Fayette City, PA · standard
ZIP Code 15438
Fayette County, Pennsylvania - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 2,221
- 75/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $53,917
- Median income Below-median income area
- $145,500
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 31.2%
- Bachelor's or higher Above-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Fayette City pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 20th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 24th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 75
- people per sq mi
- 83%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 15438 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 15438 covers 29.8 square miles in Fayette City, Fayette County, Pennsylvania (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 2,221 residents on file, a density of 75 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.
ZIP 15438 reports a modest median household income of $53,917 (31% below the average Pennsylvania ZIP), while per-capita income is $35,306. Unemployment is 10.0%, an important qualifier alongside the household-income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $145,500 (36% below the average Pennsylvania ZIP), and median rent is $727; owner occupancy is 83.3%.
A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 31.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 43.6, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 10 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Fayette County, so 15438 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 15438, Fayette City, PA · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
2,221
Population
29.8
Area (sq mi)
75
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 15438?
43.6
Median Age
54.2%
Male
45.8%
Female
0.3%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$53,917
Median Household Income
-31% vs state ZIP avg
$35,306
Per Capita Income
16.1%
Poverty Rate
10.0%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 15438 ranks among Pennsylvania ZIPs
Fayette City, PA household income vs. every Pennsylvania ZIP code
Median household income among 1,642 reporting Pennsylvania ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$53,917 14th percentile higher than 14% of 1,642 Pennsylvania ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more Pennsylvania 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, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
984housing units
984
Total Housing Units
836
Occupied Units
148
Vacant Units
2.24
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$145,500
Median Home Value
-36% vs state ZIP avg
$727
Median Rent
1955
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 18 business establishments in ZIP 15438, employing approximately 85 people with a combined annual payroll of $3,480,000.
18
Businesses
85
Employees
$3.5M
Annual Payroll
2
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 6 | 33.3% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 6 | 33.3% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 15438 vs 15483 →
ZIP 15438 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 15419
California (15419)
4,492 residents
- 15473
Perryopolis (15473)
3,862 residents
- 15438
Fayette City (15438)
2,221 residents
- 15442
Grindstone (15442)
2,105 residents
- 15477 855
Roscoe (15477)
855 residents
- 15483 513
Stockdale (15483)
513 residents
- 15412 470
Allenport (15412)
470 residents
- 15466 458
Newell (15466)
458 residents
- 15432 427
Dunlevy (15432)
427 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 15438 ranks #3 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 15438 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 15434
Elco (15434)
$83,224 median income
- 15432
Dunlevy (15432)
$74,500 median income
- 15477
Roscoe (15477)
$72,716 median income
- 15473
Perryopolis (15473)
$69,438 median income
- 15442
Grindstone (15442)
$57,246 median income
- 15438
Fayette City (15438)
$53,917 median income
- 15483
Stockdale (15483)
$52,422 median income
- 15466
Newell (15466)
$46,429 median income
- 15419
California (15419)
$43,813 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 15438 ranks #6 of 9 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15483 | Stockdale, PA | 513 | 0.7 mi |
| 15477 | Roscoe, PA | 855 | 1.1 mi |
| 15412 | Allenport, PA | 470 | 1.4 mi |
| 15434 | Elco, PA | 313 | 2.1 mi |
| 15466 | Newell, PA | 458 | 2.6 mi |
| 15432 | Dunlevy, PA | 427 | 2.9 mi |
| 15442 | Grindstone, PA | 2,105 | 4.0 mi |
| 15419 | California, PA | 4,492 | 3.1 mi |
| 15072 | Pricedale, PA | 101 | 4.5 mi |
| 15473 | Perryopolis, PA | 3,862 | 3.9 mi |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 15438, both outside PA so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (2,221 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Fayette County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 15438 in?
ZIP code 15438 (Fayette City) is located in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. Fayette County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/fayette-pa.
What is the population of ZIP code 15438?
ZIP code 15438 in Fayette City, PA has a population of 2,221 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 15438?
The median household income in ZIP 15438 is $53,917, which is 29% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 15438?
The median home value in ZIP 15438 is $145,500, which is 48% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 15438?
The largest racial group in ZIP 15438 is White at 95.8%.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 15438?
ZIP code 15438 has 18 business establishments employing approximately 85 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 15438?
In ZIP code 15438, 77.7% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 31.2% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 15438?
In ZIP code 15438, approximately 83.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 16.7% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 15438?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 15438 is 16.1% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 15438's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 15438 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Fayette City, PA ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.