17820 ZIP Code — Catawissa, PA

Columbia County, Pennsylvania

ZIP code 17820 is located in Catawissa, Pennsylvania, within Columbia County. It covers approximately 86.71 square miles and serves a population of 5,317 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 570.

About ZIP code 17820

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 $202,200. Owner-occupancy is high at 77%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $65,270. 41% 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 24 minutes is near the national average.

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

Overall, ZIP code 17820 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

5,317

population

86.71

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

17820 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 17820

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 17820. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Catawissa	Acceptable
Catawissa	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

17888 Wilburton (6.1 mi) 17851 Mount Carmel (8.1 mi) 17985 Zion Grove (8.5 mi) 17824 Elysburg (8.6 mi) 17834 Kulpmont (8.8 mi) 17921 Ashland (9.6 mi) 17815 Bloomsburg (9.6 mi) 17935 Girardville (9.8 mi) 17872 Shamokin (11.2 mi) 17967 Ringtown (11.2 mi) 18241 Nuremberg (11.4 mi) 17822 Danville (11.7 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	5,317
Population density	61 / sq mi
State FIPS	42
County FIPS	037

Geography
Land area	86.71 sq mi
Water area	1.16 sq mi
Latitude	40.9082
Longitude	-76.4012
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	41.7%	47.2%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	33.8%	31.6%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	20.5%	18.0%	22.4%
Over $200k	3.9%	3.3%	7.1%

Demographics & statistics

5,317

Population

People per sq mi

47.8

Median age

$65,270

Median household income

$36,737

Per capita income

$202,200

Median home value

$782

Median monthly rent

76.8%

Home ownership

7.6%

Poverty rate

3.8%

Unemployment

2,109

Housing units

25.5%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

124

Under 5

126

134

5–9

135

156

10–14

158

129

15–19

130

20–24

131

285

25–34

289

294

35–44

298

324

45–54

328

173

55–59

175

204

60–64

206

447

65–74

453

154

75–84

155

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,029	19.4%
18 and over	4,288	80.6%
65 and over	1,388	26.1%
Median age	47.8 years

Race & ethnicity

White 91%

Hispanic or Latino 4%

Two or more races 3.6%

Other race 0.8%

Asian 0.4%

Black or African American 0.1%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	5,041	91%
Hispanic or Latino	222	4%
Two or more races	199	3.6%
Other race	47	0.8%
Asian	22	0.4%
Black or African American	5	0.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	3	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	41.7%	47.2%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	33.8%	31.6%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	20.5%	18.0%	22.4%
Over $200k	3.9%	3.3%	7.1%

Under $10k 2.4%

$10k–$15k 4.4%

$15k–$25k 9.4%

$25k–$35k 7.5%

$35k–$50k 13.5%

$50k–$75k 18.3%

$75k–$100k 13.2%

$100k–$150k 18.5%

$150k–$200k 6.8%

$200k+ 5.9%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.4%
$10k–$15k	4.4%
$15k–$25k	9.4%
$25k–$35k	7.5%
$35k–$50k	13.5%
$50k–$75k	18.3%
$75k–$100k	13.2%
$100k–$150k	18.5%
$150k–$200k	6.8%
$200k+	5.9%
Median income	$65,270

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 3.4%

$50k–$100k 10.6%

$100k–$150k 18.5%

$150k–$200k 16.9%

$200k–$300k 25.6%

$300k–$500k 16.8%

$500k–$1M 5.7%

$1M+ 2.6%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$202,200
Median rent / month	$782
Owner occupied	76.8%
Renter occupied	23.2%
Vacant	14.6%
Single-family detached	80.0%
Large apartment buildings	3.9%
Mobile homes	5.8%
Median rooms	6.1
Avg household size (owned)	2.48

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.5%
2010–2019	3.9%
2000–2009	5.7%
1990–1999	8.2%
1980–1989	11.9%
1970–1979	15.1%
1960–1969	9.8%
1950–1959	6.8%
1940–1949	4.7%
1939 or earlier	33.3%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.9%
1 bedroom	8.4%
2 bedrooms	18.4%
3 bedrooms	52.1%
4 bedrooms	15.5%
5+ bedrooms	4.7%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	5.6%
1 vehicle	25.3%
2 vehicles	37.5%
3 or more	31.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	1.3%
Electricity	33.1%
Propane / LP gas	4.9%
Fuel oil	45.5%
Wood	5.1%
Solar	0.6%
No fuel used	0.7%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,216	54.2%
Cohabiting couple	192	8.6%
Male householder, no spouse	345	15.4%
Female householder, no spouse	491	21.9%
Households with children under 18	548	24.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	970	43.2%
Average household size	2.37

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	27.1%	25.5%
Married	57.6%	55.2%
Separated	1.3%	2.1%
Widowed	3.6%	6.9%
Divorced	10.4%	10.3%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.5%

Some HS, no diploma 4.8%

HS graduate 45.6%

Some college, no degree 13.8%

Associate's degree 8.7%

Bachelor's degree 16.8%

Graduate / professional 8.8%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	93.7%
Bachelor's or higher	25.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	40	4.0%
Kindergarten	66	6.6%
Elementary school	477	47.5%
High school	250	24.9%
College / grad school	171	17.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 31.9%

Manufacturing 13.0%

Professional & management 8.4%

Retail trade 8.3%

Construction 6.7%

Public administration 6.4%

Arts, food & hospitality 6.2%

Transportation & utilities 5.4%

Finance & real estate 4.2%

Other services 3.8%

Wholesale trade 2.9%

Agriculture & mining 1.8%

Information 1.0%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	35.7%
Service	19.6%
Sales & office	16.2%
Natural resources & construction	11.0%
Production & transportation	17.5%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	75.6%
Government	18.8%
Self-employed	5.5%
Unpaid family workers	0.1%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	85.3%
Carpool	7.9%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	1.1%
Work from home	5.5%
Other means	0.2%
Avg commute (minutes)	23.9

Poverty

All people 7.6%

Under 18 years 8.7%

18 and over 7.4%

Married-couple families 2.2%

Female-led households 23.6%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	41.0%
Retirement income	27.2%
Supplemental Security	3.7%
Cash public assistance	1.8%
Food stamps / SNAP	6.9%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	34.0%
High blood pressure	34.7%
High cholesterol	34.3%
Diabetes	10.4%
Heart disease	7.3%
Stroke	3.2%
Asthma	10.1%
Arthritis	29.4%
Kidney disease	3.0%
Pulmonary disease	7.9%
Cancer	7.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	18.9%
Binge drinking	18.4%
No physical activity	23.3%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	34.0%
Depression	21.6%
Fair or poor health	14.2%
Poor mental health	15.0%
Poor physical health	11.0%
No health insurance	9.8%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.2%
Visited dentist	67.0%
Cholesterol screening	90.2%
Teeth loss	14.3%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	319	7.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	13.8%
Under 18	3.9%
18–64 years	8.9%
65 and over	31.3%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	76.0%
Public insurance	37.4%
No insurance	3.9%
Uninsured under 19	4.3%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	5,067	95.3%
Spanish	97	1.9%
Other Indo-European	83	1.6%
Asian & Pacific Islander	3	0.1%
Other languages	11	0.2%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	5,162	97.1%
Born in same state	5,112	96.1%
Born in different state	4,532	85.2%
Foreign born	50	0.9%
Naturalized citizen	155	2.9%
Not a US citizen	101	65.2%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	513	9.6%
Italian	449	8.4%
Arab	253	4.8%
English	193	3.6%

Ancestry	Count	%
Norwegian	39	0.7%
Polish	20	0.4%
Irish	11	0.2%
German	2	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	42.2%
Internet access	87.7%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 17820

What city is ZIP code 17820 in?

ZIP code 17820 is primarily assigned to Catawissa, Pennsylvania.

What county is ZIP code 17820 in?

ZIP code 17820 falls within Columbia County, Pennsylvania.

Does ZIP code 17820 have an older population?

26% of residents in ZIP code 17820 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 17820 have a large retiree population?

41% of households in ZIP code 17820 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the population of ZIP code 17820?

ZIP code 17820 has an estimated population of 5,317 residents, with a density of 61 people per square mile.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 17820?

The median home value in ZIP code 17820 is $202,200.

What timezone is ZIP code 17820 in?

ZIP code 17820 observes the EST timezone.