Tower City, PA · standard
ZIP Code 17980
Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 3,238
- 31/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $71,210
- Median income Near-median income area
- $149,600
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 14.4%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Tower City pairs a below-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 49th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 25th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 31
- people per sq mi
- 79%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 17980 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 17980 covers 103.1 square miles in Tower City, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 3,238 residents on file, a density of 31 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.
ZIP 17980 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $71,210 (9% below the average Pennsylvania ZIP), while per-capita income is $35,388. The poverty rate is 10.1%, with unemployment at 6.0%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $149,600 (34% below the average Pennsylvania ZIP), and median rent is $841; owner occupancy is 78.9%.
Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 14.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 43.8, and the average commute is 32 minutes. The page also surfaces 10 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Schuylkill County, so 17980 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 17980
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Tower City, PA
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 17980.
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
13 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
9 establishments
- Manufacturing
Manufacturing
7 establishments
- Health care and social assistance 5
Health care and social assistance
5 establishments
- Accommodation and food services 5
Accommodation and food services
5 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 17980, Tower City, 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
3,238
Population
103.1
Area (sq mi)
31
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 17980?
43.8
Median Age
46.5%
Male
53.5%
Female
3.6%
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?
$71,210
Median Household Income
-9% vs state ZIP avg
$35,388
Per Capita Income
10.1%
Poverty Rate
6.0%
Unemployment Rate
32.1 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 17980 ranks among Pennsylvania ZIPs
Tower City, 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)
$71,210 Top 50% higher than 50% 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
1,495housing units
1,495
Total Housing Units
1,282
Occupied Units
213
Vacant Units
2.59
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$149,600
Median Home Value
-34% vs state ZIP avg
$841
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 50 business establishments in ZIP 17980, employing approximately 254 people with a combined annual payroll of $9,165,000.
50
Businesses
254
Employees
$9.2M
Annual Payroll
5
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Other services (except public administration) | 13 | 26.0% |
| Retail trade | 9 | 18.0% |
| Manufacturing | 7 | 14.0% |
| Health care and social assistance | 5 | 10.0% |
| Accommodation and food services | 5 | 10.0% |
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 17980 vs 17098 →
ZIP 17980 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 17038
Jonestown (17038)
8,219 residents
- 17048
Lykens (17048)
4,046 residents
- 17980 3,238
Tower City (17980)
3,238 residents
- 17098 2,528
Williamstown (17098)
2,528 residents
- 17983 1,620
Valley View (17983)
1,620 residents
- 17097 925
Wiconisco (17097)
925 residents
- 17941 834
Klingerstown (17941)
834 residents
- 17030 832
Gratz (17030)
832 residents
- 17968 329
Sacramento (17968)
329 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 17980 ranks #3 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 17980 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
- 17957
Muir (17957)
$106,250 median income
- 17038
Jonestown (17038)
$75,417 median income
- 17048
Lykens (17048)
$73,993 median income
- 17983
Valley View (17983)
$72,411 median income
- 17980
Tower City (17980)
$71,210 median income
- 17097
Wiconisco (17097)
$69,063 median income
- 17978
Spring Glen (17978)
$65,577 median income
- 17941
Klingerstown (17941)
$63,750 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 17980 ranks #6 of 9 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17098 | Williamstown, PA | 2,528 | 3.6 mi |
| 17978 | Spring Glen, PA | 224 | 5.9 mi |
| 17968 | Sacramento, PA | 329 | 6.8 mi |
| 17097 | Wiconisco, PA | 925 | 4.6 mi |
| 17038 | Jonestown, PA | 8,219 | 5.9 mi |
| 17957 | Muir, PA | 328 | 5.9 mi |
| 17941 | Klingerstown, PA | 834 | 9.9 mi |
| 17983 | Valley View, PA | 1,620 | 7.7 mi |
| 17048 | Lykens, PA | 4,046 | 7.8 mi |
| 17030 | Gratz, PA | 832 | 7.8 mi |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 17980, 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 (3,238 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Schuylkill County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 17980 in?
ZIP code 17980 (Tower City) is located in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. Schuylkill County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/schuylkill-pa.
What is the population of ZIP code 17980?
ZIP code 17980 in Tower City, PA has a population of 3,238 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 17980?
The median household income in ZIP 17980 is $71,210, which is 7% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 17980?
The median home value in ZIP 17980 is $149,600, which is 46% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 17980?
The largest racial group in ZIP 17980 is White at 93.9%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 2.3% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 17980?
ZIP code 17980 has 50 business establishments employing approximately 254 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 17980?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 17980 are: Other services (except public administration) (13), Retail trade (9), Manufacturing (7). There are 5 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 17980?
In ZIP code 17980, 67.0% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 14.4% 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 17980?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 17980 is 32.1 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 17980?
In ZIP code 17980, approximately 78.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 21.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 17980?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 17980 is 10.1% 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 17980's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 17980 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Tower City, PA ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.