnam’s median age is against 43 years in New York’s towns and 40.5 years across U.S. towns. 17% of residents are under 18 in Putnam.
53.6median age · NY 39.8
| Putnam | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 53.6 years | 43 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 17% | 20% | 22% |
PutnamNew YorkUnited States
Ages · share of residents
23%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma6%
High school28%
Some college25%
Associate’s10%
Bachelor’s17%
Graduate14%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.8 points. Across New York, 51.2% of residents are women.
| Putnam | NY | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.8% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.6% | 9.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.9% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 4.6% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.6% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.7% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.1% | 13.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 22.8% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 12.8% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.6% | 12% | 10.4% |
| High school | 27.8% | 24.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 24.9% | 14.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.4% | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.4% | 22.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 14% | 17.9% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 600, single groups can be off by several points
Schools
The schools Putnam’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Putnam Central School District. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Putnam Central SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 28 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts
Work & commute
Compared with most of New York and the rest of the country, fewer of Putnam’s working residents work locally
2.3% of Putnam working residents work locally. The top destinations are Ticonderoga (25%), Whitehall (7%) and Rutland (4%). Putnam’s average trip to work is 21 minutes.
2%work in town
| Putnam | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.3% | 10% | 8% |
| Median household income | $92,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 7.2% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Putnam2%
Ticonderoga25%
Whitehall7%
Rutland4%
Fort Edward4%
24 mi
median commute distance
53
jobs based in Putnam
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Putnam
Putnam has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 10° and about 59 inches of snow falls in a winter.
59″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter13–32°
Spring32–56°
Summer56–79°
Fall39–59°
Oct 3
typical first frost
May 5
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards
Inland flooding leads a high hazard risk in Putnam
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 66% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 6 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Putnam.
66risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland flooding
6
paid flood claims since 1979
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Health
How healthy Putnam is
Putnam beats the New York average on 10 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 6.
| Putnam | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 84% | 81% | 79% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 33% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 34% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 37% | 36% |
32 measures vs. New York
10 better16 too close to call6 worse
| What stands out | Putnam | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10% | 17.2% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 8.6% | 14.5% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.8% | 7.7% |
Porter Hospital
21.4 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
Putnam has set aside 8% of its land for conservation
13 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
8%conserved
| Putnam | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 8% | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
8%
conserved · 1,802 of 22,524 acres
13 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lake George Wild Forest | 2.2 mi | 898 |
| 2. Black Point Beach | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 65 attractions →Fort Ticonderoga and 23 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Putnam. Close and well known come first.
Big draw7 mi LandmarkFort Ticonderoga
11 mi LakeLake George
36 mi MountainMount Marcy
27 mi LandmarkFort William Henry
31 mi Theme parkGreat Escape
33 mi Ski areaKillington Resort184 runs · 3,031 ft verticalSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Fort Ticonderoga: Mwanner, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lake George: Sixlocal, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mount Marcy: Daniel Tripp, Public domain · Fort William Henry: IrisKawling at en.wikipedia, Public domain · Great Escape: Jared and Corin, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Killington Resort: NHRHS2010, CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Putnam
19pages on Putnam
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Putnam; the nearest are
Davis CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Pottersville19.7 mi$18,000 tuitionSUNY AdirondackCommunity college · Public · Queensbury29.8 mi$6,844 in-state tuitionVermont State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Randolph, VT42.6 mi$11,952 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Putnam residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Putnam for work
Where Putnam’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
53jobs based in Putnam
2%of working residents work in town
24 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Putnam
Town in Washington County, New York, US
Putnam is a town in northern Washington County, New York, United States. It is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town population was 567 at the 2020 census. The town is named after Israel Putnam, a hero of the American Revolution.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 35 sq mi
- Elevation
- 873 ft
- Area code
- 518
Questions about Putnam
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Putnam, NY a good place to live?
Putnam has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.