PlainZIP

Sunbury, PA · standard

ZIP Code 17801

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

16,671
98/sq mi
$60,664
Median income
$153,500
Median home value
17.1%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Sunbury pairs a below-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

30th pct
household income, US ZIPs
27th pct
home value, US ZIPs
98
people per sq mi
69%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 17801 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 17801 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Sunbury, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, home to 16,671 residents across 170.8 square miles, a density of 98 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 17801 reports a modest median household income of $60,664 (22% below the Pennsylvania average), while per-capita income is $35,422. Poverty here runs at 12.8%, with unemployment measured at 4.2%. Housing costs here run $153,500 for a typical home value (32% below the state average), with rent averaging $744 a month; 69.2% of homes are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 17.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 45.8, and the average commute is 24 minutes. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Northumberland County, so you can benchmark 17801 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 17801

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Sunbury, PA

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 17801.

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 17801, Sunbury, 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

16,671

Population

170.8

Area (sq mi)

98

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 17801?

45.8

Median Age

50.1%

Male

49.9%

Female

1.5%

Foreign-Born

White 87.6%
African American 2.1%
Asian 0.2%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 5.2%
Hispanic or Latino 7.6%

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?

$60,664

Median Household Income

-22% vs state

$35,422

Per Capita Income

12.8%

Poverty Rate

4.2%

Unemployment Rate

24.0 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 17801 ranks nationally

Sunbury, PA household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$60,664 30th percentile higher than 30% 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 66.6%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 17.1%

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

What does housing look like?

7,765

Total Housing Units

7,016

Occupied Units

749

Vacant Units

2.30

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 69.2%
Renter 30.8%

$153,500

Median Home Value

-32% vs state

$744

Median Rent

1953

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

+24.6%

YoY Change (2024)

216

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+116%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 17801 have increased 24.6% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +116% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 -1.4% 147
2021 +5.2% 155
2022 +8.8% 169
2023 +2.7% 173
2024 +24.6% 216

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 324 business establishments in ZIP 17801, employing approximately 4,864 people with a combined annual payroll of $252,836,000.

324

Businesses

4,864

Employees

$252.8M

Annual Payroll

14

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Health care and social assistance 53 16.4%
Other services (except public administration) 52 16.1%
Retail trade 45 13.9%
Accommodation and food services 38 11.7%
Construction 24 7.4%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 23 7.1%
Finance and insurance 19 5.9%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 14 4.3%
Transportation and warehousing 13 4.0%
Manufacturing 12 3.7%
Wholesale trade 9 2.8%
Real estate and rental and leasing 8 2.5%
Information 6 1.9%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 3 0.9%

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 17801 vs 17876 →

ZIP 17801 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 17801 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 17801 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 17801 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
17876 Shamokin Dam, PA 1,698 3.7 mi
17857 Northumberland, PA 7,505 6.5 mi
17860 Paxinos, PA 1,994 6.4 mi
17881 Trevorton, PA 1,556 5.8 mi
17823 Dornsife, PA 1,273 8.0 mi
17870 Selinsgrove, PA 14,564 6.9 mi
17830 Herndon, PA 1,947 10.3 mi
17867 Rebuck, PA 169 9.1 mi
17872 Shamokin, PA 9,943 8.9 mi
17850 Montandon, PA 645 10.5 mi

More ZIP Codes in Northumberland County

17847 standard
Milton, PA
Pop: 12,051
17866 standard
Coal Township, PA
Pop: 10,310
17872 standard
Shamokin, PA
Pop: 9,943
17851 standard
Mount Carmel, PA
Pop: 7,841
17857 standard
Northumberland, PA
Pop: 7,505
17777 standard
Watsontown, PA
Pop: 7,056

Related Areas

Northumberland County Sunbury, PA Pennsylvania

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 17801 in? ▼
ZIP code 17801 (Sunbury) is located in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. Northumberland County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/northumberland-pa.
What is the population of ZIP code 17801? ▼
ZIP code 17801 in Sunbury, PA has a population of 16,671 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 17801? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 17801 is $60,664, which is 20% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 17801? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 17801 is $153,500, which is 45% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 17801? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 17801 is White at 87.6%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 7.6% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 17801? ▼
ZIP code 17801 has 324 business establishments employing approximately 4,864 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 17801? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 17801 are: Health care and social assistance (53), Other services (except public administration) (52), Retail trade (45). There are 14 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 17801? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 17801 increased by 24.6% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 116%. 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 17801? ▼
In ZIP code 17801, 66.6% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 17.1% 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 17801? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 17801 is 24.0 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 17801? ▼
In ZIP code 17801, approximately 69.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 30.8% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 17801? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 17801 is 12.8% 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.