17946 ZIP Code — Lost Creek, PA

Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania

ZIP code 17946 is located in Lost Creek, Pennsylvania, within Schuylkill County. It covers approximately 1.72 square miles and serves a population of 250 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 272/570.

About ZIP code 17946

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Owner-occupancy is high at 83%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $92,763. The poverty rate of 7% is below the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 24% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 47% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is service, with manufacturing as the leading industry. An above-average commute of 36 minutes suggests many residents work outside the immediate area.

College attainment at 5% 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.

Overall, ZIP code 17946 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

250

population

1.72

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

17946 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 17946

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 17946. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Lost Creek	Acceptable

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	250
Population density	145 / sq mi
State FIPS	42
County FIPS	107

Geography
Land area	1.72 sq mi
Water area	0.01 sq mi
Latitude	40.8095
Longitude	-76.2562
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	272/570

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	0.0%	46.8%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	100.0%	33.5%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	0.0%	17.4%	22.4%
Over $200k	0.0%	2.3%	7.1%

Demographics & statistics

250

Population

145

People per sq mi

45.7

Median age

$92,763

Median household income

$37,669

Per capita income

Median home value

Median monthly rent

83.0%

Home ownership

6.8%

Poverty rate

0.0%

Unemployment

111

Housing units

4.7%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

5–9

10–14

15–19

25–34

35–44

45–54

55–59

65–74

75–84

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	52	20.8%
18 and over	198	79.2%
65 and over	17	6.8%
Median age	45.7 years

Race & ethnicity

White 100%

Group	Count	%
White	250	100%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	0.0%	46.8%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	100.0%	33.5%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	0.0%	17.4%	22.4%
Over $200k	0.0%	2.3%	7.1%

$10k–$15k 15.2%

$50k–$75k 17.9%

$75k–$100k 32.1%

$100k–$150k 34.8%

Range	% of households
$10k–$15k	15.2%
$50k–$75k	17.9%
$75k–$100k	32.1%
$100k–$150k	34.8%
Median income	$92,763

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 18.3%

$50k–$100k 30.1%

$150k–$200k 18.3%

$200k–$300k 33.3%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$0
Median rent / month	$0
Owner occupied	83.0%
Renter occupied	17.0%
Vacant	13.8%
Single-family detached	66.2%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	13.1%
Median rooms	6.2
Avg household size (owned)	2.03

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	0.0%
2000–2009	0.0%
1990–1999	0.0%
1980–1989	0.0%
1970–1979	23.8%
1960–1969	13.1%
1950–1959	0.0%
1940–1949	6.2%
1939 or earlier	56.9%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	0.0%
2 bedrooms	40.8%
3 bedrooms	29.2%
4 bedrooms	6.2%
5+ bedrooms	23.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	0.0%
1 vehicle	65.2%
2 vehicles	34.8%
3 or more	0.0%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Electricity	17.0%
Propane / LP gas	8.0%
Fuel oil	67.9%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	58	51.8%
Cohabiting couple	0	0.0%
Male householder, no spouse	25	22.3%
Female householder, no spouse	29	25.9%
Households with children under 18	39	34.8%
Households with seniors (65+)	17	15.2%
Average household size	2.23

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	45.5%	7.3%
Married	41.8%	62.5%
Separated	0.0%	0.0%
Widowed	12.7%	9.4%
Divorced	0.0%	20.8%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.0%

Some HS, no diploma 0.0%

HS graduate 50.3%

Some college, no degree 14.1%

Associate's degree 30.9%

Bachelor's degree 4.7%

Graduate / professional 0.0%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	100.0%
Bachelor's or higher	4.7%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	0	0.0%
Kindergarten	0	0.0%
Elementary school	20	33.9%
High school	32	54.2%
College / grad school	7	11.9%

Employment

Industry of employment

Manufacturing 28.7%

Education & healthcare 28.7%

Transportation & utilities 27.2%

Professional & management 15.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	19.9%
Service	38.2%
Sales & office	14.7%
Natural resources & construction	5.1%
Production & transportation	22.1%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	77.2%
Government	22.8%
Self-employed	0.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	86.0%
Carpool	14.0%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	0.0%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	35.5

Poverty

All people 6.8%

Under 18 years 0.0%

18 and over 8.6%

Married-couple families 0.0%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	47.3%
Retirement income	0.0%
Supplemental Security	17.0%
Cash public assistance	0.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	24.1%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	36.9%
High blood pressure	37.9%
High cholesterol	36.6%
Diabetes	12.6%
Heart disease	9.2%
Stroke	4.0%
Asthma	9.9%
Arthritis	32.8%
Kidney disease	3.6%
Pulmonary disease	9.8%
Cancer	8.3%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	20.9%
Binge drinking	17.7%
No physical activity	28.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	34.5%
Depression	21.5%
Fair or poor health	17.5%
Poor mental health	15.3%
Poor physical health	12.9%
No health insurance	11.7%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.2%
Visited dentist	61.5%
Cholesterol screening	89.5%
Teeth loss	17.8%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	17	8.6%

Disability	%
Any disability	15.2%
Under 18	0.0%
18–64 years	21.0%
65 and over	0.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	90.0%
Public insurance	22.0%
No insurance	0.0%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	250	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)	250	100.0%
Born in same state	241	96.4%
Born in different state	220	88.0%
Foreign born	9	3.6%
Naturalized citizen	0	0.0%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	100	40%

Ancestry	Count	%
Norwegian	64	25.6%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	44.8%
Internet access	59.8%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 17946

What city is ZIP code 17946 in?

ZIP code 17946 is primarily assigned to Lost Creek, Pennsylvania.

What county is ZIP code 17946 in?

ZIP code 17946 falls within Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 17946?

5% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

Does ZIP code 17946 have a large retiree population?

47% of households in ZIP code 17946 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Is ZIP code 17946 mostly owner-occupied?

83% of occupied units in ZIP code 17946 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What is the population of ZIP code 17946?

ZIP code 17946 has an estimated population of 250 residents, with a density of 146 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 17946 in?

ZIP code 17946 observes the EST timezone.