Makomis Mountain Fire Tower, 2025
Speculator’s story
130 years in pictures
Census counts: 261 in 1930, 406 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2025 and 4 maps from 1899 on.
- 1896Speculator is settled
Photo: Dclemens1971 · CC BY 4.0
Population
398
2025 Census estimate · −1.5% since 2020
Typical home
$298K
+2.6% in a year
Household income
$64K
median
Median age
55.8
years
Jobs based here
162
Balanced
Is Speculator a good place to live?
Speculator’s average trip to work is 12 minutes, below both the New York town median (25 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Among 759 New York towns, just 4 have a lower July high than Speculator. 80% of the land in Speculator is conserved, above both the New York town median (5.2%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). The biggest park or preserve is Blue Ridge Wilderness, at 4,853 acres. Speculator has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
398 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Lake PleasantWellsIndian LakeAriettaSpeculator
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Speculator: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Speculator, and how to reach them.
PowerNational Grid19.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSpeculator V water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 providers77% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpFrom the town’s siteTrash and recycling rulesTown site
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 hereHamilton County Board of ElectionsHamilton County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP codes12164, 1210812164 99% · 12108 1%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 Speculator.
Outdoors
Conserved land covers nearly a third of Speculator
44 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. Speculator’s trail density is 1.0 miles per square mile.
80%conserved
80%
conserved · 24,016 of 30,004 acres
44 mi
of trails · 0.9 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Silver Lake Wilderness | 0.3 mi | 1,076 |
| 2. Blue Ridge Wilderness | — | 4,853 |
| 3. Siamese Ponds Wilderness | — | 2,708 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Housing
A typical Speculator home is worth about $298K
The typical Speculator home is worth about $298,000, up 2.6% in a year, 43% below the New York typical home. 63% of households own their home in Speculator.
$298KZillow home value
| Speculator | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 63% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,042 a month | $1,101 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Speculator$298K
New York$525K
+2.6%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Speculator stands out in New York and nationally: a typical January night there is colder
The January low in Speculator is 7°F. Speculator has cold, snowy winters and cool summers, with plenty of rain.
129″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter10–29°
Spring28–50°
Summer51–74°
Fall35–54°
Sep 27
typical first frost
May 23
typical last frost
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commute
About two in five of Speculator’s working residents commute to Lake Pleasant
Most working residents leave Speculator for work: only 16% work in town. 26% of Speculator residents live below the poverty line. Jobs based in Speculator fell to 162 in 2023, 106 fewer than in 2013.
16%work in town
| Speculator | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 26% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 16% | 10% | 8% |
| Median household income | $64,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Speculator16%
Lake Pleasant40%
Arietta11%
Wells9%
Albany3%
9 mi
median commute distance
162
jobs based in Speculator
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Health
How healthy Speculator is
Speculator beats the New York average on 7 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 6.
| Speculator | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 33% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 37% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 34% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 21% | 23% |
32 measures vs. New York
7 better19 too close to call6 worse
| What stands out | Speculator | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 9.1% | 14.5% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 11.3% | 17.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 12.1% | 7.7% |
Nathan Littauer Hospital
35.1 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Inland flooding leads a moderate hazard risk in Speculator
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 56% of U.S. communities.
44risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold waves
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Speculator
17pages on Speculator
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Speculator; the nearest are
Davis CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Pottersville29.2 mi$18,000 tuitionSUNY AdirondackCommunity college · Public · Queensbury38.4 mi$6,844 in-state tuitionEmpire State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Saratoga Springs44.9 mi$7,648 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Speculator residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
Get outside
44 miles of trails in Speculator
80% of the town is conserved land, across 5 parks and preserves.
1
Silver Lake Wilderness0.3 mi of trails · 1,076 acres
2
Blue Ridge Wilderness4,853 acres
3
Siamese Ponds Wilderness2,708 acres
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
About Speculator
Village in New York, United States
Speculator is a village in Hamilton County, New York, United States. The population was 406 at the 2020 census. The 2,966-foot (904 m) Speculator Mountain rises just south of the village. Speculator is the only incorporated village within Hamilton County and is within the town of Lake Pleasant. The village includes the northeastern end of a lake, also called Lake Pleasant. The local inhabitants sometimes refer to the village as the "Four Corners", referring to the intersection of NYS Route 8 and NYS Route 30 in the middle of the business district. Speculator is within the Adirondack Park.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1925
- Area
- 47 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,739 ft
- ZIP code
- 12164
Questions about Speculator
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Speculator, NY a good place to live?
Speculator has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.