PlainZIP

Ephrata, PA · standard

ZIP Code 17522

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

32,483
287/sq mi
$74,828
Median income
$285,200
Median home value
24.4%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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

Top 45%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 36%
home value, US ZIPs
287
people per sq mi
65%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 17522 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 17522 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Ephrata, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, with 32,483 residents across 113.2 square miles, a density of 287 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 17522 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $74,828 (4% below the Pennsylvania average), while per-capita income is $39,240. Poverty here runs at 6.8%, with unemployment measured at 4.1%. Housing costs here run $285,200 for a typical home value (25% above the state average), with rent averaging $1,240 a month; 64.5% of homes are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 24.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 38.3, and the average commute is 24 minutes. Beyond these figures, 10 nearby ZIP codes within about 10 miles are surfaced below, along with 6 more sharing Lancaster County, letting you compare 17522 to its immediate surroundings rather than a national baseline 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 17522

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Ephrata, PA

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 17522.

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 17522, Ephrata, 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

32,483

Population

113.2

Area (sq mi)

287

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 17522?

38.3

Median Age

49.5%

Male

50.5%

Female

3.7%

Foreign-Born

White 89.5%
African American 1.2%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 6.0%
Hispanic or Latino 7.2%

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?

$74,828

Median Household Income

-4% vs state

$39,240

Per Capita Income

6.8%

Poverty Rate

4.1%

Unemployment Rate

23.6 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 17522 ranks nationally

Ephrata, PA household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$74,828 Top 45% higher than 55% 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 62.3%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 24.4%

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

What does housing look like?

14,050

Total Housing Units

13,813

Occupied Units

237

Vacant Units

2.41

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 64.5%
Renter 35.5%

$285,200

Median Home Value

+25% vs state

$1,240

Median Rent

1982

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

+3.6%

YoY Change (2024)

258

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+158%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 17522 have increased 3.6% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +158% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +5.2% 171
2021 +11.3% 191
2022 +15.4% 220
2023 +13.5% 250
2024 +3.6% 258

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 950 business establishments in ZIP 17522, employing approximately 15,910 people with a combined annual payroll of $854,045,000.

950

Businesses

15,910

Employees

$854.0M

Annual Payroll

16

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Other services (except public administration) 148 15.6%
Retail trade 137 14.4%
Construction 122 12.8%
Health care and social assistance 98 10.3%
Accommodation and food services 73 7.7%
Manufacturing 68 7.2%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 51 5.4%
Wholesale trade 49 5.2%
Transportation and warehousing 48 5.0%
Finance and insurance 42 4.4%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 42 4.4%
Real estate and rental and leasing 22 2.3%
Information 17 1.8%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 12 1.3%
Educational services 9 0.9%
Management of companies and enterprises 8 0.8%

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 17522 vs 17501 →

ZIP 17522 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 17522 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 17522 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 17522 ranks #9 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
17501 Akron, PA 4,307 2.0 mi
17578 Stevens, PA 7,485 3.4 mi
17540 Leola, PA 9,791 5.3 mi
17508 Brownstown, PA 423 4.2 mi
17517 Denver, PA 15,391 5.4 mi
17505 Bird In Hand, PA 1,785 7.8 mi
17581 Terre Hill, PA 951 6.5 mi
17543 Lititz, PA 42,626 7.0 mi
17576 Smoketown, PA 129 9.4 mi
17557 New Holland, PA 13,811 7.1 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
17022 standard
Elizabethtown, PA
Pop: 29,602
17545 standard
Manheim, PA
Pop: 21,256

Related Areas

Lancaster County Ephrata, PA Pennsylvania

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 17522 in? ▼
ZIP code 17522 (Ephrata) 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 17522? ▼
ZIP code 17522 in Ephrata, PA has a population of 32,483 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 17522? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 17522 is $74,828, which is 2% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 17522? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 17522 is $285,200, which is 3% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 17522? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 17522 is White at 89.5%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 7.2% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 17522? ▼
ZIP code 17522 has 950 business establishments employing approximately 15,910 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 17522? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 17522 are: Other services (except public administration) (148), Retail trade (137), Construction (122). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 17522? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 17522 increased by 3.6% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 158%. 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 17522? ▼
In ZIP code 17522, 62.3% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 24.4% 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 17522? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 17522 is 23.6 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 17522? ▼
In ZIP code 17522, approximately 64.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 35.5% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 17522? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 17522 is 6.8% 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.