18421 ZIP Code — Forest City, PA

Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania

ZIP code 18421 is located in Forest City, Pennsylvania, within Susquehanna County. It covers approximately 37.29 square miles and serves a population of 4,424 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 570.

About ZIP code 18421

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 $168,000. Owner-occupancy is high at 79%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $66,429. 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 29 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 23% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 18421 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

4,424

population

37.29

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

18421 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 18421

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 18421. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Forest City	Acceptable
Forest City	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

18470 Union Dale (6.7 mi) 18472 Waymart (7.4 mi) 18456 Prompton (7.5 mi) 18407 Carbondale (8.8 mi) 18439 Lakewood (10 mi) 18842 South Gibson (10.4 mi) 18433 Jermyn (10.5 mi) 18441 Lenoxville (10.5 mi) 18431 Honesdale (10.7 mi) 18465 Thompson (12.1 mi) 18455 Preston Park (13.1 mi) 18823 Harford (14.3 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	4,424
Population density	119 / sq mi
State FIPS	42
County FIPS	115

Geography
Land area	37.29 sq mi
Water area	0.32 sq mi
Latitude	41.6785
Longitude	-75.4344
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	45.3%	44.2%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	33.4%	31.7%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	16.8%	19.5%	22.4%
Over $200k	4.5%	4.6%	7.1%

Demographics & statistics

4,424

Population

119

People per sq mi

48.8

Median age

$66,429

Median household income

$37,058

Per capita income

$168,000

Median home value

$785

Median monthly rent

79.4%

Home ownership

11.8%

Poverty rate

5.0%

Unemployment

1,858

Housing units

23.4%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

103

Under 5

116

5–9

131

10–14

147

123

15–19

137

20–24

213

25–34

240

250

35–44

280

290

45–54

326

202

55–59

226

175

60–64

196

245

65–74

274

105

75–84

118

85+

109

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	826	18.7%
18 and over	3,598	81.3%
65 and over	948	21.4%
Median age	48.8 years

Race & ethnicity

White 94.8%

Two or more races 2.6%

Black or African American 1.2%

Hispanic or Latino 0.9%

Asian 0.2%

Other race 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	4,230	94.8%
Two or more races	117	2.6%
Black or African American	55	1.2%
Hispanic or Latino	39	0.9%
Asian	11	0.2%
Other race	11	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	45.3%	44.2%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	33.4%	31.7%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	16.8%	19.5%	22.4%
Over $200k	4.5%	4.6%	7.1%

Under $10k 3.7%

$10k–$15k 2.5%

$15k–$25k 9.5%

$25k–$35k 7.3%

$35k–$50k 14.5%

$50k–$75k 19.3%

$75k–$100k 12.6%

$100k–$150k 17.7%

$150k–$200k 6.5%

$200k+ 6.5%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.7%
$10k–$15k	2.5%
$15k–$25k	9.5%
$25k–$35k	7.3%
$35k–$50k	14.5%
$50k–$75k	19.3%
$75k–$100k	12.6%
$100k–$150k	17.7%
$150k–$200k	6.5%
$200k+	6.5%
Median income	$66,429

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 4.6%

$50k–$100k 17.8%

$100k–$150k 19.0%

$150k–$200k 16.3%

$200k–$300k 24.3%

$300k–$500k 14.3%

$500k–$1M 2.9%

$1M+ 0.8%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$168,000
Median rent / month	$785
Owner occupied	79.4%
Renter occupied	20.6%
Vacant	16.3%
Single-family detached	80.7%
Large apartment buildings	3.3%
Mobile homes	3.6%
Median rooms	6.3
Avg household size (owned)	2.29

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	2.0%
2000–2009	6.6%
1990–1999	13.9%
1980–1989	11.1%
1970–1979	15.8%
1960–1969	6.3%
1950–1959	6.9%
1940–1949	4.3%
1939 or earlier	33.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.6%
1 bedroom	6.5%
2 bedrooms	21.5%
3 bedrooms	43.5%
4 bedrooms	22.1%
5+ bedrooms	3.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	6.2%
1 vehicle	38.6%
2 vehicles	33.6%
3 or more	21.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	20.2%
Electricity	19.1%
Propane / LP gas	12.1%
Fuel oil	41.2%
Wood	3.7%
No fuel used	0.6%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	831	44.2%
Cohabiting couple	152	8.1%
Male householder, no spouse	352	18.7%
Female householder, no spouse	545	29.0%
Households with children under 18	456	24.3%
Households with seniors (65+)	679	36.1%
Average household size	2.30

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	35.4%	25.0%
Married	49.3%	42.7%
Separated	2.1%	1.2%
Widowed	4.7%	16.6%
Divorced	8.5%	14.5%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.3%

Some HS, no diploma 2.7%

HS graduate 43.1%

Some college, no degree 20.1%

Associate's degree 9.4%

Bachelor's degree 15.0%

Graduate / professional 8.4%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	96.0%
Bachelor's or higher	23.4%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	46	5.7%
Kindergarten	32	4.0%
Elementary school	384	47.7%
High school	202	25.1%
College / grad school	141	17.5%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 24.9%

Manufacturing 13.9%

Public administration 8.2%

Transportation & utilities 7.7%

Construction 7.5%

Professional & management 7.5%

Retail trade 6.6%

Wholesale trade 6.1%

Arts, food & hospitality 5.7%

Other services 5.0%

Finance & real estate 4.4%

Information 1.5%

Agriculture & mining 1.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	38.8%
Service	16.8%
Sales & office	17.3%
Natural resources & construction	10.3%
Production & transportation	16.8%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	77.6%
Government	17.8%
Self-employed	4.6%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	78.9%
Carpool	10.0%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	1.1%
Work from home	8.7%
Other means	1.3%
Avg commute (minutes)	28.9

Poverty

All people 11.8%

Under 18 years 17.6%

18 and over 10.4%

Married-couple families 3.1%

Female-led households 31.5%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	41.4%
Retirement income	32.4%
Supplemental Security	5.6%
Cash public assistance	1.4%
Food stamps / SNAP	8.7%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	33.4%
High blood pressure	34.6%
High cholesterol	33.9%
Diabetes	11.2%
Heart disease	8.1%
Stroke	3.6%
Asthma	10.0%
Arthritis	31.0%
Kidney disease	3.3%
Pulmonary disease	8.6%
Cancer	8.1%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	19.8%
Binge drinking	17.7%
No physical activity	26.0%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	35.1%
Depression	22.2%
Fair or poor health	15.6%
Poor mental health	15.4%
Poor physical health	11.7%
No health insurance	10.7%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.4%
Visited dentist	63.1%
Cholesterol screening	89.7%
Teeth loss	16.4%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	299	8.3%

Disability	%
Any disability	16.2%
Under 18	11.6%
18–64 years	12.2%
65 and over	32.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	71.9%
Public insurance	39.7%
No insurance	4.9%
Uninsured under 19	5.1%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	4,205	95.0%
Spanish	41	1.0%
Other Indo-European	3	0.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander	19	0.5%
Other languages	19	0.5%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	4,297	97.1%
Born in same state	4,272	96.6%
Born in different state	3,304	74.7%
Foreign born	25	0.6%
Naturalized citizen	127	2.9%
Not a US citizen	73	57.5%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	1,028	23.2%
French	415	9.4%
Arab	149	3.4%
English	91	2.1%

Ancestry	Count	%
Norwegian	78	1.8%
Irish	28	0.6%
German	12	0.3%
Dutch	6	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	42.5%
Internet access	89.5%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 18421

What city is ZIP code 18421 in?

ZIP code 18421 is primarily assigned to Forest City, Pennsylvania.

What county is ZIP code 18421 in?

ZIP code 18421 falls within Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania.

Does ZIP code 18421 have a large retiree population?

41% of households in ZIP code 18421 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 18421?

The median home value in ZIP code 18421 is $168,000.

What is the population of ZIP code 18421?

ZIP code 18421 has an estimated population of 4,424 residents, with a density of 119 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 18421?

The median household income in ZIP code 18421 is $66,429, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 18421 in?

ZIP code 18421 observes the EST timezone.