17856 ZIP Code — New Columbia, PA

Union County, Pennsylvania

ZIP code 17856 is located in New Columbia, Pennsylvania, within Union County. It covers approximately 48.81 square miles and serves a population of 3,107 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 570.

About ZIP code 17856

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1990s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $179,700. Owner-occupancy is high at 89%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $76,083. The poverty rate of 5% is below the national average. 33% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 18 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 18% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (24%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 17856 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

3,107

population

48.81

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

17856 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 17856

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 17856. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
New Columbia	Acceptable

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	3,107
Population density	64 / sq mi
State FIPS	42
County FIPS	119

Geography
Land area	48.81 sq mi
Water area	0.16 sq mi
Latitude	41.0546
Longitude	-76.9591
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	570

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	33.1%	44.0%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	40.8%	30.2%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	18.3%	20.3%	22.4%
Over $200k	7.9%	5.6%	7.1%

Demographics & statistics

3,107

Population

People per sq mi

49.3

Median age

$76,083

Median household income

$41,034

Per capita income

$179,700

Median home value

$781

Median monthly rent

89.0%

Home ownership

5.1%

Poverty rate

3.3%

Unemployment

1,291

Housing units

17.5%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

111

15–19

122

100

20–24

110

111

25–34

121

188

35–44

206

327

45–54

358

129

55–59

142

123

60–64

135

191

65–74

209

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	396	12.7%
18 and over	2,711	87.3%
65 and over	532	17.1%
Median age	49.3 years

Race & ethnicity

White 96.9%

Two or more races 1.2%

Black or African American 0.7%

Hispanic or Latino 0.6%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%

Asian 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	3,029	96.9%
Two or more races	39	1.2%
Black or African American	23	0.7%
Hispanic or Latino	20	0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	11	0.4%
Asian	5	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	33.1%	44.0%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	40.8%	30.2%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	18.3%	20.3%	22.4%
Over $200k	7.9%	5.6%	7.1%

Under $10k 1.0%

$10k–$15k 3.1%

$15k–$25k 11.0%

$25k–$35k 2.9%

$35k–$50k 11.3%

$50k–$75k 18.3%

$75k–$100k 17.8%

$100k–$150k 19.8%

$150k–$200k 7.5%

$200k+ 7.3%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	1.0%
$10k–$15k	3.1%
$15k–$25k	11.0%
$25k–$35k	2.9%
$35k–$50k	11.3%
$50k–$75k	18.3%
$75k–$100k	17.8%
$100k–$150k	19.8%
$150k–$200k	7.5%
$200k+	7.3%
Median income	$76,083

Housing

Home values

$50k–$100k 14.4%

$100k–$150k 13.5%

$150k–$200k 29.4%

$200k–$300k 28.0%

$300k–$500k 11.6%

$500k–$1M 3.1%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$179,700
Median rent / month	$781
Owner occupied	89.0%
Renter occupied	11.0%
Vacant	5.6%
Single-family detached	79.3%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	15.7%
Median rooms	5.9
Avg household size (owned)	2.36

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	5.7%
2000–2009	8.3%
1990–1999	20.9%
1980–1989	13.9%
1970–1979	20.7%
1960–1969	3.3%
1950–1959	8.8%
1940–1949	6.2%
1939 or earlier	12.2%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	4.1%
2 bedrooms	15.3%
3 bedrooms	54.9%
4 bedrooms	21.4%
5+ bedrooms	4.2%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	1.8%
1 vehicle	29.9%
2 vehicles	47.7%
3 or more	20.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	14.8%
Electricity	29.6%
Propane / LP gas	8.9%
Fuel oil	35.6%
Wood	4.3%
Solar	1.5%
No fuel used	2.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	785	57.7%
Cohabiting couple	29	2.1%
Male householder, no spouse	246	18.1%
Female householder, no spouse	301	22.1%
Households with children under 18	294	21.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	456	33.5%
Average household size	2.28

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	18.8%	23.8%
Married	63.4%	51.5%
Separated	0.0%	2.4%
Widowed	2.8%	10.2%
Divorced	15.0%	12.1%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.7%

Some HS, no diploma 13.2%

HS graduate 49.0%

Some college, no degree 11.6%

Associate's degree 6.9%

Bachelor's degree 16.4%

Graduate / professional 1.1%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	85.1%
Bachelor's or higher	17.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	0	0.0%
Kindergarten	19	5.9%
Elementary school	109	33.6%
High school	105	32.4%
College / grad school	91	28.1%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 21.4%

Manufacturing 17.6%

Public administration 11.4%

Arts, food & hospitality 10.9%

Other services 8.8%

Finance & real estate 7.2%

Retail trade 5.6%

Construction 4.9%

Professional & management 2.7%

Agriculture & mining 2.5%

Transportation & utilities 2.5%

Wholesale trade 2.3%

Information 2.1%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	33.7%
Service	19.6%
Sales & office	13.8%
Natural resources & construction	16.3%
Production & transportation	16.6%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	74.4%
Government	16.5%
Self-employed	9.1%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	92.5%
Carpool	4.8%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	1.9%
Other means	0.7%
Avg commute (minutes)	17.6

Poverty

All people 5.1%

Under 18 years 5.9%

18 and over 5.0%

Married-couple families 0.0%

Female-led households 63.4%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	33.1%
Retirement income	27.6%
Supplemental Security	1.9%
Cash public assistance	0.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	6.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	38.0%
High blood pressure	35.1%
High cholesterol	33.7%
Diabetes	12.5%
Heart disease	8.1%
Stroke	3.7%
Asthma	11.0%
Arthritis	31.2%
Kidney disease	3.4%
Pulmonary disease	10.0%
Cancer	7.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	23.7%
Binge drinking	17.4%
No physical activity	28.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	37.6%
Depression	23.6%
Fair or poor health	18.2%
Poor mental health	16.8%
Poor physical health	13.2%
No health insurance	11.9%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.3%
Visited dentist	59.3%
Cholesterol screening	88.6%
Teeth loss	19.2%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	168	6.2%

Disability	%
Any disability	13.5%
Under 18	0.0%
18–64 years	11.5%
65 and over	31.6%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	77.3%
Public insurance	22.8%
No insurance	9.1%
Uninsured under 19	18.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	3,026	97.4%
Spanish	0	0.0%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	3,096	99.6%
Born in same state	3,081	99.2%
Born in different state	2,877	92.6%
Foreign born	15	0.5%
Naturalized citizen	11	0.4%
Not a US citizen	6	54.5%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	347	11.2%
Arab	303	9.8%
Italian	166	5.3%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	61	2%
English	53	1.7%
German	28	0.9%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	43.8%
Internet access	89.8%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 17856

What city is ZIP code 17856 in?

ZIP code 17856 is primarily assigned to New Columbia, Pennsylvania.

What county is ZIP code 17856 in?

ZIP code 17856 falls within Union County, Pennsylvania.

Is ZIP code 17856 mostly owner-occupied?

89% of occupied units in ZIP code 17856 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 17856?

The median home value in ZIP code 17856 is $179,700.

What is the population of ZIP code 17856?

ZIP code 17856 has an estimated population of 3,107 residents, with a density of 64 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 17856?

The median household income in ZIP code 17856 is $76,083, above the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 17856 in?

ZIP code 17856 observes the EST timezone.