17980 ZIP Code — Tower City, PA

Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania

ZIP code 17980 is located in Tower City, Pennsylvania, within Schuylkill County. It covers approximately 34.81 square miles and serves a population of 3,039 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 717.

About ZIP code 17980

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $125,600. Owner-occupancy is high at 77%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $66,014. The poverty rate of 6% is below the national average. 42% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is production, transportation, and material moving, with manufacturing as the leading industry. The average commute of 33 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 14% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

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

Overall, ZIP code 17980 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

3,039

population

34.81

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

17980 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 17980

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 17980. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Tower City	Acceptable
Tower City	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

17957 Muir (2 mi) 17983 Valley View (4.4 mi) 17098 Williamstown (4.5 mi) 17968 Sacramento (5.3 mi) 17938 Hegins (5.6 mi) 17978 Spring Glen (6.7 mi) 17963 Pine Grove (7.3 mi) 17981 Tremont (7.7 mi) 17964 Pitman (8.6 mi) 17038 Jonestown (8.8 mi) 17030 Gratz (9.2 mi) 17026 Fredericksburg (9.8 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	3,039
Population density	87 / sq mi
State FIPS	42
County FIPS	107

Geography
Land area	34.81 sq mi
Water area	0.94 sq mi
Latitude	40.5860
Longitude	-76.5324
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	717

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	36.3%	46.8%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	45.2%	33.5%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	16.1%	17.4%	22.4%
Over $200k	2.4%	2.3%	7.1%

Demographics & statistics

3,039

Population

People per sq mi

42.9

Median age

$66,014

Median household income

$32,719

Per capita income

$125,600

Median home value

$842

Median monthly rent

77.3%

Home ownership

6.0%

Poverty rate

5.7%

Unemployment

1,161

Housing units

13.8%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

101

15–19

102

126

20–24

130

177

25–34

183

177

35–44

183

158

45–54

164

55–59

112

60–64

116

240

65–74

249

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	556	18.3%
18 and over	2,483	81.7%
65 and over	718	23.6%
Median age	42.9 years

Race & ethnicity

White 98.2%

Two or more races 1.8%

Group	Count	%
White	2,984	98.2%
Two or more races	55	1.8%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	36.3%	46.8%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	45.2%	33.5%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	16.1%	17.4%	22.4%
Over $200k	2.4%	2.3%	7.1%

Under $10k 3.0%

$10k–$15k 1.4%

$15k–$25k 9.3%

$25k–$35k 8.8%

$35k–$50k 13.3%

$50k–$75k 25.4%

$75k–$100k 14.0%

$100k–$150k 16.4%

$150k–$200k 4.3%

$200k+ 4.3%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.0%
$10k–$15k	1.4%
$15k–$25k	9.3%
$25k–$35k	8.8%
$35k–$50k	13.3%
$50k–$75k	25.4%
$75k–$100k	14.0%
$100k–$150k	16.4%
$150k–$200k	4.3%
$200k+	4.3%
Median income	$66,014

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 8.6%

$50k–$100k 25.6%

$100k–$150k 28.9%

$150k–$200k 13.4%

$200k–$300k 13.7%

$300k–$500k 8.1%

$500k–$1M 1.5%

$1M+ 0.3%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$125,600
Median rent / month	$842
Owner occupied	77.3%
Renter occupied	22.7%
Vacant	15.2%
Single-family detached	72.2%
Large apartment buildings	0.5%
Mobile homes	5.6%
Median rooms	6.3
Avg household size (owned)	2.59

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	2.8%
2000–2009	3.7%
1990–1999	4.4%
1980–1989	7.0%
1970–1979	14.5%
1960–1969	8.4%
1950–1959	8.5%
1940–1949	7.3%
1939 or earlier	43.4%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.7%
1 bedroom	8.0%
2 bedrooms	23.2%
3 bedrooms	48.2%
4 bedrooms	14.5%
5+ bedrooms	4.2%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	5.2%
1 vehicle	30.1%
2 vehicles	37.8%
3 or more	26.9%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	1.7%
Electricity	13.5%
Propane / LP gas	5.4%
Fuel oil	56.1%
Wood	4.4%
No fuel used	0.1%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	586	48.1%
Cohabiting couple	158	13.0%
Male householder, no spouse	202	16.6%
Female householder, no spouse	272	22.3%
Households with children under 18	373	30.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	525	43.1%
Average household size	2.49

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	36.3%	24.9%
Married	48.7%	47.4%
Separated	1.4%	1.1%
Widowed	2.1%	11.6%
Divorced	11.6%	15.0%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.6%

Some HS, no diploma 7.7%

HS graduate 54.6%

Some college, no degree 13.5%

Associate's degree 8.7%

Bachelor's degree 8.5%

Graduate / professional 5.3%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	90.7%
Bachelor's or higher	13.8%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	19	4.0%
Kindergarten	5	1.1%
Elementary school	250	52.6%
High school	144	30.3%
College / grad school	57	12.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Manufacturing 26.4%

Education & healthcare 14.4%

Retail trade 11.1%

Professional & management 9.7%

Transportation & utilities 9.3%

Public administration 6.8%

Construction 6.3%

Other services 4.8%

Arts, food & hospitality 4.4%

Finance & real estate 4.0%

Wholesale trade 1.5%

Agriculture & mining 0.8%

Information 0.5%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	24.8%
Service	15.7%
Sales & office	17.0%
Natural resources & construction	11.3%
Production & transportation	31.3%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	83.3%
Government	14.2%
Self-employed	2.6%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	71.2%
Carpool	19.6%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	2.6%
Work from home	6.3%
Other means	0.3%
Avg commute (minutes)	32.9

Poverty

All people 6.0%

Under 18 years 3.6%

18 and over 6.5%

Married-couple families 1.4%

Female-led households 7.8%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	41.7%
Retirement income	36.1%
Supplemental Security	3.0%
Cash public assistance	2.6%
Food stamps / SNAP	12.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	35.4%
High blood pressure	34.3%
High cholesterol	34.2%
Diabetes	10.7%
Heart disease	7.6%
Stroke	3.4%
Asthma	10.0%
Arthritis	29.8%
Kidney disease	3.1%
Pulmonary disease	8.5%
Cancer	7.5%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	21.4%
Binge drinking	18.9%
No physical activity	27.0%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	34.9%
Depression	22.4%
Fair or poor health	15.5%
Poor mental health	16.0%
Poor physical health	11.7%
No health insurance	11.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.0%
Visited dentist	63.4%
Cholesterol screening	89.1%
Teeth loss	16.5%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	167	6.8%

Disability	%
Any disability	19.4%
Under 18	7.9%
18–64 years	12.9%
65 and over	44.2%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	73.4%
Public insurance	38.5%
No insurance	7.7%
Uninsured under 19	8.6%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	2,896	95.3%
Spanish	8	0.3%
Other Indo-European	4	0.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	4	0.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	2,953	97.2%
Born in same state	2,934	96.5%
Born in different state	2,663	87.6%
Foreign born	19	0.6%
Naturalized citizen	86	2.8%
Not a US citizen	86	100.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	348	11.5%
Arab	189	6.2%
English	116	3.8%
French	111	3.7%

Ancestry	Count	%
Norwegian	20	0.7%
Irish	7	0.2%
Dutch	3	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	40.1%
Internet access	92.0%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 17980

What city is ZIP code 17980 in?

ZIP code 17980 is primarily assigned to Tower City, Pennsylvania.

What county is ZIP code 17980 in?

ZIP code 17980 falls within Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 17980?

14% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

Does ZIP code 17980 have a large retiree population?

42% of households in ZIP code 17980 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 17980?

The median home value in ZIP code 17980 is $125,600.

What is the population of ZIP code 17980?

ZIP code 17980 has an estimated population of 3,039 residents, with a density of 87 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 17980 in?

ZIP code 17980 observes the EST timezone.