PlainZIP

Scranton, PA · standard

ZIP Code 18505

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

20,586
934/sq mi
$52,398
Median income
$156,700
Median home value
25.9%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Scranton pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with below-median home values, in a low-density, mixed-tenure area.

17th pct
household income, US ZIPs
28th pct
home value, US ZIPs
934
people per sq mi
54%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 18505 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 18505 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Scranton, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, with 20,586 residents across 22.0 square miles, a density of 934 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 18505 reports a modest median household income of $52,398 (33% below the Pennsylvania average), while per-capita income is $31,178. 20.0% of residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate reads 5.6%. The typical home here is valued at $156,700 (31% below the state average); renters pay a median of $994 monthly, and 54.2% of units are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 25.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 40, and the average commute is 21 minutes. Beyond these figures, 10 nearby ZIP codes within about 10 miles are surfaced below, along with 6 more sharing Lackawanna County, letting you compare 18505 to its immediate surroundings rather than a national baseline 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 18505

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Scranton, PA

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 18505.

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 18505, Scranton, 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

20,586

Population

22.0

Area (sq mi)

934

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 18505?

40.0

Median Age

49.5%

Male

50.5%

Female

17.1%

Foreign-Born

White 62.3%
African American 5.5%
Asian 6.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 16.6%
Hispanic or Latino 24.3%

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?

$52,398

Median Household Income

-33% vs state

$31,178

Per Capita Income

20.0%

Poverty Rate

5.6%

Unemployment Rate

20.7 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 18505 ranks nationally

Scranton, PA household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$52,398 17th percentile higher than 17% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Above this entry. $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 61.4%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 25.9%

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

What does housing look like?

9,992

Total Housing Units

8,441

Occupied Units

1,551

Vacant Units

2.40

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 54.2%
Renter 45.8%

$156,700

Median Home Value

-31% vs state

$994

Median Rent

1947

Median Year Built

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

How have home values changed over time?

FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals

+6.1%

YoY Change (2024)

200

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+100%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 18505 have increased 6.1% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +100% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 -3.8% 126
2021 +8.6% 137
2022 +22.0% 167
2023 +13.1% 189
2024 +6.1% 200

Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 335 business establishments in ZIP 18505, employing approximately 6,670 people with a combined annual payroll of $279,466,000.

335

Businesses

6,670

Employees

$279.5M

Annual Payroll

13

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 66 19.7%
Health care and social assistance 58 17.3%
Accommodation and food services 40 11.9%
Other services (except public administration) 39 11.6%
Finance and insurance 20 6.0%
Manufacturing 19 5.7%
Construction 18 5.4%
Wholesale trade 18 5.4%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 16 4.8%
Real estate and rental and leasing 13 3.9%
Transportation and warehousing 11 3.3%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 8 2.4%
Management of companies and enterprises 3 0.9%

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 18505 vs 18510 →

ZIP 18505 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 18505 ranks #2 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 18505 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 18505 ranks #8 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
18510 Scranton, PA 14,119 1.6 mi
18503 Scranton, PA 1,182 1.8 mi
18509 Scranton, PA 13,589 3.0 mi
18507 Moosic, PA 4,891 2.7 mi
18517 Taylor, PA 5,274 3.2 mi
18508 Scranton, PA 12,292 4.6 mi
18504 Scranton, PA 21,265 3.6 mi
18519 Scranton, PA 5,104 5.3 mi
18512 Scranton, PA 12,218 4.1 mi
18518 Old Forge, PA 8,313 4.6 mi

More ZIP Codes in Lackawanna County

18411 standard
Clarks Summit, PA
Pop: 21,985
18504 standard
Scranton, PA
Pop: 21,265
18510 standard
Scranton, PA
Pop: 14,119
18407 standard
Carbondale, PA
Pop: 13,862
18444 standard
Moscow, PA
Pop: 13,778
18509 standard
Scranton, PA
Pop: 13,589

Related Areas

Lackawanna County Scranton, PA Pennsylvania

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 18505 in? ▼
ZIP code 18505 (Scranton) is located in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania. Lackawanna County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/lackawanna-pa.
What is the population of ZIP code 18505? ▼
ZIP code 18505 in Scranton, PA has a population of 20,586 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 18505? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 18505 is $52,398, which is 31% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 18505? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 18505 is $156,700, which is 44% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 18505? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 18505 is White at 62.3%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 24.3% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 18505? ▼
ZIP code 18505 has 335 business establishments employing approximately 6,670 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 18505? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 18505 are: Retail trade (66), Health care and social assistance (58), Accommodation and food services (40). There are 13 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 18505? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 18505 increased by 6.1% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 100%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 18505? ▼
In ZIP code 18505, 61.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 25.9% 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 18505? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 18505 is 20.7 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 18505? ▼
In ZIP code 18505, approximately 54.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 45.8% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 18505? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 18505 is 20.0% 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.