PlainZIP

New Columbia, PA · standard

ZIP Code 17856

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

3,365
37/sq mi
$91,661
Median income
$197,600
Median home value
23.5%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

New Columbia pairs an upper-quartile household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 25%
household income, US ZIPs
43th pct
home value, US ZIPs
37
people per sq mi
94%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 17856 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 17856 covers 91.9 square miles in New Columbia, Union County, Pennsylvania (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 3,365 residents on file, a density of 37 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 17856 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $91,661 (18% above the Pennsylvania average), while per-capita income is $42,783. Local economic indicators show a 3.7% poverty rate alongside 2.4% unemployment. On housing, the median home value is $197,600 (13% below the state average) with median rent at $900 per month, and 93.7% of occupied units are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 23.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 46.4, and the average commute is -. A geography-based comparison follows: 10 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 17856, plus 6 more within Union 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 17856

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in New Columbia, PA

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 17856.

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 17856, New 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

3,365

Population

91.9

Area (sq mi)

37

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 17856?

46.4

Median Age

48.7%

Male

51.3%

Female

1.4%

Foreign-Born

White 98.1%
African American 0.2%
Asian 0.5%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 1.2%
Hispanic or Latino 0.0%

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?

$91,661

Median Household Income

+18% vs state

$42,783

Per Capita Income

3.7%

Poverty Rate

2.4%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 17856 ranks nationally

New Columbia, PA household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$91,661 Top 25% higher than 75% 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%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). This entry sits in this band. $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 70.5%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 23.5%

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

What does housing look like?

1,409

Total Housing Units

1,339

Occupied Units

70

Vacant Units

2.37

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 93.7%
Renter 6.3%

$197,600

Median Home Value

-13% vs state

$900

Median Rent

1981

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 49 business establishments in ZIP 17856, employing approximately 998 people with a combined annual payroll of $61,841,000.

49

Businesses

998

Employees

$61.8M

Annual Payroll

7

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 9 18.4%
Transportation and warehousing 8 16.3%
Wholesale trade 7 14.3%
Construction 5 10.2%
Other services (except public administration) 5 10.2%
Accommodation and food services 4 8.2%
Manufacturing 3 6.1%

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 17856 vs 17887 →

ZIP 17856 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 17856 ranks #6 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 17856 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 17856 ranks the highest 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
17887 White Deer, PA 1,778 4.0 mi
17837 Lewisburg, PA 19,815 5.5 mi
17886 West Milton, PA 895 4.8 mi
17730 Dewart, PA 257 4.9 mi
17752 Montgomery, PA 4,635 8.2 mi
17810 Allenwood, PA 4,683 5.7 mi
17749 Mc Ewensville, PA 244 6.6 mi
17777 Watsontown, PA 7,056 6.9 mi
17850 Montandon, PA 645 8.0 mi
17847 Milton, PA 12,051 8.2 mi

More ZIP Codes in Union County

17837 standard
Lewisburg, PA
Pop: 19,815
17844 standard
Mifflinburg, PA
Pop: 10,042
17810 standard
Allenwood, PA
Pop: 4,683
17889 standard
Winfield, PA
Pop: 2,735
17845 standard
Millmont, PA
Pop: 2,245
17887 standard
White Deer, PA
Pop: 1,778

Related Areas

Union County New Columbia, PA Pennsylvania

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 17856 in? ▼
ZIP code 17856 (New Columbia) is located in Union County, Pennsylvania. Union County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/union-pa.
What is the population of ZIP code 17856? ▼
ZIP code 17856 in New Columbia, PA has a population of 3,365 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 17856? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 17856 is $91,661, which is 20% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 17856? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 17856 is $197,600, which is 29% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 17856? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 17856 is White at 98.1%.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 17856? ▼
ZIP code 17856 has 49 business establishments employing approximately 998 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 17856? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 17856 are: Retail trade (9), Transportation and warehousing (8), Wholesale trade (7). There are 7 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 17856? ▼
In ZIP code 17856, 70.5% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 23.5% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 17856? ▼
In ZIP code 17856, approximately 93.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 6.3% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 17856? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 17856 is 3.7% 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.