PlainZIP

Forest City, PA · standard

ZIP Code 18421

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

4,754
52/sq mi
$68,256
Median income
$171,400
Median home value
19.5%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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

44th pct
household income, US ZIPs
35th pct
home value, US ZIPs
52
people per sq mi
79%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 18421 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 18421 covers 91.2 square miles in Forest City, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 4,754 residents on file, a density of 52 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 18421 reports a modest median household income of $68,256 (12% below the Pennsylvania average), while per-capita income is $33,522. Poverty here runs at 13.9%, with unemployment measured at 6.2%. Housing costs here run $171,400 for a typical home value (25% below the state average), with rent averaging $866 a month; 79.0% of homes are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 19.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 43.2, and the average commute is 25 minutes. We also surface 9 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Susquehanna County, so you can benchmark 18421 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 18421

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Forest City, PA

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 18421.

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 18421, Forest 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

4,754

Population

91.2

Area (sq mi)

52

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 18421?

43.2

Median Age

48.0%

Male

52.0%

Female

2.1%

Foreign-Born

White 92.5%
African American 1.7%
Asian 0.5%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 4.8%
Hispanic or Latino 4.5%

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?

$68,256

Median Household Income

-12% vs state

$33,522

Per Capita Income

13.9%

Poverty Rate

6.2%

Unemployment Rate

25.3 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 18421 ranks nationally

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

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

$68,256 44th percentile higher than 44% 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 63.1%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 19.5%

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

What does housing look like?

2,204

Total Housing Units

1,902

Occupied Units

302

Vacant Units

2.37

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 79.0%
Renter 21.0%

$171,400

Median Home Value

-25% vs state

$866

Median Rent

1970

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 77 business establishments in ZIP 18421, employing approximately 546 people with a combined annual payroll of $20,671,000.

77

Businesses

546

Employees

$20.7M

Annual Payroll

10

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 16 20.8%
Health care and social assistance 10 13.0%
Construction 8 10.4%
Other services (except public administration) 7 9.1%
Transportation and warehousing 6 7.8%
Accommodation and food services 6 7.8%
Finance and insurance 5 6.5%
Wholesale trade 4 5.2%
Information 3 3.9%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 3 3.9%

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 18421 vs 18430 →

ZIP 18421 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 18421 ranks #4 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 18421 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 18421 ranks #7 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
18430 Herrick Center, PA 33 5.8 mi
18407 Carbondale, PA 13,862 5.4 mi
18470 Union Dale, PA 2,226 5.6 mi
18413 Clifford, PA 151 6.3 mi
18472 Waymart, PA 7,521 6.7 mi
18456 Prompton, PA 423 7.0 mi
18453 Pleasant Mount, PA 1,104 8.3 mi
18433 Jermyn, PA 6,508 8.7 mi
18825 Jackson, PA 111 12.0 mi

More ZIP Codes in Susquehanna County

18801 standard
Montrose, PA
Pop: 8,266
18847 standard
Susquehanna, PA
Pop: 6,024
18834 standard
New Milford, PA
Pop: 3,691
18822 standard
Hallstead, PA
Pop: 3,642
18470 standard
Union Dale, PA
Pop: 2,226
18826 standard
Kingsley, PA
Pop: 1,910

Related Areas

Susquehanna County Forest City, PA Pennsylvania

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 18421 in? ▼
ZIP code 18421 (Forest City) is located in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. Susquehanna County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/susquehanna-pa.
What is the population of ZIP code 18421? ▼
ZIP code 18421 in Forest City, PA has a population of 4,754 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 18421? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 18421 is $68,256, which is 11% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 18421? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 18421 is $171,400, which is 38% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 18421? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 18421 is White at 92.5%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 4.5% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 18421? ▼
ZIP code 18421 has 77 business establishments employing approximately 546 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 18421? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 18421 are: Retail trade (16), Health care and social assistance (10), Construction (8). There are 10 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 18421? ▼
In ZIP code 18421, 63.1% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 19.5% 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 18421? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 18421 is 25.3 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 18421? ▼
In ZIP code 18421, approximately 79.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 21.0% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 18421? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 18421 is 13.9% 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.