Residential delivery area · Pennsylvania
ZIP Code 18656: Sweet Valley, PA
ZIP code 18656 uses the postal name Sweet Valley, Pennsylvania and lies entirely in Luzerne County (Census 2020 ZIP-county file). About 2,100 people live there (Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024). Median household income is $76,804 (Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024). Its land lies outside any incorporated or census-designated place.
- ACS2020-24
- Census2020
- FHFA2025
- ZBP2023
- IRS2022
- Town
- Sweet Valley · its only residential ZIP
- County
- Luzerne County
- Metro area
- Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA
- House district
- PA-9 119th Congress
- State
- Pennsylvania
- Time zone
- Eastern
- Land area
- 59.8 sq mi · 35 people per sq mi
Where is ZIP code 18656?
18656 centers on 41.333°, -76.185° and covers 59.8 square miles of land plus 0.6 of water. It borders 8 ZIP codes: 18636, 18621, 18618, 18628, 18655, 18612, 17814, 18614.
The map draws ZIP code areas only. For the streets inside 18656, open its center on OpenStreetMap.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 ZCTA cartographic boundaries and the 2023 Gazetteer (2020 ZCTAs); ZIP-to-county shares, Census places and House districts (119th Congress) from the Census 2020 relationship files (shares of land); metro area from the OMB delineation (July 2023); town name and time zone from simplemaps US ZIP Codes (CC BY 4.0).
How does 18656 compare with the rest of Luzerne County?
| Measure | 18656 | In Luzerne County | In PA |
|---|---|---|---|
| People (ACS 2020-2024) | 2,066 | 34th of 51 | 940th of 1,833 |
| Median household income | $77k | 7th of 35 | 440th of 1,015 |
| Median home value | $233k | 9th of 38 | 471st of 1,069 |
Its median household income is higher than in 58% of U.S. residential ZIP codes, and it is denser than 35% of all U.S. residential ZIP codes. ZIP codes at the ACS caps ($250,000 or more for household income, $2,000,000 or more for home value) share the top rank.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B01003, B19013, B25077); ranks by PlainZIP over residential ZIP codes (ZCTAs).
How many people live in 18656?
The 2020 Census counted 2,106 people in 18656; the ACS, which samples households over 2020-2024, estimates 2,066. Its boundary changed between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, so the two counts are not compared.
- People, ACS 2020-2024
- 2,066±338 (90% margin)
- 2020 Census count
- 2,106
- Households
- 859
- Median age
- 50.2
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B01003, B01002, B11001); 2020 Census (DHC P1); 2010 Census (SF1 P1).
Who lives in 18656?
Of the 2,066 people the ACS estimates in 18656, 18.4% are under 18 and 23.1% are 65 or older. The largest group by race and Hispanic origin is White (not Hispanic) (95.3%).
- Under 1818.4%
- 18 to 6458.4%
- 65 and older23.1%
- White, not Hispanic95.3%
- Other or two or more3.7%
- Asian, not Hispanic1.1%
- Hispanic or Latino0.0%
- Black, not Hispanic0.0%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B01001 age by sex, B03002 Hispanic or Latino origin by race); shares of the estimated population, small ZIP codes carry wide margins.
What do households in 18656 earn?
Median household income is $76,804 (ACS 2020-2024), the 7th highest of the 35 ranked ZIP codes in Luzerne County.
- Median household income
- $76,804±$9,283
- Income per person
- $38,208
- Below the poverty line
- 7.9%
- Unemployed (of the labor force)
- 4.8%
- Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree
- 24.4%
- Adjusted gross income per tax return, 2022
- $67,3671,110 returns; wages 69% of AGI (IRS)
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 and 2015-2019 5-year estimates (B19013, B19301, B17001, B23025, B15003; 2015-2019 dollars converted with the BLS CPI-U, 1.22699); IRS Statistics of Income, ZIP code data, tax year 2022 (adjusted gross income per return, filed under the address on the return).
What are homes worth in 18656?
FHFA's house price index for 18656, built from repeat sales and appraisals of the same homes, rose 57% from 2015 to 2025 and rose 47% from 2020 to 2025, and moved +3.9% in 2025.
- Median home value (owners' estimate)
- $233,000
- Median gross rent
- $1,010
- Homes owned by their occupants
- 92.8%
- Housing units
- 1,026
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B25077, B25064, B25003, B25001); FHFA House Price Index, annual five-digit ZIP, updated 2026-03-31.
What businesses are in 18656?
36 business establishments had a location in this ZIP code in 2023, 7 more than in 2018; the most are in other services (except public administration) (ZIP Code Business Patterns).
- Other services (except public administration)7
- Construction6
- Health care and social assistance6
- Professional, scientific, and technical services4
- Retail trade3
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns 2023 and 2018 (establishments with paid employees, by the business's ZIP code).
Which ZIP codes are next to 18656?
| ZIP | Town | People | Household income | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18636 | Noxen | 1,610 | $57k | 7.1 mi |
| 18621 | Hunlock Creek | 4,744 | $72k | 7.2 mi |
| 18618 | Harveys Lake | 3,570 | $84k | 8.3 mi |
| 18628 | Lopez | 185 | $82k | 9.5 mi |
| 18655 | Shickshinny | 6,018 | $73k | 10.0 mi |
| 18612 | Dallas | 17,739 | $94k | 10.7 mi |
| 17814 | Benton | 4,669 | $65k | 10.9 mi |
| 18614 | Dushore | 1,986 | $69k | 13.7 mi |
| 18627 | Lehman | 0 | – | 8.5 mi (near) |
| 18622 | Huntington Mills | 252 | $64k | 10.2 mi (near) |
Source: PlainZIP from the Census 2020 ZCTA boundaries (shared edges) and internal points; figures ACS 2020-2024.