ZIP Code 12144 — Rensselaer city, NY Demographics & Data

ZIP code 12144 covers Rensselaer, NY in Rensselaer County with a population of about 21,631.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 40.9 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area codes 518, 838; U.S. House district NY-19; the ALBANY - SCHENECTADY - TROY media market.

Rensselaer, NY sits in a university / college context (near suny-system office (2.1 mi)). Expect stronger interest in student housing, rentals, walkability, transit, and a younger adult age mix versus typical suburban ZIPs.

Median household income in ZIP 12144 is about $88,357 — about 18% above the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 11.8%; unemployment rate near 4.0%; 38.3% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 4.6 points above the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Healthcare, Manufacturing, and Public administration; about 12.2% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 3.0 points below the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 180.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $235,300 — about 32% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $1,245 (about 7% above the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 59.1% (about 6.3 points below the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 12144 in Rensselaer, NY, a household would need roughly $65,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $1,512. That sits below the local median household income ($88,357), suggesting the typical household income is closer to a workable buy-in level under these assumptions. Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates natural-hazard risk for Rensselaer city, NY as Relatively Moderate (composite score 82.2), which is elevated versus much of the country. The strongest component scores on US5 are flood (89.0) and hurricane (79.4). These scores are county-linked NRI values published for planning context — all ZIP codes in the same county share the same composite score on US5. Useful when comparing insurance and disaster exposure across areas, not a substitute for a parcel-level flood or fire determination.

Climate normals for Rensselaer city, NY show little to no average snow and around 42.1 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 934 for ZIP 12144 (Rensselaer city, NY) on US5’s published series — a signal of people/tax filers moving in relative to those leaving. Inflows often track job growth, housing demand, or lifestyle migration; treat the figure as a directional indicator rather than a precise headcount.