Lykens, PA · standard
ZIP Code 17048
Dauphin County, Pennsylvania - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 4,046
- 45/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $73,993
- Median income Near-median income area
- $144,200
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 12.4%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Lykens pairs an above-median household income with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 47%
- household income, US ZIPs
- 24th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 45
- people per sq mi
- 68%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 17048 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 17048 covers 89.9 square miles in Lykens, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 4,046 residents on file, a density of 45 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.
ZIP 17048 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $73,993 (5% below the average Pennsylvania ZIP), while per-capita income is $33,415. The poverty rate is 16.6%, with unemployment at 4.2%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $144,200 (37% below the average Pennsylvania ZIP), and median rent is $788; owner occupancy is 68.2%.
Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 12.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 39.9, and the average commute is 29 minutes. The page also surfaces 10 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Dauphin County, so 17048 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 17048
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Lykens, PA
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 17048.
- Construction
Construction
12 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
12 establishments
- Manufacturing
Manufacturing
11 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
9 establishments
- Wholesale trade
Wholesale trade
7 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 17048, Lykens, 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
4,046
Population
89.9
Area (sq mi)
45
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 17048?
39.9
Median Age
52.4%
Male
47.6%
Female
0.8%
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?
$73,993
Median Household Income
-5% vs state ZIP avg
$33,415
Per Capita Income
16.6%
Poverty Rate
4.2%
Unemployment Rate
28.6 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 17048 ranks among Pennsylvania ZIPs
Lykens, 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)
$73,993 Top 44% higher than 56% 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
1,753housing units
1,753
Total Housing Units
1,554
Occupied Units
199
Vacant Units
2.49
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$144,200
Median Home Value
-37% vs state ZIP avg
$788
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 68 business establishments in ZIP 17048, employing approximately 434 people with a combined annual payroll of $15,506,000.
68
Businesses
434
Employees
$15.5M
Annual Payroll
7
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 12 | 17.6% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 12 | 17.6% |
| Manufacturing | 11 | 16.2% |
| Retail trade | 9 | 13.2% |
| Wholesale trade | 7 | 10.3% |
| Accommodation and food services | 4 | 5.9% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 3 | 4.4% |
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 17048 vs 17030 →
ZIP 17048 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 17048
Lykens (17048)
4,046 residents
- 17023
Elizabethville (17023)
3,535 residents
- 17098
Williamstown (17098)
2,528 residents
- 17823 1,273
Dornsife (17823)
1,273 residents
- 17097 925
Wiconisco (17097)
925 residents
- 17030 832
Gratz (17030)
832 residents
- 17005 368
Berrysburg (17005)
368 residents
- 17968 329
Sacramento (17968)
329 residents
- 17080 298
Pillow (17080)
298 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 17048 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 17048 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 17968
Sacramento (17968)
$111,500 median income
- 17023
Elizabethville (17023)
$79,435 median income
- 17823
Dornsife (17823)
$78,864 median income
- 17867
Rebuck (17867)
$75,833 median income
- 17048
Lykens (17048)
$73,993 median income
- 17080
Pillow (17080)
$73,438 median income
- 17097
Wiconisco (17097)
$69,063 median income
- 17978
Spring Glen (17978)
$65,577 median income
- 17098
Williamstown (17098)
$63,041 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 17048 ranks #5 of 9 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17030 | Gratz, PA | 832 | 0.1 mi |
| 17097 | Wiconisco, PA | 925 | 3.2 mi |
| 17005 | Berrysburg, PA | 368 | 4.4 mi |
| 17080 | Pillow, PA | 298 | 4.6 mi |
| 17098 | Williamstown, PA | 2,528 | 5.1 mi |
| 17023 | Elizabethville, PA | 3,535 | 5.0 mi |
| 17823 | Dornsife, PA | 1,273 | 7.9 mi |
| 17978 | Spring Glen, PA | 224 | 6.0 mi |
| 17867 | Rebuck, PA | 169 | 7.6 mi |
| 17968 | Sacramento, PA | 329 | 6.3 mi |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 17048, 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 (4,046 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Dauphin County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 17048 in?
ZIP code 17048 (Lykens) is located in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. Dauphin County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/dauphin-pa.
What is the population of ZIP code 17048?
ZIP code 17048 in Lykens, PA has a population of 4,046 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 17048?
The median household income in ZIP 17048 is $73,993, which is 3% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 17048?
The median home value in ZIP 17048 is $144,200, which is 48% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 17048?
The largest racial group in ZIP 17048 is White at 87.6%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 1.1% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 17048?
ZIP code 17048 has 68 business establishments employing approximately 434 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 17048?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 17048 are: Construction (12), Other services (except public administration) (12), Manufacturing (11). There are 7 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 17048?
In ZIP code 17048, 53.0% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 12.4% 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 17048?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 17048 is 28.6 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 17048?
In ZIP code 17048, approximately 68.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 31.8% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 17048?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 17048 is 16.6% 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 17048's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 17048 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Lykens, 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.