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 High-density area
- $16,394
- Median income Below-median income area
- 18.6%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Erie pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country, in a low-density, renter-heavy area.
- Lowest
- 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 average Pennsylvania ZIP), while per-capita income is $18,958. Economic pressure is pronounced: 60.3% of residents are below the poverty line and unemployment is 18.6%. The ACS does not report a median home value for this ZIP, so housing cost context is limited to the available tenure and rent fields.
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 -. The page also surfaces 10 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Erie County, so 16501 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 16501
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Erie, PA
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 16501.
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
78 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
45 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
40 establishments
- Finance and insurance
Finance and insurance
38 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
37 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 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
Who lives in ZIP 16501?
54.2
Median Age
59.5%
Male
40.5%
Female
15.7%
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?
$16,394
Median Household Income
-79% vs state ZIP avg
$18,958
Per Capita Income
60.3%
Poverty Rate
18.6%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 16501 ranks among Pennsylvania ZIPs
Erie, 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)
$16,394 0th percentile higher than 0% 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
1,528housing units
1,528
Total Housing Units
1,288
Occupied Units
240
Vacant Units
1.23
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$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.
- 16509
Erie (16509)
26,810 residents
- 16506
Erie (16506)
23,720 residents
- 16504
Erie (16504)
17,322 residents
- 16505
Erie (16505)
17,168 residents
- 16503
Erie (16503)
16,850 residents
- 16502
Erie (16502)
16,664 residents
- 16508
Erie (16508)
16,050 residents
- 16507
Erie (16507)
11,088 residents
- 16501 2,044
Erie (16501)
2,044 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 16501 ranks #9 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 16501 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 16506
Erie (16506)
$81,060 median income
- 16505
Erie (16505)
$72,938 median income
- 16509
Erie (16509)
$68,846 median income
- 16504
Erie (16504)
$56,622 median income
- 16508
Erie (16508)
$56,391 median income
- 16502
Erie (16502)
$38,566 median income
- 16507
Erie (16507)
$33,361 median income
- 16503 $32,340
Erie (16503)
$32,340 median income
- 16501 $16,394
Erie (16501)
$16,394 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.
| 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 |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 16501, 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 (2,044 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Erie County
Related Areas
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.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 16501's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 16501 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Erie, 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.