18221 ZIP Code — Drifton, PA

Luzerne County, Pennsylvania

ZIP code 18221 is located in Drifton, Pennsylvania, within Luzerne County. It covers approximately 2.14 square miles and serves a population of 441 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 570.

About ZIP code 18221

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $206,200. Owner-occupancy is high at 82%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $67,043. SNAP benefit usage at 31% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 71% 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. Remote work is prevalent — 75% of workers work from home.

College attainment at 9% 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.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 11% of civilians, above the national average of 7%; and disability rates above the national average at 41%.

Overall, ZIP code 18221 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, a strong veteran community, high homeownership, a high rate of remote workers, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

441

population

2.14

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

18221 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 18221

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 18221. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Drifton	Acceptable

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	441
Population density	206 / sq mi
State FIPS	42
County FIPS	079

Geography
Land area	2.14 sq mi
Water area	0.00 sq mi
Latitude	41.0016
Longitude	-75.9088
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	15.2%	47.1%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	22.7%	31.4%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	62.1%	17.9%	22.4%
Over $200k	0.0%	3.5%	7.1%

Demographics & statistics

441

Population

206

People per sq mi

34.1

Median age

$67,043

Median household income

$35,272

Per capita income

$206,200

Median home value

Median monthly rent

81.8%

Home ownership

8.2%

Poverty rate

22.5%

Unemployment

233

Housing units

8.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

5–9

10–14

25–34

45–54

55–59

65–74

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	115	26.1%
18 and over	326	73.9%
65 and over	129	29.3%
Median age	34.1 years

Race & ethnicity

White 100%

Group	Count	%
White	441	100%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	15.2%	47.1%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	22.7%	31.4%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	62.1%	17.9%	22.4%
Over $200k	0.0%	3.5%	7.1%

$15k–$25k 7.6%

$25k–$35k 18.7%

$50k–$75k 27.1%

$75k–$100k 46.7%

Range	% of households
$15k–$25k	7.6%
$25k–$35k	18.7%
$50k–$75k	27.1%
$75k–$100k	46.7%
Median income	$67,043

Housing

Home values

$50k–$100k 15.2%

$100k–$150k 10.9%

$150k–$200k 16.8%

$200k–$300k 57.1%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$206,200
Median rent / month	$0
Owner occupied	81.8%
Renter occupied	18.2%
Vacant	17.9%
Single-family detached	69.7%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	0.0%
Median rooms	10.0
Avg household size (owned)	1.49

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	0.0%
2000–2009	0.0%
1990–1999	0.0%
1980–1989	17.9%
1970–1979	0.0%
1960–1969	10.6%
1950–1959	15.3%
1940–1949	0.0%
1939 or earlier	56.2%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	0.0%
2 bedrooms	11.3%
3 bedrooms	32.5%
4 bedrooms	17.9%
5+ bedrooms	38.3%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	0.0%
1 vehicle	17.3%
2 vehicles	64.4%
3 or more	18.2%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	64.9%
Electricity	7.6%
Fuel oil	27.6%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	40	17.8%
Cohabiting couple	41	18.2%
Male householder, no spouse	127	56.4%
Female householder, no spouse	17	7.6%
Households with children under 18	69	30.7%
Households with seniors (65+)	117	52.0%
Average household size	1.96

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	30.3%	53.4%
Married	19.2%	32.2%
Separated	0.0%	0.0%
Widowed	50.5%	14.4%
Divorced	0.0%	0.0%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.0%

Some HS, no diploma 0.0%

HS graduate 79.4%

Some college, no degree 6.7%

Associate's degree 5.2%

Bachelor's degree 8.6%

Graduate / professional 0.0%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	100.0%
Bachelor's or higher	8.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	0	0.0%
Kindergarten	25	21.7%
Elementary school	90	78.3%
High school	0	0.0%
College / grad school	0	0.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Manufacturing 100.0%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	0.0%
Service	0.0%
Sales & office	0.0%
Natural resources & construction	0.0%
Production & transportation	100.0%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	100.0%
Government	0.0%
Self-employed	0.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	25.5%
Carpool	0.0%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	74.5%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	0.0

Poverty

All people 8.2%

Under 18 years 0.0%

18 and over 11.0%

Married-couple families 0.0%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	70.7%
Retirement income	5.3%
Supplemental Security	0.0%
Cash public assistance	18.2%
Food stamps / SNAP	30.7%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	35.3%
High blood pressure	36.6%
High cholesterol	36.9%
Diabetes	13.2%
Heart disease	9.0%
Stroke	3.9%
Asthma	10.0%
Arthritis	34.7%
Kidney disease	3.6%
Pulmonary disease	9.8%
Cancer	8.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	20.7%
Binge drinking	17.9%
No physical activity	25.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	37.6%
Depression	22.4%
Fair or poor health	17.3%
Poor mental health	15.4%
Poor physical health	12.6%
No health insurance	11.2%
Visited doctor (checkup)	79.9%
Visited dentist	63.4%
Cholesterol screening	90.2%
Teeth loss	16.9%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	37	11.3%

Disability	%
Any disability	41.3%
Under 18	0.0%
18–64 years	39.1%
65 and over	81.4%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	37.0%
Public insurance	62.6%
No insurance	5.9%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	441	100.0%
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)	441	100.0%
Born in same state	441	100.0%
Born in different state	427	96.8%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	0	0.0%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	105	23.8%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	12	2.7%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	51.0%
Internet access	96.4%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 18221

What city is ZIP code 18221 in?

ZIP code 18221 is primarily assigned to Drifton, Pennsylvania.

What county is ZIP code 18221 in?

ZIP code 18221 falls within Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.

Does ZIP code 18221 have a large retiree population?

71% of households in ZIP code 18221 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 18221 have an older population?

29% of residents in ZIP code 18221 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 18221?

9% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

Is ZIP code 18221 mostly owner-occupied?

82% of occupied units in ZIP code 18221 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What timezone is ZIP code 18221 in?

ZIP code 18221 observes the EST timezone.