16503 ZIP Code — Erie, PA

Erie County, Pennsylvania

ZIP code 16503 is located in Erie, Pennsylvania, within Erie County. It covers approximately 2.44 square miles and serves a population of 16,065 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 814.

About ZIP code 16503

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 $52,100. Renters make up the majority at 61%, typical of denser urban areas.

Median household income is $29,240. Poverty affects 37% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 51% of households reflects economic stress in the area.

The dominant occupation class is service, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 21 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 11% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of obesity (49%), diabetes (17%), smoking (33%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 16503 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

16,065

population

2.44

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

16503 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 16503

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 16503. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Erie	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

16515 Erie (0.4 mi) 16546 Erie (0.8 mi) 16544 Erie (1.2 mi) 16553 Erie (1.3 mi) 16531 Erie (1.3 mi) 16522 Erie (1.3 mi) 16530 Erie (1.3 mi) 16538 Erie (1.3 mi) 16541 Erie (1.3 mi) 16534 Erie (1.3 mi) 16507 Erie (1.4 mi) 16504 Erie (1.4 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	16,065
Population density	6,584 / sq mi
State FIPS	42
County FIPS	049

Geography
Land area	2.44 sq mi
Water area	0.00 sq mi
Latitude	42.1267
Longitude	-80.0603
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	79.0%	47.4%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	16.9%	31.2%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	3.6%	17.7%	22.4%
Over $200k	0.5%	3.7%	7.1%

Demographics & statistics

16,065

Population

6,584

People per sq mi

31.0

Median age

$29,240

Median household income

$17,910

Per capita income

$52,100

Median home value

$815

Median monthly rent

39.5%

Home ownership

36.6%

Poverty rate

10.3%

Unemployment

3,100

Housing units

11.2%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

608

Under 5

554

424

5–9

386

706

10–14

642

807

15–19

734

751

20–24

684

1,457

25–34

1,326

1,035

35–44

941

1,066

45–54

970

484

55–59

440

362

60–64

329

429

65–74

391

198

75–84

181

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	4,243	26.4%
18 and over	11,822	73.6%
65 and over	1,359	8.5%
Median age	31.0 years

Race & ethnicity

White 46.5%

Black or African American 35.4%

Two or more races 7%

Hispanic or Latino 5.5%

Other race 2.8%

Asian 2.5%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	7,904	46.5%
Black or African American	6,008	35.4%
Two or more races	1,190	7%
Hispanic or Latino	930	5.5%
Other race	470	2.8%
Asian	419	2.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	50	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	24	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	79.0%	47.4%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	16.9%	31.2%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	3.6%	17.7%	22.4%
Over $200k	0.5%	3.7%	7.1%

Under $10k 12.3%

$10k–$15k 11.2%

$15k–$25k 18.5%

$25k–$35k 13.8%

$35k–$50k 12.8%

$50k–$75k 13.4%

$75k–$100k 11.1%

$100k–$150k 5.3%

$150k–$200k 0.3%

$200k+ 1.3%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	12.3%
$10k–$15k	11.2%
$15k–$25k	18.5%
$25k–$35k	13.8%
$35k–$50k	12.8%
$50k–$75k	13.4%
$75k–$100k	11.1%
$100k–$150k	5.3%
$150k–$200k	0.3%
$200k+	1.3%
Median income	$29,240

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 47.2%

$50k–$100k 34.5%

$100k–$150k 4.7%

$150k–$200k 6.8%

$200k–$300k 4.9%

$300k–$500k 1.4%

$500k–$1M 0.4%

$1M+ 0.1%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$52,100
Median rent / month	$815
Owner occupied	39.5%
Renter occupied	60.5%
Vacant	12.4%
Single-family detached	45.0%
Large apartment buildings	2.9%
Mobile homes	1.0%
Median rooms	5.5
Avg household size (owned)	2.92

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	0.8%
2000–2009	2.9%
1990–1999	4.9%
1980–1989	4.3%
1970–1979	5.0%
1960–1969	7.5%
1950–1959	7.9%
1940–1949	12.5%
1939 or earlier	54.2%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.2%
1 bedroom	12.0%
2 bedrooms	36.8%
3 bedrooms	33.4%
4 bedrooms	12.0%
5+ bedrooms	3.6%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	28.7%
1 vehicle	42.0%
2 vehicles	22.9%
3 or more	6.4%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	81.9%
Electricity	9.1%
Propane / LP gas	1.4%
Fuel oil	4.8%
Wood	0.2%
No fuel used	2.1%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,000	17.3%
Cohabiting couple	662	11.4%
Male householder, no spouse	1,474	25.5%
Female householder, no spouse	2,646	45.8%
Households with children under 18	2,153	37.2%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,167	20.2%
Average household size	2.56

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	61.8%	54.1%
Married	21.0%	20.5%
Separated	3.8%	4.6%
Widowed	1.9%	6.4%
Divorced	11.4%	14.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 6.2%

Some HS, no diploma 16.0%

HS graduate 41.9%

Some college, no degree 17.2%

Associate's degree 7.6%

Bachelor's degree 8.3%

Graduate / professional 2.9%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	77.8%
Bachelor's or higher	11.2%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	248	6.1%
Kindergarten	215	5.3%
Elementary school	1,731	42.4%
High school	1,346	33.0%
College / grad school	543	13.3%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 25.5%

Manufacturing 18.6%

Arts, food & hospitality 15.2%

Retail trade 12.9%

Professional & management 5.7%

Other services 5.6%

Transportation & utilities 5.2%

Construction 3.6%

Public administration 2.7%

Wholesale trade 2.2%

Finance & real estate 1.7%

Agriculture & mining 0.9%

Information 0.1%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	16.9%
Service	33.5%
Sales & office	16.0%
Natural resources & construction	4.8%
Production & transportation	28.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	85.7%
Government	10.8%
Self-employed	3.6%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	60.2%
Carpool	16.6%
Public transit	5.2%
Walk	7.4%
Work from home	2.5%
Other means	8.1%
Avg commute (minutes)	20.9

Poverty

All people 36.6%

Under 18 years 51.1%

18 and over 30.9%

Married-couple families 16.2%

Female-led households 45.4%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	25.9%
Retirement income	14.2%
Supplemental Security	17.0%
Cash public assistance	13.5%
Food stamps / SNAP	51.3%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	48.7%
High blood pressure	38.8%
High cholesterol	31.7%
Diabetes	16.5%
Heart disease	8.2%
Stroke	5.1%
Asthma	13.3%
Arthritis	30.0%
Kidney disease	4.1%
Pulmonary disease	12.2%
Cancer	4.7%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	33.3%
Binge drinking	16.2%
No physical activity	38.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	41.9%
Depression	25.0%
Fair or poor health	29.7%
Poor mental health	21.5%
Poor physical health	18.2%
No health insurance	21.1%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.6%
Visited dentist	43.8%
Cholesterol screening	81.3%
Teeth loss	37.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	597	5.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	19.4%
Under 18	10.5%
18–64 years	18.6%
65 and over	52.6%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	33.6%
Public insurance	66.4%
No insurance	8.4%
Uninsured under 19	1.8%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	14,903	92.8%
Spanish	941	6.3%
Other Indo-European	455	3.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander	219	1.5%
Other languages	50	0.3%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	15,014	93.5%
Born in same state	14,516	90.4%
Born in different state	11,888	74.0%
Foreign born	498	3.1%
Naturalized citizen	1,051	6.5%
Not a US citizen	329	31.3%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	1,138	7.1%
Arab	456	2.8%
French	416	2.6%
Irish	113	0.7%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	61	0.4%
Norwegian	22	0.1%
Polish	21	0.1%
Dutch	5	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	36.0%
Internet access	88.7%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 16503

What city is ZIP code 16503 in?

ZIP code 16503 is primarily assigned to Erie, Pennsylvania.

What county is ZIP code 16503 in?

ZIP code 16503 falls within Erie County, Pennsylvania.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 16503?

37% of residents in ZIP code 16503 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Is ZIP code 16503 mostly rentals?

61% of occupied units in ZIP code 16503 are renter-occupied.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 16503?

11% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

What are the health statistics for ZIP code 16503?

Health data for ZIP code 16503 shows elevated rates of obesity (49%) and diabetes (17%) and smoking (33%) compared to national benchmarks.

What timezone is ZIP code 16503 in?

ZIP code 16503 observes the EST timezone.