Minerva is a town in Essex County, New York, home to about 836 people across 157 square miles. Its ZIP codes are 12851 and 12857, and parts of 12852 are in Minerva too.
Homes sold for a median of $432 per square foot across 2 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and 0 of 2 were seller’s markets.
Population8365 per sq mi
Median home value$171,800Census, as estimated by owners
Price per sq ft$432Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Minerva. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
The Minerva guide is on the way
We’re writing up Minerva’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
History
What it’s like to live there
Getting around
Things to do
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Around Minerva
Distances
Nearest major airport
Albany International Airport (ALB)73 miles away
Closer regional airport
Adirondack Regional Airport (SLK)42 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+
Boston, MA181 miles away
Nearest city of 1 million+
New York, NY217 miles away
Straight-line distances from the center of Minerva; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Population over time
Minerva had 773 residents in the 2020 census, down 3% since 2000.
It’s the 911th largest of 1,007 towns in New York by population.
Essex County grew from 30,707 residents in 1900 to 37,381 in 2020.
Essex County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Weather by month
Average highs peak around 75°F in summer, and winter lows average 6°F. About 43.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 102 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Indian Lake 2sw, NY weather station (15 miles away).
Jobs in Essex County
10,192 jobs at 1,186 businesses in Essex County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
Health care
1 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Minerva’s ZIP codes.
Nearest hospitals
Elizabethtown Community HospitalCritical access hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 4 of 5 · Elizabethtown34.5 miles
Adirondack Medical Center - Saranac LakeGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 4 of 5 · Saranac Lake38.2 miles
Glens Falls HospitalGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 3 of 5 · Glens Falls38.3 miles
Providers with an office here
Primary care doctors
1
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Places in and around Minerva
Grocery stores (1 nearby)
Tops7.1 mi
Pharmacies (1 nearby)
Rite Aid Pharmacy7.0 mi
Libraries (1 nearby)
Town of Johnsburg Library7.3 mi
Museums (1 nearby)
North Creek Depot Museum6.9 mi
Theaters and performance venues
Seagle Festival11.5 mi
Boathouse Theater11.5 mi
Counts are within about 8 miles of the center of town.
Public schools here are run by Minerva Central School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
Public schools(1)
School
Grades
Students
Type
Distance
Minerva Central SchoolOlmstedville
Pre-K–12
104
Public
3.4 mi
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.