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 Moderate-density area
- $68,256
- Median income Near-median income area
- $171,400
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 19.5%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
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.
FHFA HPI release change
What changed in the latest House Price Index year
- FHFA House Price Index values in ZIP 18421 (Forest City, PA) rose +5.7% from 2023 to 2024.
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 average Pennsylvania ZIP), while per-capita income is $33,522. The poverty rate is 13.9%, with unemployment at 6.2%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $171,400 (25% below the average Pennsylvania ZIP), and median rent is $866; owner occupancy is 79.0%.
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. The page also surfaces 9 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Susquehanna County, so 18421 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 18421
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Forest City, PA
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 18421.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
16 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
10 establishments
- Construction
Construction
8 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
7 establishments
- Transportation and warehousing 6
Transportation and warehousing
6 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 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
Who lives in ZIP 18421?
43.2
Median Age
48.0%
Male
52.0%
Female
2.1%
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?
$68,256
Median Household Income
-12% vs state ZIP avg
$33,522
Per Capita Income
13.9%
Poverty Rate
6.2%
Unemployment Rate
25.3 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 18421 ranks among Pennsylvania ZIPs
Forest 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)
$68,256 43rd percentile higher than 43% 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
2,204housing units
2,204
Total Housing Units
1,902
Occupied Units
302
Vacant Units
2.37
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$171,400
Median Home Value
-25% vs state ZIP avg
$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.
- 18407
Carbondale (18407)
13,862 residents
- 18472
Waymart (18472)
7,521 residents
- 18433
Jermyn (18433)
6,508 residents
- 18421 4,754
Forest City (18421)
4,754 residents
- 18470 2,226
Union Dale (18470)
2,226 residents
- 18453 1,104
Pleasant Mount (18453)
1,104 residents
- 18456 423
Prompton (18456)
423 residents
- 18413 151
Clifford (18413)
151 residents
- 18825 111
Jackson (18825)
111 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 18421 ranks #4 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 18421 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 18430
Herrick Center (18430)
$92,083 median income
- 18453
Pleasant Mount (18453)
$85,110 median income
- 18433
Jermyn (18433)
$75,000 median income
- 18470
Union Dale (18470)
$73,654 median income
- 18825
Jackson (18825)
$72,679 median income
- 18456
Prompton (18456)
$69,750 median income
- 18421
Forest City (18421)
$68,256 median income
- 18472
Waymart (18472)
$61,094 median income
- 18407
Carbondale (18407)
$59,652 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.
| 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 |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 18421, 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 (4,754 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Susquehanna County
Related Areas
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.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 18421's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 18421 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Forest 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.