ZIP 18853 vs ZIP 18846

This side-by-side compares ZIP 18853 (Wyalusing, PA) and ZIP 18846 (Sugar Run, PA) using the same Census ACS 5-Year table fields for both — no averages swapped in, no national proxies. ZIP 18853 has a population of 4,252 at 16 people per square mile, while ZIP 18846 has 847 at 12 per square mile. That difference in population size and density alone reshapes how every other metric should be interpreted — a higher-income ZIP with 1,200 residents behaves very differently from one with 45,000.

On income and education, ZIP 18853 reports a median household income of $67,250 against $86,042 in ZIP 18846, with per-capita income of $40,790 vs $43,605. The share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher is 19.1% in 18853 and 21.8% in 18846. Poverty rate reads 12.0% vs 8.1%, and unemployment 5.2% vs 8.8% — these four fields alone drive most of the difference in the scorecard grades you will see for each ZIP.

Housing separates these two ZIPs further: median home value sits at $225,200 in 18853 versus $270,500 in 18846, with median rent of $876 and $1,261 per month respectively. Homeownership rate is 75.5% vs 89.3%. When reading the comparison table below, focus on paired metrics rather than single winners — a ZIP with lower home values and lower income is not strictly "worse" if rent-to-income ratios and commute times land in the same zone. Every value is pulled from the exact same ACS table so the two columns are genuinely comparable.