New Bethlehem, PA · standard
ZIP Code 16242
Clarion County, Pennsylvania - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 4,693
- 20/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $55,677
- Median income Below-median income area
- $134,700
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 16.8%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
New Bethlehem pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 22nd pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 21st pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 20
- people per sq mi
- 72%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 16242 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 16242 covers 234.7 square miles in New Bethlehem, Clarion County, Pennsylvania (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 4,693 residents on file, a density of 20 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.
ZIP 16242 reports a modest median household income of $55,677 (28% below the average Pennsylvania ZIP), while per-capita income is $33,025. The poverty rate is 16.5%, with unemployment at 3.7%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $134,700 (41% below the average Pennsylvania ZIP), and median rent is $693; owner occupancy is 71.9%.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 16.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 44.4, and the average commute is 26 minutes. The page also surfaces 10 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Clarion County, so 16242 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 →
Top industries in ZIP 16242
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in New Bethlehem, PA
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 16242.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
22 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
19 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
11 establishments
- Construction
Construction
10 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
9 establishments
What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.
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 16242, New Bethlehem, 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
4,693
Population
234.7
Area (sq mi)
20
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 16242?
44.4
Median Age
49.3%
Male
50.7%
Female
1.1%
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?
$55,677
Median Household Income
-28% vs state ZIP avg
$33,025
Per Capita Income
16.5%
Poverty Rate
3.7%
Unemployment Rate
26.1 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 16242 ranks among Pennsylvania ZIPs
New Bethlehem, 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)
$55,677 17th percentile higher than 17% 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
2,148housing units
2,148
Total Housing Units
1,853
Occupied Units
295
Vacant Units
2.43
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$134,700
Median Home Value
-41% vs state ZIP avg
$693
Median Rent
1951
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 115 business establishments in ZIP 16242, employing approximately 893 people with a combined annual payroll of $32,117,000.
115
Businesses
893
Employees
$32.1M
Annual Payroll
14
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 22 | 19.1% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 19 | 16.5% |
| Health care and social assistance | 11 | 9.6% |
| Construction | 10 | 8.7% |
| Accommodation and food services | 9 | 7.8% |
| Manufacturing | 8 | 7.0% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 7 | 6.1% |
| Finance and insurance | 5 | 4.3% |
| Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction | 4 | 3.5% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 4 | 3.5% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 4 | 3.5% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 4 | 3.5% |
| Wholesale trade | 3 | 2.6% |
| Information | 3 | 2.6% |
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 16242 vs 16223 →
ZIP 16242 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 16242
New Bethlehem (16242)
4,693 residents
- 16248
Rimersburg (16248)
3,130 residents
- 16222
Dayton (16222)
2,526 residents
- 16255
Sligo (16255)
1,943 residents
- 16259
Templeton (16259)
1,934 residents
- 16240 1,533
Mayport (16240)
1,533 residents
- 16224 1,181
Fairmount City (16224)
1,181 residents
- 16230 494
Hawthorn (16230)
494 residents
- 16245 207
Oak Ridge (16245)
207 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 16242 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 16242 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 16224
Fairmount City (16224)
$74,643 median income
- 16248
Rimersburg (16248)
$65,272 median income
- 16222
Dayton (16222)
$64,688 median income
- 16223
Distant (16223)
$60,521 median income
- 16259
Templeton (16259)
$59,861 median income
- 16240
Mayport (16240)
$58,281 median income
- 16255
Sligo (16255)
$56,058 median income
- 16242
New Bethlehem (16242)
$55,677 median income
- 16245
Oak Ridge (16245)
$48,438 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 16242 ranks #8 of 9 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16223 | Distant, PA | 154 | 2.2 mi |
| 16245 | Oak Ridge, PA | 207 | 3.2 mi |
| 16253 | Seminole, PA | 91 | 4.0 mi |
| 16230 | Hawthorn, PA | 494 | 4.4 mi |
| 16224 | Fairmount City, PA | 1,181 | 5.1 mi |
| 16240 | Mayport, PA | 1,533 | 7.3 mi |
| 16248 | Rimersburg, PA | 3,130 | 7.8 mi |
| 16259 | Templeton, PA | 1,934 | 7.4 mi |
| 16255 | Sligo, PA | 1,943 | 9.9 mi |
| 16222 | Dayton, PA | 2,526 | 10.6 mi |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 16242, 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 (4,693 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Clarion County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 16242 in?
ZIP code 16242 (New Bethlehem) is located in Clarion County, Pennsylvania. Clarion County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/clarion-pa.
What is the population of ZIP code 16242?
ZIP code 16242 in New Bethlehem, PA has a population of 4,693 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 16242?
The median household income in ZIP 16242 is $55,677, which is 27% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 16242?
The median home value in ZIP 16242 is $134,700, which is 52% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 16242?
The largest racial group in ZIP 16242 is White at 97.5%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 0.3% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 16242?
ZIP code 16242 has 115 business establishments employing approximately 893 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 16242?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 16242 are: Retail trade (22), Other services (except public administration) (19), Health care and social assistance (11). There are 14 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 16242?
In ZIP code 16242, 65.6% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 16.8% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 16242?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 16242 is 26.1 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 16242?
In ZIP code 16242, approximately 71.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 28.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 16242?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 16242 is 16.5% 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 16242's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 16242 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where New Bethlehem, PA ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
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ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.