Rural Valley, PA · standard
ZIP Code 16249
Armstrong County, Pennsylvania - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 2,089
- 29/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $68,214
- Median income Near-median income area
- $164,400
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 18.6%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Rural Valley pairs a below-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 44th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 32nd pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 29
- people per sq mi
- 80%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 16249 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 16249 covers 71.8 square miles in Rural Valley, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 2,089 residents on file, a density of 29 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.
ZIP 16249 reports a modest median household income of $68,214 (12% below the average Pennsylvania ZIP), while per-capita income is $36,121. The poverty rate is 7.9%, with unemployment at 7.3%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $164,400 (28% below the average Pennsylvania ZIP), and median rent is $677; owner occupancy is 80.2%.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 18.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 52.7, and the average commute is 32 minutes. The page also surfaces 10 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Armstrong County, so 16249 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 16249
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Rural Valley, PA
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 16249.
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
7 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
4 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
3 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 16249, Rural Valley, 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
2,089
Population
71.8
Area (sq mi)
29
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 16249?
52.7
Median Age
52.6%
Male
47.4%
Female
0.2%
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?
$68,214
Median Household Income
-12% vs state ZIP avg
$36,121
Per Capita Income
7.9%
Poverty Rate
7.3%
Unemployment Rate
31.9 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 16249 ranks among Pennsylvania ZIPs
Rural Valley, 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)
$68,214 43rd percentile higher than 43% 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
941housing units
941
Total Housing Units
766
Occupied Units
175
Vacant Units
2.32
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$164,400
Median Home Value
-28% vs state ZIP avg
$677
Median Rent
1965
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 25 business establishments in ZIP 16249, employing approximately 123 people with a combined annual payroll of $2,087,000.
25
Businesses
123
Employees
$2.1M
Annual Payroll
3
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and food services | 7 | 28.0% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 4 | 16.0% |
| Health care and social assistance | 3 | 12.0% |
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 16249 vs 16263 →
ZIP 16249 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 15774
Shelocta (15774)
3,029 residents
- 16222
Dayton (16222)
2,526 residents
- 16249
Rural Valley (16249)
2,089 residents
- 15732
Creekside (15732)
1,669 residents
- 15736 613
Elderton (15736)
613 residents
- 15739 462
Ernest (15739)
462 residents
- 16263 317
Yatesboro (16263)
317 residents
- 16250 315
Sagamore (16250)
315 residents
- 16244 265
Nu Mine (16244)
265 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 16249 ranks #3 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 16249 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 15774
Shelocta (15774)
$80,375 median income
- 16249
Rural Valley (16249)
$68,214 median income
- 15739
Ernest (15739)
$68,125 median income
- 15736
Elderton (15736)
$66,429 median income
- 16222
Dayton (16222)
$64,688 median income
- 15732
Creekside (15732)
$62,000 median income
- 16250
Sagamore (16250)
$57,841 median income
- 16244
Nu Mine (16244)
$47,614 median income
- 16246
Plumville (16246)
$47,188 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 16249 ranks #2 of 9 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16263 | Yatesboro, PA | 317 | 2.4 mi |
| 16244 | Nu Mine, PA | 265 | 2.7 mi |
| 16250 | Sagamore, PA | 315 | 3.9 mi |
| 15736 | Elderton, PA | 613 | 5.3 mi |
| 15774 | Shelocta, PA | 3,029 | 7.6 mi |
| 16211 | Beyer, PA | 104 | 6.2 mi |
| 15732 | Creekside, PA | 1,669 | 6.0 mi |
| 16246 | Plumville, PA | 252 | 7.2 mi |
| 16222 | Dayton, PA | 2,526 | 7.9 mi |
| 15739 | Ernest, PA | 462 | 9.9 mi |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 16249, 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 (2,089 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Armstrong County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 16249 in?
ZIP code 16249 (Rural Valley) is located in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. Armstrong County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/armstrong-pa.
What is the population of ZIP code 16249?
ZIP code 16249 in Rural Valley, PA has a population of 2,089 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 16249?
The median household income in ZIP 16249 is $68,214, which is 11% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 16249?
The median home value in ZIP 16249 is $164,400, which is 41% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 16249?
The largest racial group in ZIP 16249 is White at 96.8%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 1.0% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 16249?
ZIP code 16249 has 25 business establishments employing approximately 123 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 16249?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 16249 are: Accommodation and food services (7), Other services (except public administration) (4), Health care and social assistance (3). There are 3 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 16249?
In ZIP code 16249, 68.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 18.6% 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 16249?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 16249 is 31.9 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 16249?
In ZIP code 16249, approximately 80.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 19.8% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 16249?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 16249 is 7.9% 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 16249's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 16249 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Rural Valley, 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.