Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
West Sand Lake’s median household income is $121,000, against $82,000 in New York’s towns and $80,000 across U.S. towns. Among 759 New York towns, just 8 have a lower share of working residents who work in town than West Sand Lake. We don’t grade West Sand Lake yet; the figures below are still real.
Where West Sand Lake beats most towns.
Where West Sand Lake’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 1907 and 4 maps from 1893 on.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around West Sand Lake. Close and well known come first.
22 mi MountainMount Greylock
8 mi Stadium & arenaMVP Arena
8 mi MuseumUSS Slater
8 mi Ancient siteFort Orange
20 mi MuseumClark Art Institute
25 mi TheatreTanglewoodMount Greylock: Jstergis, CC BY 3.0 · MVP Arena: This image or media was taken or created by Matt H. Wade. To see his entire port, CC BY-SA 3.0 · USS Slater: UpstateNYer, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Orange: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain · Clark Art Institute: Daderot, Public domain · Tanglewood: Daderot., CC BY-SA 3.0
West Sand Lake is unincorporated, so Rensselaer County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 West Sand Lake.
In West Sand Lake, 4% of residents live below the poverty line. This New York town had 437 jobs in 2023, up 200 from 2013. Its average trip to work stands at 21 minutes. For half of commuters, work is under 10 miles away.
| West Sand Lake | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 4% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
College graduates make up 39% of adults 25 and older, against 40% across New York. Adults 18 to 34 are 12% of residents (23% statewide); children under 18 are 29% of residents (21% statewide). West Sand Lake’s midpoint age stands at 42.4 years.
| West Sand Lake | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 39% | 32% | 29% |
| Median age | 42.4 years | 43 years | 40.5 years |
55% women, 45% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±8.6 points. Across New York, 51.2% of residents are women.
| West Sand Lake | NY | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.8% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 15.8% | 9.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 7% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.9% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 19% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 9.2% | 13.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.6% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.7% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.9% | 12% | 10.4% |
| High school | 17.3% | 24.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 13.1% | 14.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 22.1% | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 24.2% | 22.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 14.4% | 17.9% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,500, single groups can be off by several points
For West Sand Lake, the rent at the middle of the market is $831 a month. Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home gained 7.8% in value. Among households here, 88% are owner-occupiers.
| West Sand Lake | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 88% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $831 a month | $1,101 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The typical July afternoon high in West Sand Lake is 82°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected damage from storms and floods is lower here than in 62% of U.S. communities. Two thirds of West Sand Lake’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by tornadoes at 10%.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
For adults in West Sand Lake, the share who binge drink is 18%. Against the New York average, West Sand Lake comes out ahead on 15 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 2. Two figures for adults here: 14% report frequent mental distress, 29% feel lonely.
| West Sand Lake | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 17% | 19% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 32% | 33% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 9.7% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | West Sand Lake | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7.5% | 17.2% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 3.8% | 7.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.5% | 7.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
13 within 15 miles of the center of West Sand Lake
About 7 of every 100 West Sand Lake residents are enrolled in college, about the same as New York.
Hamlet and CDP in New York, United States
West Sand Lake is a hamlet and census-designated place within the town of Sand Lake in Rensselaer County, New York, United States. The population was 2,616 people in 2020. The community is located in the northwestern corner of the town of Sand Lake.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with West Sand Lake.
| Town | NY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Sand Lake | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Averill Park | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sand Lake | #80 | A | B− | — | A− | A |
| Poestenkill | #197 | A− | C+ | — | B+ | A |
| North Greenbush | #151 | A− | C− | B− | A− | A |
Sand Lake and Poestenkill report no FBI crime data of their own. West Sand Lake and Averill Park aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare West Sand Lake with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
We don’t grade West Sand Lake yet; the figures below are still real.
.png){kind=link}
,_Tanglewood,_Lenox,_Massachusetts.JPG){kind=link}