16502 ZIP Code — Erie, PA

Erie County, Pennsylvania

ZIP code 16502 is located in Erie, Pennsylvania, within Erie County. It covers approximately 2.48 square miles and serves a population of 15,567 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 814.

About ZIP code 16502

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 $85,200. Renters make up the majority at 66%, typical of denser urban areas.

Median household income is $35,508. Poverty affects 30% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 33% of households reflects economic stress in the area.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 18 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 19% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (25%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include disability rates above the national average at 22%.

Overall, ZIP code 16502 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

15,567

population

2.48

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

16502 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 16502

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 16502. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Erie	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

16534 Erie (1.1 mi) 16508 Erie (1.1 mi) 16501 Erie (1.1 mi) 16544 Erie (1.1 mi) 16541 Erie (1.5 mi) 16553 Erie (1.5 mi) 16530 Erie (1.5 mi) 16522 Erie (1.5 mi) 16531 Erie (1.5 mi) 16538 Erie (1.5 mi) 16550 Erie (1.6 mi) 16546 Erie (1.6 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	15,567
Population density	6,277 / sq mi
State FIPS	42
County FIPS	049

Geography
Land area	2.48 sq mi
Water area	0.00 sq mi
Latitude	42.1104
Longitude	-80.1004
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	68.2%	47.4%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	26.4%	31.2%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	5.1%	17.7%	22.4%
Over $200k	0.3%	3.7%	7.1%

Demographics & statistics

15,567

Population

6,277

People per sq mi

32.8

Median age

$35,508

Median household income

$21,906

Per capita income

$85,200

Median home value

$826

Median monthly rent

33.6%

Home ownership

29.6%

Poverty rate

8.7%

Unemployment

3,428

Housing units

18.9%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

359

Under 5

384

385

5–9

411

565

10–14

605

530

15–19

567

892

20–24

955

1,249

25–34

1,335

745

35–44

797

714

45–54

764

517

55–59

552

426

60–64

455

651

65–74

697

310

75–84

332

179

85+

191

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	3,309	21.3%
18 and over	12,258	78.7%
65 and over	2,360	15.2%
Median age	32.8 years

Race & ethnicity

White 60.5%

Two or more races 14%

Black or African American 12.6%

Hispanic or Latino 7.6%

Other race 3.1%

Asian 1.7%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%

Group	Count	%
White	10,196	60.5%
Two or more races	2,365	14%
Black or African American	2,123	12.6%
Hispanic or Latino	1,278	7.6%
Other race	518	3.1%
Asian	280	1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	85	0.5%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	68.2%	47.4%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	26.4%	31.2%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	5.1%	17.7%	22.4%
Over $200k	0.3%	3.7%	7.1%

Under $10k 7.1%

$10k–$15k 9.2%

$15k–$25k 21.3%

$25k–$35k 11.6%

$35k–$50k 13.5%

$50k–$75k 18.4%

$75k–$100k 11.1%

$100k–$150k 5.8%

$150k–$200k 0.7%

$200k+ 1.2%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	7.1%
$10k–$15k	9.2%
$15k–$25k	21.3%
$25k–$35k	11.6%
$35k–$50k	13.5%
$50k–$75k	18.4%
$75k–$100k	11.1%
$100k–$150k	5.8%
$150k–$200k	0.7%
$200k+	1.2%
Median income	$35,508

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 10.2%

$50k–$100k 64.1%

$100k–$150k 17.9%

$150k–$200k 4.9%

$200k–$300k 2.6%

$300k–$500k 0.4%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$85,200
Median rent / month	$826
Owner occupied	33.6%
Renter occupied	66.4%
Vacant	14.6%
Single-family detached	41.7%
Large apartment buildings	5.3%
Mobile homes	1.4%
Median rooms	5.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.20

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	0.2%
2000–2009	2.1%
1990–1999	2.5%
1980–1989	5.1%
1970–1979	8.6%
1960–1969	7.0%
1950–1959	11.9%
1940–1949	8.8%
1939 or earlier	53.8%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	3.3%
1 bedroom	14.9%
2 bedrooms	32.7%
3 bedrooms	35.4%
4 bedrooms	9.6%
5+ bedrooms	4.2%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	25.0%
1 vehicle	46.2%
2 vehicles	24.1%
3 or more	4.7%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	85.1%
Electricity	9.5%
Propane / LP gas	2.6%
Fuel oil	1.0%
Wood	0.8%
No fuel used	0.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,384	20.4%
Cohabiting couple	764	11.3%
Male householder, no spouse	1,918	28.3%
Female householder, no spouse	2,702	39.9%
Households with children under 18	1,719	25.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,671	24.7%
Average household size	2.22

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	59.8%	45.5%
Married	24.3%	23.3%
Separated	2.9%	7.2%
Widowed	1.9%	7.7%
Divorced	11.1%	16.3%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.9%

Some HS, no diploma 8.4%

HS graduate 41.6%

Some college, no degree 19.4%

Associate's degree 9.7%

Bachelor's degree 13.5%

Graduate / professional 5.4%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	89.7%
Bachelor's or higher	18.9%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	121	3.2%
Kindergarten	89	2.4%
Elementary school	1,399	37.3%
High school	851	22.7%
College / grad school	1,292	34.4%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 28.1%

Manufacturing 17.4%

Retail trade 12.8%

Arts, food & hospitality 9.9%

Professional & management 6.7%

Finance & real estate 6.6%

Transportation & utilities 5.2%

Other services 5.2%

Construction 3.3%

Wholesale trade 1.5%

Information 1.3%

Public administration 1.3%

Agriculture & mining 0.8%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	29.8%
Service	27.3%
Sales & office	17.0%
Natural resources & construction	4.0%
Production & transportation	21.9%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	88.8%
Government	7.7%
Self-employed	3.5%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	65.5%
Carpool	11.0%
Public transit	7.8%
Walk	6.8%
Work from home	5.6%
Other means	3.3%
Avg commute (minutes)	18.4

Poverty

All people 29.6%

Under 18 years 38.3%

18 and over 27.2%

Married-couple families 6.8%

Female-led households 41.2%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	29.2%
Retirement income	13.9%
Supplemental Security	13.0%
Cash public assistance	7.8%
Food stamps / SNAP	32.6%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	40.9%
High blood pressure	31.8%
High cholesterol	30.7%
Diabetes	11.5%
Heart disease	6.9%
Stroke	3.6%
Asthma	11.5%
Arthritis	26.8%
Kidney disease	3.2%
Pulmonary disease	9.1%
Cancer	5.3%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	24.6%
Binge drinking	19.1%
No physical activity	28.8%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	36.2%
Depression	24.5%
Fair or poor health	19.5%
Poor mental health	19.1%
Poor physical health	13.4%
No health insurance	14.7%
Visited doctor (checkup)	75.1%
Visited dentist	57.4%
Cholesterol screening	83.4%
Teeth loss	26.4%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	599	4.9%

Disability	%
Any disability	22.4%
Under 18	14.7%
18–64 years	19.7%
65 and over	46.2%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	45.5%
Public insurance	56.2%
No insurance	8.7%
Uninsured under 19	1.2%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	14,824	95.2%
Spanish	589	4.0%
Other Indo-European	458	3.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander	89	0.6%
Other languages	42	0.3%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	14,615	93.9%
Born in same state	14,363	92.3%
Born in different state	10,707	68.8%
Foreign born	252	1.6%
Naturalized citizen	952	6.1%
Not a US citizen	523	54.9%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	1,439	9.2%
French	683	4.4%
Arab	633	4.1%
German	34	0.2%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	23	0.1%
Irish	14	0.1%
Polish	10	0.1%
Norwegian	8	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	43.5%
Internet access	88.4%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 16502

What city is ZIP code 16502 in?

ZIP code 16502 is primarily assigned to Erie, Pennsylvania.

What county is ZIP code 16502 in?

ZIP code 16502 falls within Erie County, Pennsylvania.

Is ZIP code 16502 mostly rentals?

66% of occupied units in ZIP code 16502 are renter-occupied.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 16502?

30% of residents in ZIP code 16502 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 16502?

The median home value in ZIP code 16502 is $85,200.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 16502?

The median household income in ZIP code 16502 is $35,508, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 16502 in?

ZIP code 16502 observes the EST timezone.