17236 ZIP Code — Mercersburg, PA

Franklin County, Pennsylvania

ZIP code 17236 is located in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, within Franklin County. It covers approximately 125.66 square miles and serves a population of 8,316 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 717.

About ZIP code 17236

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 $230,000. Owner-occupancy is high at 77%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $75,119. 34% 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 31 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 21% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 17236 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

8,316

population

125.66

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

17236 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 17236

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 17236. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Mercersburg	Acceptable
Mercersburg	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

17238 Needmore (8.4 mi) 17233 Mc Connellsburg (8.4 mi) 17252 Saint Thomas (10.4 mi) 17225 Greencastle (11.8 mi) 21711 Big Pool (12 mi) 17224 Fort Loudon (12.4 mi) 21722 Clear Spring (12.7 mi) 15536 Crystal Spring (14.4 mi) 21767 Maugansville (15 mi) 17267 Warfordsburg (15.3 mi) 17215 Burnt Cabins (15.9 mi) 17202 Chambersburg (16.2 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	8,316
Population density	66 / sq mi
State FIPS	42
County FIPS	055

Geography
Land area	125.66 sq mi
Water area	0.07 sq mi
Latitude	39.8295
Longitude	-77.9725
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	717

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	33.7%	37.9%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	37.1%	36.9%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	26.9%	22.0%	22.4%
Over $200k	2.3%	3.2%	7.1%

Demographics & statistics

8,316

Population

People per sq mi

45.2

Median age

$75,119

Median household income

$36,644

Per capita income

$230,000

Median home value

$970

Median monthly rent

77.1%

Home ownership

10.8%

Poverty rate

3.1%

Unemployment

2,877

Housing units

21.3%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

292

Under 5

286

268

5–9

263

178

10–14

174

215

15–19

212

167

20–24

164

564

25–34

555

406

35–44

398

515

45–54

506

336

55–59

330

392

60–64

385

449

65–74

441

337

75–84

332

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,702	20.5%
18 and over	6,614	79.5%
65 and over	1,710	20.6%
Median age	45.2 years

Race & ethnicity

White 90.5%

Two or more races 4.2%

Black or African American 2.8%

Hispanic or Latino 1.8%

Asian 0.7%

Other race 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	7,659	90.5%
Two or more races	359	4.2%
Black or African American	235	2.8%
Hispanic or Latino	151	1.8%
Asian	58	0.7%
Other race	5	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	33.7%	37.9%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	37.1%	36.9%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	26.9%	22.0%	22.4%
Over $200k	2.3%	3.2%	7.1%

Under $10k 3.7%

$10k–$15k 1.8%

$15k–$25k 8.9%

$25k–$35k 8.6%

$35k–$50k 11.9%

$50k–$75k 14.9%

$75k–$100k 15.2%

$100k–$150k 18.7%

$150k–$200k 9.3%

$200k+ 6.8%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.7%
$10k–$15k	1.8%
$15k–$25k	8.9%
$25k–$35k	8.6%
$35k–$50k	11.9%
$50k–$75k	14.9%
$75k–$100k	15.2%
$100k–$150k	18.7%
$150k–$200k	9.3%
$200k+	6.8%
Median income	$75,119

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 3.1%

$50k–$100k 4.1%

$100k–$150k 8.5%

$150k–$200k 27.9%

$200k–$300k 27.5%

$300k–$500k 21.3%

$500k–$1M 4.3%

$1M+ 3.3%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$230,000
Median rent / month	$970
Owner occupied	77.1%
Renter occupied	22.9%
Vacant	10.8%
Single-family detached	77.6%
Large apartment buildings	2.4%
Mobile homes	6.8%
Median rooms	6.5
Avg household size (owned)	2.68

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	1.9%
2000–2009	11.6%
1990–1999	15.0%
1980–1989	9.8%
1970–1979	10.9%
1960–1969	13.9%
1950–1959	7.3%
1940–1949	5.7%
1939 or earlier	23.8%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.4%
1 bedroom	3.8%
2 bedrooms	25.3%
3 bedrooms	39.0%
4 bedrooms	20.7%
5+ bedrooms	9.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.8%
1 vehicle	24.7%
2 vehicles	37.6%
3 or more	33.9%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	16.8%
Electricity	43.7%
Propane / LP gas	5.6%
Fuel oil	21.5%
Wood	8.7%
No fuel used	1.1%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,739	53.9%
Cohabiting couple	261	8.1%
Male householder, no spouse	478	14.8%
Female householder, no spouse	750	23.2%
Households with children under 18	872	27.0%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,144	35.4%
Average household size	2.57

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	25.3%	23.9%
Married	58.3%	51.9%
Separated	2.1%	2.7%
Widowed	2.1%	10.8%
Divorced	12.1%	10.8%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.5%

Some HS, no diploma 8.2%

HS graduate 42.1%

Some college, no degree 17.7%

Associate's degree 8.1%

Bachelor's degree 11.8%

Graduate / professional 9.5%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	89.2%
Bachelor's or higher	21.3%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	141	9.3%
Kindergarten	56	3.7%
Elementary school	668	44.1%
High school	381	25.1%
College / grad school	269	17.8%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 23.9%

Manufacturing 17.3%

Retail trade 11.3%

Professional & management 8.8%

Arts, food & hospitality 7.9%

Transportation & utilities 6.9%

Finance & real estate 5.7%

Agriculture & mining 5.1%

Construction 4.6%

Other services 3.2%

Wholesale trade 2.5%

Public administration 2.5%

Information 0.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	40.2%
Service	14.3%
Sales & office	17.6%
Natural resources & construction	9.2%
Production & transportation	18.6%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	83.7%
Government	6.2%
Self-employed	10.2%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	73.5%
Carpool	7.9%
Public transit	0.6%
Walk	4.4%
Work from home	11.8%
Other means	1.8%
Avg commute (minutes)	31.2

Poverty

All people 10.8%

Under 18 years 21.6%

18 and over 8.1%

Married-couple families 4.7%

Female-led households 25.1%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	34.4%
Retirement income	26.7%
Supplemental Security	4.5%
Cash public assistance	2.7%
Food stamps / SNAP	8.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	39.7%
High blood pressure	33.7%
High cholesterol	32.7%
Diabetes	10.0%
Heart disease	6.7%
Stroke	3.0%
Asthma	10.2%
Arthritis	28.3%
Kidney disease	2.8%
Pulmonary disease	7.7%
Cancer	6.9%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	20.0%
Binge drinking	18.5%
No physical activity	23.5%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	35.6%
Depression	22.4%
Fair or poor health	14.2%
Poor mental health	16.0%
Poor physical health	10.8%
No health insurance	11.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.5%
Visited dentist	64.4%
Cholesterol screening	89.0%
Teeth loss	14.8%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	489	7.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	13.3%
Under 18	1.5%
18–64 years	12.7%
65 and over	26.7%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	73.3%
Public insurance	37.0%
No insurance	7.8%
Uninsured under 19	13.4%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	7,738	93.0%
Spanish	41	0.5%
Other Indo-European	16	0.2%
Asian & Pacific Islander	18	0.2%
Other languages	7	0.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	8,173	98.3%
Born in same state	8,170	98.2%
Born in different state	5,528	66.5%
Foreign born	3	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	143	1.7%
Not a US citizen	122	85.3%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	1,479	17.8%
Italian	814	9.8%
French	753	9.1%
Dutch	159	1.9%
English	97	1.2%

Ancestry	Count	%
Irish	27	0.3%
Polish	14	0.2%
Norwegian	7	0.1%
German	3	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	38.8%
Internet access	89.9%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 17236

What city is ZIP code 17236 in?

ZIP code 17236 is primarily assigned to Mercersburg, Pennsylvania.

What county is ZIP code 17236 in?

ZIP code 17236 falls within Franklin County, Pennsylvania.

What is the population of ZIP code 17236?

ZIP code 17236 has an estimated population of 8,316 residents, with a density of 66 people per square mile.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 17236?

The median home value in ZIP code 17236 is $230,000.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 17236?

The median household income in ZIP code 17236 is $75,119, above the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 17236 in?

ZIP code 17236 observes the EST timezone.