Paul Smiths, New York Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 623, Paul Smiths's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Paul Smiths is a small community located in New York, within Franklin County. The total population is 623. It ranks as the 998th most populous out of 1,289 Census-designated places in New York.

Age Demographics

The median age in Paul Smiths is 20.5 years. This is 48% lower than the state median of 39.8 years. Only 1.0% of residents are under 18, indicating fewer families with children.

Economy, Income & Housing

The ACS records no residents below the poverty line in Paul Smiths. In a community this small the estimate rests on very few survey responses, so it should be read as an absence of measurement rather than a measured absence of poverty. The unemployment rate is 9.9%. This is 56% higher than the state rate of 6.4%. Every occupied housing unit the survey reached in Paul Smiths was renter-occupied. At this sample size that indicates no owner-occupied homes were captured rather than that none exist.

Race & Ethnicity

Paul Smiths has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 88.3% of all residents. Asian residents account for 4.2%. The White (non-Hispanic) population is significantly higher than the state average (88.3% vs 52.8%). The Black or African American population (2.6%) is well below the state average of 13.4%. The Hispanic or Latino population (2.3%) is well below the state average of 19.8%. The Asian population (4.2%) is well below the state average of 9.0%.

Education

100.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Paul Smiths in the top 10% of all cities in the state for educational attainment. This is 149% higher than the state rate of 40.2%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. No surveyed resident aged 25 or older reported leaving school before earning a high school diploma, though a rate of exactly 100% reflects the limits of a small sample.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Paul Smiths, New York is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against New York state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 1,289 Census-designated places in New York. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.