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 High-density area
- $32,340
- Median income Below-median income area
- $64,600
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 11.9%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
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.
- 3rd pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 2nd 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 average Pennsylvania ZIP), while per-capita income is $19,311. Economic pressure is pronounced: 34.7% of residents are below the poverty line and unemployment is 12.5%. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $64,600 (72% below the average Pennsylvania ZIP), and median rent is $869; owner occupancy is 38.0%.
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. The page also surfaces 10 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Erie County, so 16503 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 16503
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Erie, PA
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 16503.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
45 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
40 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
34 establishments
- Manufacturing
Manufacturing
23 establishments
- Accommodation and food services 17
Accommodation and food services
17 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 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
Who lives in ZIP 16503?
31.7
Median Age
52.3%
Male
47.7%
Female
6.8%
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?
$32,340
Median Household Income
-58% vs state ZIP avg
$19,311
Per Capita Income
34.7%
Poverty Rate
12.5%
Unemployment Rate
20.2 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 16503 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)
$32,340 1st percentile higher than 1% 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
6,591housing units
6,591
Total Housing Units
6,031
Occupied Units
560
Vacant Units
2.43
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$64,600
Median Home Value
-72% vs state ZIP avg
$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.
- 16509
Erie (16509)
26,810 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
- 16511
Erie (16511)
11,382 residents
- 16507
Erie (16507)
11,088 residents
- 16501 2,044
Erie (16501)
2,044 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 16503 ranks #4 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 16503 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 16511
Erie (16511)
$74,102 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
Erie (16503)
$32,340 median income
- 16501 $16,394
Erie (16501)
$16,394 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.
| 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 |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 16503, 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 (16,850 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 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.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 16503's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 16503 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
- 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.