PlainZIP

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
$71,210
Median income
$149,600
Median home value
14.4%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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 Pennsylvania average), while per-capita income is $35,388. Poverty here runs at 10.1%, with unemployment measured at 6.0%. Housing costs here run $149,600 for a typical home value (34% below the state average), with rent averaging $841 a month; 78.9% of homes are owner-occupied.

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. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Schuylkill County, so you can benchmark 17980 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 17980

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Tower City, PA

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 17980.

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 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

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 17980?

43.8

Median Age

46.5%

Male

53.5%

Female

3.6%

Foreign-Born

White 93.9%
African American 0.8%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 4.3%
Hispanic or Latino 2.3%

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

$35,388

Per Capita Income

10.1%

Poverty Rate

6.0%

Unemployment Rate

32.1 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 17980 ranks nationally

Tower City, PA household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$71,210 49th percentile higher than 49% 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 67.0%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 14.4%

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

What does housing look like?

1,495

Total Housing Units

1,282

Occupied Units

213

Vacant Units

2.59

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 78.9%
Renter 21.1%

$149,600

Median Home Value

-34% vs state

$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.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 17980 ranks #3 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 17980 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 17980 ranks #6 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
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

More ZIP Codes in Schuylkill County

17901 standard
Pottsville, PA
Pop: 23,990
17972 standard
Schuylkill Haven, PA
Pop: 11,627
18252 standard
Tamaqua, PA
Pop: 11,188
17963 standard
Pine Grove, PA
Pop: 9,317
17931 standard
Frackville, PA
Pop: 8,472
17921 standard
Ashland, PA
Pop: 7,676

Related Areas

Schuylkill County Tower City, PA Pennsylvania

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.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.