Is Saranac Lake, NY a Good Place to Live?
Saranac Lake is a small town of 5,079 in New York, with a median household income of $58,197 and a 2.8% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 96 (US average = 100), which is 4% below the national average.
Strengths: Saranac Lake stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, solid school ratings (A), a well-educated population, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Saranac Lake is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Saranac Lake city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 95.9Saranac Lake's overall cost of living index is 95.9, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Saranac Lake costs roughly 4% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Saranac Lake, NY | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $175,700 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $781 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 49.4% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $58,197 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Crime data for Saranac Lake is not currently available from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all local agencies report to the UCR each year.
Schools & Education
Saranac Lake is served primarily by SARANAC LAKE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT. The student-to-teacher ratio is 9.5:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Saranac Lake, NY | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | SARANAC LAKE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT | — |
| Elementary Schools | 2 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 9.5:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 39.2% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 90.4% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Saranac Lake sees average highs of 23.3°F in January and 74.4°F in July, with 36.6 inches of annual precipitation and 104.1 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Saranac Lake, NY |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 23.3°F |
| Average High — July | 74.4°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 36.6" |
| Annual Snowfall | 104.1" |
Demographics
| Metric | Saranac Lake, NY | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 5,079 | — |
| Median Age | 42.0 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 2.8% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 15.1 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 93.4% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 3.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 0.9% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.6% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 17.2% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 16.5% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Saranac Lake
Saranac Lake, NY is covered by 1 ZIP code: