Housing data for West Sand Lake, NY
West Sand Lake, NY has an estimated 3,479 residents and 1,230 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is an unincorporated community in Rensselaer County.
12.1% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $831 a month.
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 3,479 (±648)
- Housing units
- 1,230 (±238)
- Households that rent
- 12.1%
- Median gross rent
- $831
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +29.0%
What stands out in West Sand Lake
Homes heated by fuel oil: 44.9% (±12.7 points) in West Sand Lake, higher than in Rensselaer County (20.8%).
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 2.1% (±4.4 points) in West Sand Lake, lower than in Rensselaer County (15.2%).
Households that rent: 12.1% (±8.5 points) in West Sand Lake, lower than in Rensselaer County (35.2%).
Households without a vehicle: 1.6% (±2.0 points) in West Sand Lake, lower than in Rensselaer County (9.8%).
Housing in West Sand Lake at a glance
- Median rent: $831 median gross rent a month
- Rent burden: 36.2% of renters pay 30% or more of income (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Renters and owners: 12.1% of households rent (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Income and affordability: $121,250 median household income
- Home values: $315,800 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $2,398 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $6,022 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 2.1% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 78.0% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Age of homes: 58.1% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 0.0% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 44.9% heat with fuel oil or kerosene
- Commute and cars: 21.1 minutes average trip to work
- Growth: +29.0% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 10.5% moved in since 2020 (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Crowding and facilities: 0.0% of homes have more than 1 person per room (Small sample: wide margin of error)
West Sand Lake against Rensselaer County, its state and the nation
| West Sand Lake | Rensselaer County | New York | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 3,479 (±648) | 160,332 (exact) | 19,852,366 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 1,230 (±238) | 74,543 (±105) | 8,585,241 (±652) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 12.1% (±8.5 points) | 35.2% (±1.2 points) | 45.7% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $831 (±$388) | $1,217 (±$26) | $1,621 (±$7) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $121,250 (±$30,400) | $87,915 (±$2,391) | $85,974 (±$402) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $315,800 (±$76,733) | $258,400 (±$6,368) | $423,800 (±$1,627) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $6,022 (±$1,281) | $5,301 (±$158) | $6,582 (±$21) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 58.1% (±19.4 points) | 66.7% (±2.1 points) | 73.9% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 21.1 minutes (±3.7) | 24.0 minutes (±0.7) | 32.6 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 100.0% (±3.4 points) | 91.6% (±0.9 points) | 90.8% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 42.4 years (±8.0) | 40.1 years (±0.3) | 39.8 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
West Sand Lake covers 4.8 square miles of land, about 730 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How West Sand Lake has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 2,697 (±444) | 3,479 (±648) | +29.0% | Not a measurable change |
| Housing units | 1,089 (±152) | 1,230 (±238) | +12.9% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $838 (±$122) | $831 (±$388) | −0.8% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $201,800 (±$26,697) | $315,800 (±$76,733) | +56.5% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median household income | $94,167 (±$17,644) | $121,250 (±$30,400) | +28.8% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,484 (±$296) | $2,398 (±$259) | +61.6% | Up after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $5,078 (±$1,073) | $6,022 (±$1,281) | +18.6% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 9.4% (±8.4 points) | 12.1% (±8.5 points) | +2.7 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 21.5% (±34.0 points) | 0.0% (±24.4 points) | −21.5 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Rensselaer County
West Sand Lake has no police department of its own in the FBI’s figures, so this is the figure for Rensselaer County as a whole.
In 2025, the police departments that report for Rensselaer County recorded 135 violent and 1,132 property crimes per 100,000 residents.
A county-wide figure describes the whole county, not this place; crime varies from one community to the next.
ZIP codes in West Sand Lake
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12196 | 43% | 3,880 | $1,000 | $317,300 | $110,889 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near West Sand Lake
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Averill Park | 2.2 mi | $1,656 | $273,300 | 9.0% |
| Wynantskill | 4.3 mi | $1,200 | $293,400 | 17.0% |
| Town of North Greenbush | 4.5 mi | $1,731 | $339,800 | 25.5% |
| Town of Poestenkill | 5.7 mi | $1,294 | $303,700 | 14.5% |
| Town of East Greenbush | 5.8 mi | $1,643 | $291,500 | 24.9% |
| East Greenbush (community) | 6.3 mi | $1,753 | $303,400 | 35.7% |
| Town of Nassau | 6.7 mi | $1,213 | $263,300 | 24.3% |
| Hampton Manor | 7.0 mi | $1,188 | $239,400 | 16.4% |
Places in New York most like West Sand Lake
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Town of Elma | $952 | $357,900 | $116,460 | 11.4% |
| Town of Pendleton | $994 | $294,300 | $113,750 | 8.9% |
| Town of Sennett | $978 | $279,300 | $101,585 | 8.8% |
| Town of Cambria | $927 | $283,500 | $111,563 | 12.8% |
| Town of Bolton | $967 | $327,000 | $102,898 | 12.1% |
| Town of New Scotland | $1,127 | $348,500 | $122,659 | 15.9% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across New York.
HUD Fair Market Rent for West Sand Lake, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,238 | $1,425 | $1,711 | $2,039 | $2,249 |
HUD income limits for West Sand Lake, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $25,900 | $43,100 | $68,950 |
| 2 people | $29,600 | $49,250 | $78,800 |
| 3 people | $33,300 | $55,400 | $88,650 |
| 4 people | $36,950 | $61,550 | $98,500 |
| 5 people | $39,950 | $66,500 | $106,400 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $71,400 | $114,300 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $76,350 | $122,150 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $81,250 | $130,050 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY MSA, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $123,100.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
West Sand Lake is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for statistics, with no municipal government of its own.
It lies inside the Town of Sand Lake, whose figures include it.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about West Sand Lake
What is the average rent in West Sand Lake, NY?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in West Sand Lake is $831 (±$388) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
What is the median household income in West Sand Lake?
The median household income in West Sand Lake is $121,250 (±$30,400) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in West Sand Lake, NY?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $315,800 (±$76,733) for owner-occupied homes in West Sand Lake (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average mortgage payment in West Sand Lake?
The Census Bureau publishes total owner costs rather than the mortgage alone: the median for owners with a mortgage in West Sand Lake, NY is $2,398 (±$259) a month, including taxes, insurance and utilities.
How much are property taxes in West Sand Lake?
The median real estate tax paid by homeowners in West Sand Lake, NY is $6,022 (±$1,281) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many homes are in West Sand Lake?
West Sand Lake, NY has an estimated 1,230 (±238) housing units, occupied and vacant (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is West Sand Lake growing?
In West Sand Lake, the number of residents went from 2,697 in 2015–2019 to 3,479 in 2020–2024 (+29.0%), not a measurable change.
What ZIP codes are in West Sand Lake?
The ZIP code that covers West Sand Lake is 12196.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 12196?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 12196 is $1,000 (±$390) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — West Sand Lake CDP, New York
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — West Sand Lake CDP, New York
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — West Sand Lake CDP, New York
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — West Sand Lake CDP, New York
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — West Sand Lake CDP, New York
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — West Sand Lake CDP, New York
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — West Sand Lake CDP, New York
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY MSA
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY MSA
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for West Sand Lake CDP, New York (place:80863, in state:36).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .