16602 ZIP Code — Altoona, PA

Blair County, Pennsylvania

ZIP code 16602 is located in Altoona, Pennsylvania, within Blair County. It covers approximately 14.68 square miles and serves a population of 27,813 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 814.

About ZIP code 16602

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 $116,100. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 67%.

Median household income is $51,808. SNAP benefit usage at 21% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 38% 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 17 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 20% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (22%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 16602 reflects a community defined by a significant Social Security-dependent population and elevated reliance on food assistance.

27,813

population

14.68

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

16602 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 16602

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 16602. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Altoona	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

16601 Altoona (3.6 mi) 16648 Hollidaysburg (5.5 mi) 16693 Williamsburg (7.8 mi) 16617 Bellwood (8.3 mi) 16635 Duncansville (8.5 mi) 16613 Ashville (9.5 mi) 16636 Dysart (10.4 mi) 16686 Tyrone (10.9 mi) 16641 Gallitzin (11.2 mi) 16630 Cresson (11.8 mi) 16639 Fallentimber (12 mi) 16699 Cresson (12.4 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	27,813
Population density	1,895 / sq mi
State FIPS	42
County FIPS	013

Geography
Land area	14.68 sq mi
Water area	0.02 sq mi
Latitude	40.5113
Longitude	-78.3663
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	814

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	54.7%	48.9%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	28.7%	31.3%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	14.8%	16.8%	22.4%
Over $200k	1.8%	3.0%	7.1%

Demographics & statistics

27,813

Population

1,895

People per sq mi

41.3

Median age

$51,808

Median household income

$30,668

Per capita income

$116,100

Median home value

$835

Median monthly rent

67.0%

Home ownership

16.9%

Poverty rate

6.2%

Unemployment

9,410

Housing units

20.3%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

788

Under 5

776

705

5–9

694

1,008

10–14

992

634

15–19

624

1,082

20–24

1,064

1,789

25–34

1,761

1,570

35–44

1,545

1,745

45–54

1,717

1,044

55–59

1,028

922

60–64

908

1,457

65–74

1,434

903

75–84

888

370

85+

365

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	5,899	21.2%
18 and over	21,914	78.8%
65 and over	5,417	19.5%
Median age	41.3 years

Race & ethnicity

White 89.9%

Black or African American 4.1%

Two or more races 4%

Hispanic or Latino 1%

Asian 0.5%

Other race 0.4%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	25,259	89.9%
Black or African American	1,143	4.1%
Two or more races	1,127	4%
Hispanic or Latino	284	1%
Asian	146	0.5%
Other race	106	0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	21	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	54.7%	48.9%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	28.7%	31.3%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	14.8%	16.8%	22.4%
Over $200k	1.8%	3.0%	7.1%

Under $10k 6.3%

$10k–$15k 6.2%

$15k–$25k 9.7%

$25k–$35k 9.9%

$35k–$50k 16.6%

$50k–$75k 16.4%

$75k–$100k 13.4%

$100k–$150k 13.6%

$150k–$200k 4.7%

$200k+ 3.3%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	6.3%
$10k–$15k	6.2%
$15k–$25k	9.7%
$25k–$35k	9.9%
$35k–$50k	16.6%
$50k–$75k	16.4%
$75k–$100k	13.4%
$100k–$150k	13.6%
$150k–$200k	4.7%
$200k+	3.3%
Median income	$51,808

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 9.1%

$50k–$100k 31.9%

$100k–$150k 23.3%

$150k–$200k 17.6%

$200k–$300k 12.5%

$300k–$500k 5.3%

$500k–$1M 0.4%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$116,100
Median rent / month	$835
Owner occupied	67.0%
Renter occupied	33.0%
Vacant	11.3%
Single-family detached	71.3%
Large apartment buildings	4.6%
Mobile homes	4.5%
Median rooms	6.2
Avg household size (owned)	2.42

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.2%
2010–2019	1.5%
2000–2009	3.7%
1990–1999	4.1%
1980–1989	5.6%
1970–1979	14.3%
1960–1969	8.7%
1950–1959	12.4%
1940–1949	10.2%
1939 or earlier	39.4%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.9%
1 bedroom	9.2%
2 bedrooms	27.3%
3 bedrooms	46.5%
4 bedrooms	14.2%
5+ bedrooms	1.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	9.6%
1 vehicle	42.6%
2 vehicles	32.9%
3 or more	14.9%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	81.3%
Electricity	12.3%
Propane / LP gas	2.1%
Fuel oil	3.0%
Wood	0.2%
No fuel used	0.6%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	4,693	39.8%
Cohabiting couple	1,184	10.0%
Male householder, no spouse	2,595	22.0%
Female householder, no spouse	3,328	28.2%
Households with children under 18	3,165	26.8%
Households with seniors (65+)	3,885	32.9%
Average household size	2.32

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	38.6%	30.6%
Married	42.8%	43.7%
Separated	3.9%	1.5%
Widowed	3.5%	11.1%
Divorced	11.2%	13.1%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.7%

Some HS, no diploma 5.3%

HS graduate 46.2%

Some college, no degree 18.3%

Associate's degree 8.2%

Bachelor's degree 14.4%

Graduate / professional 5.9%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	93.0%
Bachelor's or higher	20.3%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	502	8.7%
Kindergarten	191	3.3%
Elementary school	2,928	50.5%
High school	1,165	20.1%
College / grad school	1,015	17.5%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 27.5%

Retail trade 15.6%

Arts, food & hospitality 9.9%

Transportation & utilities 8.8%

Manufacturing 8.6%

Professional & management 7.7%

Construction 5.7%

Other services 4.8%

Public administration 3.9%

Finance & real estate 2.9%

Wholesale trade 2.7%

Information 1.8%

Agriculture & mining 0.1%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	31.2%
Service	18.8%
Sales & office	23.5%
Natural resources & construction	9.2%
Production & transportation	17.3%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	84.4%
Government	11.1%
Self-employed	4.5%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	79.3%
Carpool	9.1%
Public transit	0.5%
Walk	3.1%
Work from home	7.1%
Other means	0.7%
Avg commute (minutes)	17.0

Poverty

All people 16.9%

Under 18 years 23.3%

18 and over 15.2%

Married-couple families 4.9%

Female-led households 31.3%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	37.7%
Retirement income	24.8%
Supplemental Security	5.2%
Cash public assistance	4.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	20.7%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	31.9%
High blood pressure	36.5%
High cholesterol	34.6%
Diabetes	12.0%
Heart disease	8.2%
Stroke	3.8%
Asthma	10.7%
Arthritis	32.7%
Kidney disease	3.4%
Pulmonary disease	9.5%
Cancer	7.8%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	21.5%
Binge drinking	17.3%
No physical activity	25.7%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	36.0%
Depression	23.4%
Fair or poor health	17.5%
Poor mental health	16.6%
Poor physical health	12.8%
No health insurance	11.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	79.0%
Visited dentist	59.1%
Cholesterol screening	88.6%
Teeth loss	16.9%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	2,153	9.8%

Disability	%
Any disability	15.8%
Under 18	4.5%
18–64 years	15.0%
65 and over	31.6%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	64.7%
Public insurance	48.1%
No insurance	4.7%
Uninsured under 19	2.9%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	26,249	94.4%
Spanish	152	0.6%
Other Indo-European	81	0.3%
Asian & Pacific Islander	53	0.2%
Other languages	18	0.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	27,383	98.5%
Born in same state	27,273	98.1%
Born in different state	24,264	87.2%
Foreign born	110	0.4%
Naturalized citizen	430	1.5%
Not a US citizen	154	35.8%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	5,391	19.4%
French	2,490	9%
Arab	1,304	4.7%
English	274	1%

Ancestry	Count	%
Irish	173	0.6%
Polish	73	0.3%
Norwegian	34	0.1%
German	7	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	42.4%
Internet access	86.7%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 16602

What city is ZIP code 16602 in?

ZIP code 16602 is primarily assigned to Altoona, Pennsylvania.

What county is ZIP code 16602 in?

ZIP code 16602 falls within Blair County, Pennsylvania.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 16602?

17% of residents in ZIP code 16602 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 16602 have a large retiree population?

38% of households in ZIP code 16602 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 16602?

The median home value in ZIP code 16602 is $116,100.

Does ZIP code 16602 have a large veteran population?

10% of civilians in ZIP code 16602 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What timezone is ZIP code 16602 in?

ZIP code 16602 observes the EST timezone.