18656 ZIP Code — Sweet Valley, PA

Luzerne County, Pennsylvania

ZIP code 18656 is located in Sweet Valley, Pennsylvania, within Luzerne County. It covers approximately 59.81 square miles and serves a population of 2,224 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 570.

About ZIP code 18656

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 $189,800. Owner-occupancy is high at 93%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $70,556. 49% 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 29 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 26% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (21%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 14% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 18656 reflects a community defined by a strong veteran community, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

2,224

population

59.81

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

18656 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 18656

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 18656. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Sweet Valley	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

18618 Harveys Lake (6.2 mi) 18621 Hunlock Creek (6.5 mi) 18655 Shickshinny (8.8 mi) 18622 Huntington Mills (9 mi) 18612 Dallas (9.3 mi) 18708 Shavertown (9.9 mi) 18690 Dallas (10.3 mi) 17814 Benton (10.6 mi) 18634 Nanticoke (10.7 mi) 18617 Glen Lyon (10.7 mi) 18628 Lopez (10.8 mi) 18651 Plymouth (11.6 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	2,224
Population density	37 / sq mi
State FIPS	42
County FIPS	079

Geography
Land area	59.81 sq mi
Water area	0.55 sq mi
Latitude	41.3199
Longitude	-76.1620
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	570

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	38.8%	47.1%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	44.9%	31.4%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	14.5%	17.9%	22.4%
Over $200k	1.8%	3.5%	7.1%

Demographics & statistics

2,224

Population

People per sq mi

48.9

Median age

$70,556

Median household income

$33,388

Per capita income

$189,800

Median home value

$921

Median monthly rent

92.5%

Home ownership

9.1%

Poverty rate

2.4%

Unemployment

1,004

Housing units

25.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

108

35–44

126

155

45–54

180

105

55–59

122

60–64

154

65–74

179

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	422	19.0%
18 and over	1,802	81.0%
65 and over	546	24.6%
Median age	48.9 years

Race & ethnicity

White 95.1%

Two or more races 2.6%

Asian 1.1%

Hispanic or Latino 0.5%

Black or African American 0.4%

Other race 0.4%

Group	Count	%
White	2,126	95.1%
Two or more races	58	2.6%
Asian	24	1.1%
Hispanic or Latino	11	0.5%
Black or African American	8	0.4%
Other race	8	0.4%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	38.8%	47.1%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	44.9%	31.4%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	14.5%	17.9%	22.4%
Over $200k	1.8%	3.5%	7.1%

Under $10k 3.0%

$10k–$15k 1.4%

$15k–$25k 8.6%

$25k–$35k 4.1%

$35k–$50k 13.4%

$50k–$75k 27.0%

$75k–$100k 12.7%

$100k–$150k 18.5%

$150k–$200k 8.6%

$200k+ 2.7%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.0%
$10k–$15k	1.4%
$15k–$25k	8.6%
$25k–$35k	4.1%
$35k–$50k	13.4%
$50k–$75k	27.0%
$75k–$100k	12.7%
$100k–$150k	18.5%
$150k–$200k	8.6%
$200k+	2.7%
Median income	$70,556

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 7.0%

$50k–$100k 9.6%

$100k–$150k 16.3%

$150k–$200k 23.0%

$200k–$300k 33.6%

$300k–$500k 8.4%

$500k–$1M 1.4%

$1M+ 0.6%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$189,800
Median rent / month	$921
Owner occupied	92.5%
Renter occupied	7.5%
Vacant	15.1%
Single-family detached	84.0%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	13.0%
Median rooms	6.5
Avg household size (owned)	2.42

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	3.1%
2000–2009	10.7%
1990–1999	25.6%
1980–1989	10.2%
1970–1979	15.8%
1960–1969	10.0%
1950–1959	6.0%
1940–1949	8.6%
1939 or earlier	10.2%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.6%
1 bedroom	4.4%
2 bedrooms	23.1%
3 bedrooms	50.3%
4 bedrooms	16.3%
5+ bedrooms	4.3%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	0.7%
1 vehicle	31.0%
2 vehicles	41.0%
3 or more	27.4%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	1.0%
Electricity	23.8%
Propane / LP gas	17.3%
Fuel oil	36.2%
Wood	11.6%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	539	59.2%
Cohabiting couple	70	7.7%
Male householder, no spouse	126	13.8%
Female householder, no spouse	175	19.2%
Households with children under 18	244	26.8%
Households with seniors (65+)	378	41.5%
Average household size	2.44

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	21.9%	24.4%
Married	65.1%	57.0%
Separated	1.4%	1.0%
Widowed	2.9%	8.2%
Divorced	8.7%	9.3%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.2%

Some HS, no diploma 8.9%

HS graduate 33.3%

Some college, no degree 15.0%

Associate's degree 14.1%

Bachelor's degree 11.4%

Graduate / professional 14.1%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	87.9%
Bachelor's or higher	25.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	6	1.2%
Kindergarten	11	2.3%
Elementary school	246	50.8%
High school	139	28.7%
College / grad school	82	16.9%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 28.1%

Construction 14.4%

Retail trade 11.0%

Manufacturing 10.4%

Professional & management 6.2%

Other services 6.0%

Arts, food & hospitality 5.7%

Transportation & utilities 5.1%

Finance & real estate 4.5%

Information 3.9%

Public administration 3.5%

Agriculture & mining 0.6%

Wholesale trade 0.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	35.3%
Service	15.2%
Sales & office	18.8%
Natural resources & construction	15.1%
Production & transportation	15.5%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	82.7%
Government	13.8%
Self-employed	3.5%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	84.9%
Carpool	4.3%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	10.8%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	29.3

Poverty

All people 9.1%

Under 18 years 14.0%

18 and over 8.0%

Married-couple families 2.4%

Female-led households 38.1%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	49.3%
Retirement income	37.8%
Supplemental Security	4.3%
Cash public assistance	2.5%
Food stamps / SNAP	11.3%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	35.6%
High blood pressure	31.4%
High cholesterol	33.7%
Diabetes	10.6%
Heart disease	6.8%
Stroke	2.9%
Asthma	10.0%
Arthritis	29.7%
Kidney disease	2.8%
Pulmonary disease	7.8%
Cancer	6.8%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	21.1%
Binge drinking	20.1%
No physical activity	22.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	38.7%
Depression	23.1%
Fair or poor health	14.6%
Poor mental health	16.0%
Poor physical health	11.2%
No health insurance	10.2%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.8%
Visited dentist	65.2%
Cholesterol screening	89.8%
Teeth loss	14.7%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	256	14.3%

Disability	%
Any disability	16.9%
Under 18	1.4%
18–64 years	13.1%
65 and over	37.5%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	78.0%
Public insurance	39.3%
No insurance	5.3%
Uninsured under 19	13.8%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	2,167	97.4%
Spanish	17	0.8%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	11	0.5%
Other languages	6	0.3%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	2,200	98.9%
Born in same state	2,164	97.3%
Born in different state	1,917	86.2%
Foreign born	36	1.6%
Naturalized citizen	24	1.1%
Not a US citizen	18	75.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	274	12.3%
French	242	10.9%
Arab	132	5.9%
Norwegian	29	1.3%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	24	1.1%
Polish	18	0.8%
Irish	15	0.7%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	40.9%
Internet access	93.5%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 18656

What city is ZIP code 18656 in?

ZIP code 18656 is primarily assigned to Sweet Valley, Pennsylvania.

What county is ZIP code 18656 in?

ZIP code 18656 falls within Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.

Is ZIP code 18656 mostly owner-occupied?

93% of occupied units in ZIP code 18656 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 18656 have a large retiree population?

49% of households in ZIP code 18656 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 18656 have a large veteran population?

14% of civilians in ZIP code 18656 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 18656?

The median home value in ZIP code 18656 is $189,800.

What timezone is ZIP code 18656 in?

ZIP code 18656 observes the EST timezone.