PlainZIP

Columbia, PA · standard

ZIP Code 17512

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

17,836
423/sq mi
$66,684
Median income
$245,200
Median home value
23.7%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Columbia pairs a below-median household income with above-median home values, in a low-density, homeowner-dominated area.

41th pct
household income, US ZIPs
Top 44%
home value, US ZIPs
423
people per sq mi
65%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 17512 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 17512 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Columbia, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, home to 17,836 residents across 42.2 square miles, a density of 423 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 17512 reports a modest median household income of $66,684 (14% below the Pennsylvania average), while per-capita income is $39,740. 13.3% of residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate reads 2.1%. The typical home here is valued at $245,200 (8% above the state average); renters pay a median of $1,072 monthly, and 65.0% of units are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 23.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 43.6, and the average commute is 24 minutes. A geography-based comparison follows: 10 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 17512, plus 6 more within Lancaster County, give a clearer read than the 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 17512

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Columbia, PA

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 17512.

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 17512, Columbia, 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

17,836

Population

42.2

Area (sq mi)

423

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 17512?

43.6

Median Age

50.2%

Male

49.8%

Female

4.3%

Foreign-Born

White 78.3%
African American 6.6%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 9.7%
Hispanic or Latino 16.2%

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?

$66,684

Median Household Income

-14% vs state

$39,740

Per Capita Income

13.3%

Poverty Rate

2.1%

Unemployment Rate

23.5 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 17512 ranks nationally

Columbia, PA household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$66,684 41st percentile higher than 41% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). This entry sits in this band. $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 64.8%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 23.7%

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

What does housing look like?

8,127

Total Housing Units

7,692

Occupied Units

435

Vacant Units

2.30

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 65.0%
Renter 35.0%

$245,200

Median Home Value

+8% vs state

$1,072

Median Rent

1959

Median Year Built

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

How have home values changed over time?

FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals

+10.7%

YoY Change (2024)

260

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+160%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 17512 have increased 10.7% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +160% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +6.3% 169
2021 +11.8% 189
2022 +17.2% 221
2023 +6.4% 235
2024 +10.7% 260

Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 309 business establishments in ZIP 17512, employing approximately 4,099 people with a combined annual payroll of $189,911,000.

309

Businesses

4,099

Employees

$189.9M

Annual Payroll

15

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Other services (except public administration) 56 18.1%
Retail trade 50 16.2%
Construction 39 12.6%
Health care and social assistance 32 10.4%
Accommodation and food services 32 10.4%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 18 5.8%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 17 5.5%
Manufacturing 14 4.5%
Wholesale trade 13 4.2%
Real estate and rental and leasing 11 3.6%
Transportation and warehousing 8 2.6%
Finance and insurance 7 2.3%
Information 3 1.0%
Educational services 3 1.0%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 3 1.0%

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 17512 vs 17554 →

ZIP 17512 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 17512 ranks #2 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 17512 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 17512 ranks #null 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
17554 Mountville, PA 7,525 3.2 mi
17368 Wrightsville, PA 7,322 4.2 mi
17552 Mount Joy, PA 17,831 4.9 mi
17582 Washington Boro, PA 2,026 4.9 mi
17317 East Prospect, PA 755 5.1 mi
17538 Landisville, PA 6,045 5.1 mi
17547 Marietta, PA 7,378 5.7 mi
17550 Maytown, PA 790 5.7 mi
17603 Lancaster, PA 61,973 7.3 mi
17570 Rheems, PA 291 7.6 mi

More ZIP Codes in Lancaster County

17603 standard
Lancaster, PA
Pop: 61,973
17602 standard
Lancaster, PA
Pop: 52,452
17601 standard
Lancaster, PA
Pop: 49,779
17543 standard
Lititz, PA
Pop: 42,626
17522 standard
Ephrata, PA
Pop: 32,483
17022 standard
Elizabethtown, PA
Pop: 29,602

Related Areas

Lancaster County Columbia, PA Pennsylvania

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 17512 in? ▼
ZIP code 17512 (Columbia) is located in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Lancaster County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/lancaster-pa.
What is the population of ZIP code 17512? ▼
ZIP code 17512 in Columbia, PA has a population of 17,836 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 17512? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 17512 is $66,684, which is 13% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 17512? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 17512 is $245,200, which is 12% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 17512? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 17512 is White at 78.3%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 16.2% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 17512? ▼
ZIP code 17512 has 309 business establishments employing approximately 4,099 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 17512? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 17512 are: Other services (except public administration) (56), Retail trade (50), Construction (39). There are 15 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 17512? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 17512 increased by 10.7% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 160%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 17512? ▼
In ZIP code 17512, 64.8% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 23.7% 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 17512? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 17512 is 23.5 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 17512? ▼
In ZIP code 17512, approximately 65.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 35.0% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 17512? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 17512 is 13.3% 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.