PlainZIP

Erie, PA · standard

ZIP Code 16503

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

16,850
2,664/sq mi
$32,340
Median income
$64,600
Median home value
11.9%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Erie pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a suburban-density, renter-heavy area.

3th pct
household income, US ZIPs
2th pct
home value, US ZIPs
2,664
people per sq mi
38%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 16503 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 16503 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Erie, Erie County, Pennsylvania, home to 16,850 residents across 6.3 square miles, a density of 2,664 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 16503 sits on the lower end of the income spectrum: median household income is $32,340 (58% below the Pennsylvania average), while per-capita income is $19,311. Local economic indicators show a 34.7% poverty rate alongside 12.5% unemployment. The typical home here is valued at $64,600 (72% below the state average); renters pay a median of $869 monthly, and 38.0% of units are owner-occupied.

Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 11.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 31.7, and the average commute is 20 minutes. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Erie County, so you can benchmark 16503 against its immediate geography rather than a national average 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 16503

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Erie, PA

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 16503.

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 16503, 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

16,850

Population

6.3

Area (sq mi)

2,664

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 16503?

31.7

Median Age

52.3%

Male

47.7%

Female

6.8%

Foreign-Born

White 43.9%
African American 36.2%
Asian 3.4%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 11.7%
Hispanic or Latino 13.1%

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?

$32,340

Median Household Income

-58% vs state

$19,311

Per Capita Income

34.7%

Poverty Rate

12.5%

Unemployment Rate

20.2 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 16503 ranks nationally

Erie, PA household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$32,340 3rd percentile higher than 3% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). This entry sits in this band. $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 55.0%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 11.9%

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

What does housing look like?

6,591

Total Housing Units

6,031

Occupied Units

560

Vacant Units

2.43

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 38.0%
Renter 62.0%

$64,600

Median Home Value

-72% vs state

$869

Median Rent

1938

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 216 business establishments in ZIP 16503, employing approximately 3,625 people with a combined annual payroll of $167,234,000.

216

Businesses

3,625

Employees

$167.2M

Annual Payroll

12

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 45 20.8%
Other services (except public administration) 40 18.5%
Health care and social assistance 34 15.7%
Manufacturing 23 10.7%
Accommodation and food services 17 7.9%
Construction 15 6.9%
Wholesale trade 14 6.5%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 10 4.6%
Information 4 1.9%
Educational services 4 1.9%
Real estate and rental and leasing 3 1.4%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 3 1.4%

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 16503 vs 16546 →

ZIP 16503 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 16503 ranks #4 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 16503 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 16503 ranks #8 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
16546 Erie, PA 1,154 1.6 mi
16504 Erie, PA 17,322 1.4 mi
16501 Erie, PA 2,044 1.5 mi
16507 Erie, PA 11,088 1.4 mi
16502 Erie, PA 16,664 2.3 mi
16508 Erie, PA 16,050 2.7 mi
16563 Erie, PA 1,621 3.9 mi
16509 Erie, PA 26,810 4.8 mi
16505 Erie, PA 17,168 4.5 mi
16511 Erie, PA 11,382 4.3 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
16502 standard
Erie, PA
Pop: 16,664

Related Areas

Erie County Erie, PA Pennsylvania

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 16503 in? ▼
ZIP code 16503 (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 16503? ▼
ZIP code 16503 in Erie, PA has a population of 16,850 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 16503? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 16503 is $32,340, which is 58% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 16503? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 16503 is $64,600, which is 77% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 16503? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 16503 is White at 43.9%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 13.1% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 16503? ▼
ZIP code 16503 has 216 business establishments employing approximately 3,625 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 16503? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 16503 are: Retail trade (45), Other services (except public administration) (40), Health care and social assistance (34). There are 12 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 16503? ▼
In ZIP code 16503, 55.0% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 11.9% 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 16503? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 16503 is 20.2 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 16503? ▼
In ZIP code 16503, approximately 38.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 62.0% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 16503? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 16503 is 34.7% 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.