PlainZIP

Erie, PA · standard

ZIP Code 16501

Erie County, Pennsylvania - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

2,044
1,190/sq mi
$16,394
Median income
18.6%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Erie pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country, in a low-density, renter-heavy area.

0th pct
household income, US ZIPs
1,190
people per sq mi
2%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 16501 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 16501 covers 1.7 square miles in Erie, Erie County, Pennsylvania (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 2,044 residents on file, a density of 1,190 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 16501 sits on the lower end of the income spectrum: median household income is $16,394 (79% below the Pennsylvania average), while per-capita income is $18,958. Local economic indicators show a 60.3% poverty rate alongside 18.6% unemployment. Housing costs here run - for a typical home value, with rent averaging $521 a month; 2.1% of homes are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 18.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 54.2, and the average commute is -. Beyond these figures, 10 nearby ZIP codes within about 10 miles are surfaced below, along with 6 more sharing Erie County, letting you compare 16501 to its immediate surroundings rather than a national baseline alone.

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 16501

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Erie, PA

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 16501.

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 · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

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 16501, Erie, 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

2,044

Population

1.7

Area (sq mi)

1,190

People / sq mi

New York

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 16501?

54.2

Median Age

59.5%

Male

40.5%

Female

15.7%

Foreign-Born

White 77.5%
African American 14.6%
Asian 4.5%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 2.3%
Hispanic or Latino 4.5%

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?

$16,394

Median Household Income

-79% vs state

$18,958

Per Capita Income

60.3%

Poverty Rate

18.6%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 16501 ranks nationally

Erie, PA household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$16,394 0th percentile higher than 0% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). This entry sits in this band. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Above this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Above this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

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, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What is the education profile here?

High School Graduate or Higher 54.9%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 18.6%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

1,528

Total Housing Units

1,288

Occupied Units

240

Vacant Units

1.23

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 2.1%
Renter 97.9%

$521

Median Rent

1966

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 407 business establishments in ZIP 16501, employing approximately 10,429 people with a combined annual payroll of $445,309,000.

407

Businesses

10,429

Employees

$445.3M

Annual Payroll

16

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Health care and social assistance 78 19.2%
Accommodation and food services 45 11.1%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 40 9.8%
Finance and insurance 38 9.3%
Retail trade 37 9.1%
Other services (except public administration) 36 8.8%
Manufacturing 24 5.9%
Wholesale trade 21 5.2%
Real estate and rental and leasing 17 4.2%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 15 3.7%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 15 3.7%
Construction 13 3.2%
Information 11 2.7%
Educational services 8 2.0%
Transportation and warehousing 4 1.0%
Management of companies and enterprises 3 0.7%

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 16501 vs 16507 →

ZIP 16501 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 16501 ranks #9 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 16501 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 16501 ranks #9 of 9 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
16507 Erie, PA 11,088 1.0 mi
16502 Erie, PA 16,664 1.0 mi
16508 Erie, PA 16,050 1.7 mi
16503 Erie, PA 16,850 1.5 mi
16546 Erie, PA 1,154 2.2 mi
16504 Erie, PA 17,322 2.2 mi
16505 Erie, PA 17,168 3.1 mi
16563 Erie, PA 1,621 5.3 mi
16509 Erie, PA 26,810 4.9 mi
16506 Erie, PA 23,720 5.1 mi

More ZIP Codes in Erie County

16509 standard
Erie, PA
Pop: 26,810
16510 standard
Erie, PA
Pop: 25,625
16506 standard
Erie, PA
Pop: 23,720
16504 standard
Erie, PA
Pop: 17,322
16505 standard
Erie, PA
Pop: 17,168
16503 standard
Erie, PA
Pop: 16,850

Related Areas

Erie County Erie, PA Pennsylvania

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 16501 in? ▼
ZIP code 16501 (Erie) is located in Erie County, Pennsylvania. Erie County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/erie-pa.
What is the population of ZIP code 16501? ▼
ZIP code 16501 in Erie, PA has a population of 2,044 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 16501? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 16501 is $16,394, which is 79% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 16501? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 16501 is White at 77.5%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 4.5% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 16501? ▼
ZIP code 16501 has 407 business establishments employing approximately 10,429 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 16501? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 16501 are: Health care and social assistance (78), Accommodation and food services (45), Professional, scientific, and technical services (40). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 16501? ▼
In ZIP code 16501, 54.9% 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 percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 16501? ▼
In ZIP code 16501, approximately 2.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 97.9% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 16501? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 16501 is 60.3% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.