Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Saranac Lake is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades C+ overall, 451st of 745 graded towns in New York, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is health: it is healthier than 61% of U.S. towns. Expect to pay for it: the typical home is worth about $338K, 5.2 years of the county’s $65K median household income. Saranac Lake’s trail density is 2.7 miles per square mile, against 0.4 in New York’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. Saranac Lake is more walkable than 86% of U.S. towns. Saranac Lake is home to North Country Community College.
Where Saranac Lake beats most towns.
5.3% of the town is conserved land, across 9 parks and preserves.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Saranac Lake is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 191 in 1880, a peak of 8,020 in 1930, 4,887 in 2020. The archive holds 30 old photos and papers going back to 1875 and 4 maps from 1902 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Saranac Lake, 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 Saranac Lake.
Saranac Lake has a shorter frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and trades workers with Harrietstown and other neighbors.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Saranac Lakes Wild Forest | — | 8 |
| 2. Town of Harrietstown Bike Park | 0.2 mi | 3 |
| 3. Sunset Park Arboretum | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
47% of Saranac Lake households own their home, below both New York’s towns (75%) and U.S. towns (73%). Saranac Lake’s median rent is $853 a month. Typical home values rose 5.6% in the year to September 2026.
| Saranac Lake | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 47% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $853 a month | $1,103 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The Lake Placid 2 S weather station, 7 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 118 days, shorter than in 97% of U.S. towns. The Lake Placid 2 S weather station, 7 miles away, records that 104 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, more than in 97% of U.S. towns. The Lake Placid 2 S weather station, 7 miles away, records that about 1 days a year reach 90°, fewer than in 97% of U.S. towns.
The July high in Saranac Lake is 77°F. Saranac Lake has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Saranac Lake has about as many jobs (1,942) as working residents, but only 540 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 15.8 minutes, against 32.6 across New York.
About one in 4 of Saranac Lake’s working residents works in town. 18% of Saranac Lake residents live below the poverty line. Since 2013, Saranac Lake has lost 281 jobs, to 1,942 in 2023.
| Saranac Lake | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 16 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 25% | 10% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 18% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $62,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Against the 9,399 U.S. towns with household incomes like Saranac Lake’s, it is healthier than 85%, so its B isn’t only a matter of income.
38% of adults have obesity in Saranac Lake. Saranac Lake beats the New York average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 18% of adults binge drink in Saranac Lake.
| Saranac Lake | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 33% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 16% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 11% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 34% | 35% |
| What stands out | Saranac Lake | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.6% | 7.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 13% | 17.2% |
| More adults with obesity | 38% | 28.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Saranac Lake's reported crime rate is well below New York's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. Violent crime is rare: 3 reported in 2025.
| Saranac Lake | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.3 per 1,000 residents | 7.6 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.6 per 1,000 residents | 0.8 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Adults 18 to 34 are 28% of residents (23% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 35% of residents (39% statewide). Saranac Lake has lost 3.2% of its people since 2020, down to 4,793 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 47% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 40% across New York.
| Saranac Lake | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 47% | 32% | 29% |
| Under 18 | 17% | 20% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 21% | 20% | 18% |
| Median age | 40.7 years | 43 years | 40.5 years |
46% women, 54% men
About 120 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±3.6 points). Across New York, 51.2% of residents are women.
| Saranac Lake | NY | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.5% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.1% | 9.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.4% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 18.1% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.9% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.5% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.1% | 13.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 15.2% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.2% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.7% | 12% | 10.4% |
| High school | 16% | 24.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 18.5% | 14.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10% | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 24.6% | 22.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 22.2% | 17.9% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 4,800, single groups can be off by several points
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 56% of U.S. communities. Since 1986, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Saranac Lake.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Saranac Lake. Close and well known come first.
18 mi MountainMount Marcy
25 mi State parkAdirondack Park
12 mi MountainWhiteface Mountain
18 mi LakeLake Tear of the Clouds
9 mi LandmarkJohn Brown Farm State Historic Site
8 mi Stadium & arenaHerb Brooks ArenaMount Marcy: Daniel Tripp, Public domain · Adirondack Park: Original uploader was Mwanner at en.wikipedia Later version(s) were uploaded by, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Whiteface Mountain: Mwanner, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lake Tear of the Clouds: TheKilimanjaro, CC BY-SA 4.0 · John Brown Farm State Historic Site: Mwanner | Talk, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Herb Brooks Arena: KevinTR at English Wikipedia, CC0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Saranac Lake
About 6 of every 100 Saranac Lake residents are enrolled in college, about the same as New York.
12 notable people were born in Saranac Lake.
Village in New York, United States
Saranac Lake is a village in the state of New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,887, making it the largest community by population in the Adirondack Park. The village of Saranac Lake covers parts of three towns (Harrietstown, St. Armand, and North Elba) and two counties (Franklin and Essex). The village is named after Upper, Middle and Lower Saranac lakes, which are nearby. The county line is within two blocks of the center of the village. At the 2010 census, 3,897 village residents lived in Harrietstown, 1,367 lived in North Elba, and 142 lived in St. Armand. The village boundaries do not touch the shores of any of the three Saranac Lakes; Lower Saranac Lake,…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Saranac Lake.
| Town | NY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saranac Lake | #451 | C+ | C | — | B | B |
| St. Armand | — | — | B− | — | B | B |
| North Elba | #486 | C+ | D | — | B− | B+ |
| Harrietstown | #506 | C+ | C+ | — | B | B− |
St. Armand has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Saranac Lake, St. Armand, North Elba and Harrietstown report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Saranac Lake with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Saranac Lake grades C+ overall, better than 42% of U.S. towns and #451 of 745 in New York. It grades B for health and B for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a C−.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
12 notable people were born here, including Bill Demong and Art Mollner.
