Which ZIP code fits the life you're planning?
33,099 U.S. ZIP Code Tabulation Areas span the 50 states plus Washington, DC and Puerto Rico, profiled for median income, home values, demographics, and housing tenure from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2019–2023 5-Year Estimates); Census ZBP business rows cover a separate 34,953-ZIP universe of business patterns.
The national picture
America's 33,099 ZIP codes are profoundly uneven. The median ZIP holds about 2,800 residents, yet Chicago's 60629 packs over 113,000, and household income runs from a $72,000 national median to past $119,000 in the wealthiest tenth.
- 33,099
- ZIP codes nationwide
- 2,800
- residents in the median ZIP
- $72,000
- median ZIP household income
- Texas
- most ZIP codes (1,935)
Every figure is a live aggregate over reporting ZIPs from the U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates; no proprietary scoring.
How household income is distributed across US ZIP codes
Median household income by ZIP, the national shape, with the median marked
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023), joined to HUD-USPS ZIP crosswalk geography. National medians and ranks are computed live from the ZIP-level records; nothing is modelled beyond what the Bureau publishes.
Where do most U.S. ZIP codes live?
Coverage isn't population-driven, it follows USPS delivery routes. U.S. Census Bureau ACS, 2023 5-Year publishes one ZCTA per delivery cluster, so geographically broad states (Texas, Pennsylvania, New York) lead by count even where their populations don't. Pick a state below to explore its ZIPs.
Which ZIP codes have the most people?
The 20 most populated ZIP Code Tabulation Areas in the United States, ranked by the population the U.S. Census Bureau publishes for each ZCTA. Higher-density ZIPs concentrate in dense urban cores, but the population leader rarely matches the rent or income leader (see our research pages for the full crossover).
Chicago, IL
6,466 per sq mi
El Paso, TX
1,611 per sq mi
Corona, NY
16,141 per sq mi
San Juan, PR
1,740 per sq mi
Norwalk, CA
4,154 per sq mi
Los Angeles, CA
9,359 per sq mi
Pacoima, CA
4,522 per sq mi
Brooklyn, NY
30,415 per sq mi
Bell Gardens, CA
6,586 per sq mi
Elmhurst, NY
25,574 per sq mi
Brooklyn, NY
22,037 per sq mi
Ridgewood, NY
10,528 per sq mi
Bronx, NY
16,045 per sq mi
Fontana, CA
2,123 per sq mi
Houston, TX
1,198 per sq mi
New York, NY
48,594 per sq mi
Brooklyn, NY
10,195 per sq mi
South Gate, CA
4,989 per sq mi
Katy, TX
1,220 per sq mi
Brooklyn, NY
10,071 per sq mi
How are ZIP codes split across U.S. time zones?
Every ZCTA carries an IANA time zone identifier, useful when you're coordinating across the U.S. or pricing services that depend on local hours. Time-zone identifiers: SimpleMaps US ZIP database; IANA publishes the identifier names and rules.
America/New_York
America/Chicago
America/Los_Angeles
America/Denver
America/Detroit
America/Indiana/Indianapolis
America/Phoenix
America/Boise
America/Anchorage
America/Puerto_Rico
Pacific/Honolulu
America/Nome
America/Menominee
America/Kentucky/Louisville
America/Indiana/Vincennes
America/Sitka
America/Juneau
America/Indiana/Tell_City
America/Toronto
America/North_Dakota/New_Salem
America/Indiana/Marengo
America/Indiana/Knox
America/Indiana/Petersburg
America/Indiana/Winamac
America/North_Dakota/Beulah
America/Indiana/Vevay
America/Adak
America/Kentucky/Monticello
America/Winnipeg
America/Metlakatla
America/Montreal
America/North_Dakota/Center
America/Ojinaga
America/Yakutat
ZIP code guides & research
All guides & research →- Guide Understanding ZIP Code Data What Census data tells you, and what it doesn't.
- Guide ZIP Codes for Relocation Evaluate neighborhoods with data before you move.
- Guide Reading Census Demographics What the numbers mean and mistakes to avoid.
- Guide What Your ZIP Code Says About You Income, education, and housing patterns, and the starkest contrasts in US Census data.
- Research Coverage overview Live summary of every ZIP code, state, and timezone PlainZIP indexes.
- Methodology How we source & compute Sources, data-update process, formulas, and limits.
Where the ZIP codes live
Top 10 states by ZIP-code count
Texas leads the U.S. by total ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, a function of geographic spread plus delivery-route density, not population alone. Hover any bar to see the full state name, count, and rank.
ZIP-code count, top 10 states
Each bar is the count of ZIP Code Tabulation Areas the Census Bureau publishes for that state.
- TX
Texas
1,935 ZIP codes
- PA
Pennsylvania
1,795 ZIP codes
- NY
New York
1,794 ZIP codes
- CA
California
1,761 ZIP codes
- IL
Illinois
1,383 ZIP codes
- OH
Ohio
1,195 ZIP codes
- MO
Missouri
1,022 ZIP codes
- MI
Michigan
986 ZIP codes
- FL
Florida
983 ZIP codes
- IA
Iowa
934 ZIP codes
What this shows The top three (Texas · Pennsylvania · New York) together account for roughly 17% of every ZCTA in the country. Coverage is not population-driven, it tracks USPS delivery-route density, which means rural-leaning states with many small towns rank higher than their population alone would suggest.
Population vs. density, largest ZIP codes
Among the 20 most populated ZIP codes: total population (x) against people per square mile (y). A big population does not mean a crowded one.
About this data
How PlainZIP works, and why you can trust these numbers
What this site is
PlainZIP is a plain-language reference for U.S. Census Bureau ZIP-code data, demographics, household income, housing tenure, rent levels, local business establishments. We aggregate the federal data the Census publishes for every ZIP Code Tabulation Area into a single search-and-browse interface, with every figure traceable to its source row.
Two ZIP populations, not one. ACS demographics cover 33,099 ZCTAs across 52 jurisdictions (50 states + DC + Puerto Rico), 27,619 cities, and 3,212 counties (summed ZCTA population 312,447,629). Census ZIP Code Business Patterns is a separate universe with 34,953 ZIP rows ; only 30,507 of those also have an ACS ZCTA profile in this extract. Ratios that mix ACS and ZBP counts without naming both sides are refused, see methodology § Populations.
Editorial process
- Source. Pull the latest Census ACS 5-Year release + ZIP Code Business Patterns annual file.
- Verify. Spot-check each cohort against the public Census table; reject pages where the input is below the Bureau's reporting threshold.
- Publish. Compile a per-ZIP profile with the figure, the source URL, and the vintage. Every page links back so readers can audit our number against the original.
Editorial independence & corrections
PlainZIP is independent and accepts no payment, sponsorship, or promoted placement from any covered entity. If you find an error or stale figure, report it through the contact page; we verify it against the published source and correct any processing error in the shared data pipeline. See our editorial and corrections policy and methodology page for the process, source attribution, and refresh cadence.
Frequently asked
Where does PlainZIP get its data?
All data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), which collects detailed demographic, economic, and housing data for ZIP code tabulation areas (ZCTAs) across the United States. Business establishment counts come from a separate Census product, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP).
How many ZIP codes does PlainZIP cover?
PlainZIP publishes ACS demographics for 33,099 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas across the 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico, and separately indexes 34,953 ZBP ZIP rows for business data (these are not the same universe, see methodology).
Is PlainZIP free?
Yes, PlainZIP is completely free. You can look up any ZIP code, view scorecards, compare dashboards, and explore demographic data without any account or subscription.
What is the difference between a ZIP code and a ZCTA?
ZIP codes are mail delivery routes defined by USPS, while ZCTAs (ZIP Code Tabulation Areas) are Census Bureau geographic areas that approximate ZIP code boundaries. PlainZIP uses ZCTAs because they have well-defined boundaries suitable for demographic analysis.
Take this with you
Where to go next with a specific ZIP code, a comparison, or the national rankings above.
- Look up any U.S. ZIP code's income, education, and housing figures Search a ZIP code
- Compare two ZIP codes side by side on the same Census fields Compare two ZIPs
- See how the most-populated ZIP codes rank nationally on income and homeownership View all rankings
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes, not exact boundaries; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address.