PlainZIP

Philadelphia, PA · standard

ZIP Code 19138

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

32,273
7,233/sq mi
$57,744
Median income
$177,000
Median home value
19.5%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Philadelphia pairs a below-median household income with below-median home values, in a suburban-density, homeowner-dominated area.

25th pct
household income, US ZIPs
37th pct
home value, US ZIPs
7,233
people per sq mi
71%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 19138 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 19138 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, with 32,273 residents across 4.5 square miles, a density of 7,233 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 19138 reports a modest median household income of $57,744 (26% below the Pennsylvania average), while per-capita income is $31,101. The poverty rate stands at 21.8% and the unemployment rate at 11.0%. Housing costs here run $177,000 for a typical home value (22% below the state average), with rent averaging $1,169 a month; 70.9% 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 39.6, and the average commute is 33 minutes. A geography-based comparison follows: 10 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 19138, plus 6 more within Philadelphia County, give a clearer read than the 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 19138

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Philadelphia, PA

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 19138.

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 19138, Philadelphia, 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

32,273

Population

4.5

Area (sq mi)

7,233

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 19138?

39.6

Median Age

44.6%

Male

55.4%

Female

6.5%

Foreign-Born

White 2.4%
African American 92.3%
Asian 0.9%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 3.0%
Hispanic or Latino 2.8%

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?

$57,744

Median Household Income

-26% vs state

$31,101

Per Capita Income

21.8%

Poverty Rate

11.0%

Unemployment Rate

32.5 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 19138 ranks nationally

Philadelphia, PA household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$57,744 25th percentile higher than 25% 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 55.0%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 19.5%

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

What does housing look like?

13,552

Total Housing Units

12,791

Occupied Units

761

Vacant Units

2.37

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 70.9%
Renter 29.1%

$177,000

Median Home Value

-22% vs state

$1,169

Median Rent

1943

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

+4.8%

YoY Change (2024)

346

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+246%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 19138 have increased 4.8% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +246% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +4.9% 253
2021 +18.0% 299
2022 +13.9% 341
2023 -3.0% 331
2024 +4.8% 346

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 225 business establishments in ZIP 19138, employing approximately 2,419 people with a combined annual payroll of $89,735,000.

225

Businesses

2,419

Employees

$89.7M

Annual Payroll

13

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 49 21.8%
Health care and social assistance 47 20.9%
Other services (except public administration) 33 14.7%
Accommodation and food services 26 11.6%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 14 6.2%
Educational services 14 6.2%
Construction 10 4.4%
Transportation and warehousing 7 3.1%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 7 3.1%
Real estate and rental and leasing 6 2.7%
Wholesale trade 3 1.3%
Finance and insurance 3 1.3%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 3 1.3%

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 19138 vs 19126 →

ZIP 19138 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 19138 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 19138 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 19138 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
19126 Philadelphia, PA 15,758 1.1 mi
19150 Philadelphia, PA 23,378 1.3 mi
19141 Philadelphia, PA 31,376 1.5 mi
19119 Philadelphia, PA 27,035 1.7 mi
19095 Wyncote, PA 7,063 2.1 mi
19144 Philadelphia, PA 43,329 1.8 mi
19027 Elkins Park, PA 19,067 2.2 mi
19012 Cheltenham, PA 6,670 2.8 mi
19140 Philadelphia, PA 54,133 3.1 mi
19038 Glenside, PA 31,595 3.2 mi

More ZIP Codes in Philadelphia County

19120 standard
Philadelphia, PA
Pop: 68,104
19124 standard
Philadelphia, PA
Pop: 66,691
19143 standard
Philadelphia, PA
Pop: 64,849
19111 standard
Philadelphia, PA
Pop: 63,090
19134 standard
Philadelphia, PA
Pop: 60,675
19149 standard
Philadelphia, PA
Pop: 55,006

Related Areas

Philadelphia County Philadelphia, PA Pennsylvania

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 19138 in? ▼
ZIP code 19138 (Philadelphia) is located in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/philadelphia-pa.
What is the population of ZIP code 19138? ▼
ZIP code 19138 in Philadelphia, PA has a population of 32,273 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 19138? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 19138 is $57,744, which is 24% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 19138? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 19138 is $177,000, which is 36% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 19138? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 19138 is African American at 92.3%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 2.8% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 19138? ▼
ZIP code 19138 has 225 business establishments employing approximately 2,419 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 19138? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 19138 are: Retail trade (49), Health care and social assistance (47), Other services (except public administration) (33). There are 13 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 19138? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 19138 increased by 4.8% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 246%. 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 19138? ▼
In ZIP code 19138, 55.0% 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 19138? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 19138 is 32.5 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 19138? ▼
In ZIP code 19138, approximately 70.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 29.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 19138? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 19138 is 21.8% 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.