17851 ZIP Code — Mount Carmel, PA

Northumberland County, Pennsylvania

ZIP code 17851 is located in Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania, within Northumberland County. It covers approximately 14.99 square miles and serves a population of 7,232 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 570/272.

About ZIP code 17851

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 $62,800. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 72%.

Median household income is $48,287. SNAP benefit usage at 26% 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 management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 23 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 13% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (23%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include disability rates above the national average at 23%.

Overall, ZIP code 17851 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

7,232

population

14.99

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

17851 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 17851

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 17851. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Mount Carmel	Acceptable
Mount Carmel	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

17834 Kulpmont (1.8 mi) 17888 Wilburton (3.8 mi) 17872 Shamokin (3.8 mi) 17921 Ashland (4.4 mi) 17824 Elysburg (6.7 mi) 17964 Pitman (7.4 mi) 17820 Catawissa (8.1 mi) 17935 Girardville (8.1 mi) 17938 Hegins (9.7 mi) 17932 Frackville (10.7 mi) 17860 Paxinos (11.1 mi) 17901 Pottsville (11.4 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	7,232
Population density	482 / sq mi
State FIPS	42
County FIPS	097

Geography
Land area	14.99 sq mi
Water area	0.14 sq mi
Latitude	40.7942
Longitude	-76.4355
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	570/272

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	60.4%	50.8%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	31.7%	30.7%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	7.9%	16.2%	22.4%
Over $200k	0.0%	2.3%	7.1%

Demographics & statistics

7,232

Population

482

People per sq mi

44.6

Median age

$48,287

Median household income

$24,929

Per capita income

$62,800

Median home value

$765

Median monthly rent

72.4%

Home ownership

16.9%

Poverty rate

8.4%

Unemployment

3,063

Housing units

13.2%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

166

Under 5

161

195

5–9

191

137

10–14

133

265

15–19

258

178

20–24

173

423

25–34

413

506

35–44

493

401

45–54

390

286

55–59

278

302

60–64

294

495

65–74

483

188

75–84

184

121

85+

118

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,299	18.0%
18 and over	5,933	82.0%
65 and over	1,589	22.0%
Median age	44.6 years

Race & ethnicity

White 89.7%

Hispanic or Latino 3.9%

Two or more races 3.7%

Black or African American 1.6%

Other race 0.7%

Asian 0.4%

Group	Count	%
White	6,753	89.7%
Hispanic or Latino	296	3.9%
Two or more races	275	3.7%
Black or African American	121	1.6%
Other race	53	0.7%
Asian	30	0.4%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	60.4%	50.8%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	31.7%	30.7%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	7.9%	16.2%	22.4%
Over $200k	0.0%	2.3%	7.1%

Under $10k 7.1%

$10k–$15k 4.9%

$15k–$25k 17.1%

$25k–$35k 7.5%

$35k–$50k 15.8%

$50k–$75k 15.0%

$75k–$100k 15.7%

$100k–$150k 14.4%

$150k–$200k 2.4%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	7.1%
$10k–$15k	4.9%
$15k–$25k	17.1%
$25k–$35k	7.5%
$35k–$50k	15.8%
$50k–$75k	15.0%
$75k–$100k	15.7%
$100k–$150k	14.4%
$150k–$200k	2.4%
Median income	$48,287

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 38.9%

$50k–$100k 32.1%

$100k–$150k 12.5%

$150k–$200k 4.8%

$200k–$300k 8.1%

$300k–$500k 3.6%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$62,800
Median rent / month	$765
Owner occupied	72.4%
Renter occupied	27.6%
Vacant	22.1%
Single-family detached	35.1%
Large apartment buildings	3.2%
Mobile homes	1.1%
Median rooms	6.2
Avg household size (owned)	2.30

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	1.9%
2000–2009	1.5%
1990–1999	1.9%
1980–1989	7.3%
1970–1979	5.7%
1960–1969	3.8%
1950–1959	8.8%
1940–1949	10.9%
1939 or earlier	58.3%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.1%
1 bedroom	9.3%
2 bedrooms	26.5%
3 bedrooms	43.1%
4 bedrooms	14.7%
5+ bedrooms	5.3%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	13.0%
1 vehicle	43.7%
2 vehicles	23.7%
3 or more	19.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	30.7%
Electricity	20.7%
Propane / LP gas	3.1%
Fuel oil	37.2%
Wood	0.3%
No fuel used	0.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,180	38.8%
Cohabiting couple	202	6.6%
Male householder, no spouse	688	22.6%
Female householder, no spouse	970	31.9%
Households with children under 18	749	24.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,192	39.2%
Average household size	2.33

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	39.1%	29.4%
Married	43.5%	43.1%
Separated	1.0%	1.2%
Widowed	4.0%	12.1%
Divorced	12.5%	14.2%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.8%

Some HS, no diploma 8.1%

HS graduate 47.2%

Some college, no degree 15.5%

Associate's degree 12.2%

Bachelor's degree 8.9%

Graduate / professional 4.4%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	88.1%
Bachelor's or higher	13.2%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	1	0.1%
Kindergarten	33	2.7%
Elementary school	576	46.6%
High school	399	32.3%
College / grad school	228	18.4%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 36.5%

Manufacturing 16.3%

Retail trade 10.5%

Arts, food & hospitality 6.0%

Professional & management 5.7%

Construction 5.0%

Transportation & utilities 3.9%

Finance & real estate 3.8%

Public administration 3.7%

Wholesale trade 3.6%

Other services 3.6%

Agriculture & mining 1.4%

Information 0.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	30.7%
Service	21.6%
Sales & office	13.8%
Natural resources & construction	6.7%
Production & transportation	27.3%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	83.1%
Government	12.9%
Self-employed	4.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	76.4%
Carpool	10.4%
Public transit	0.1%
Walk	5.2%
Work from home	5.9%
Other means	2.1%
Avg commute (minutes)	22.5

Poverty

All people 16.9%

Under 18 years 26.0%

18 and over 14.9%

Married-couple families 3.8%

Female-led households 51.2%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	46.6%
Retirement income	30.3%
Supplemental Security	6.3%
Cash public assistance	5.8%
Food stamps / SNAP	26.2%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	36.6%
High blood pressure	38.3%
High cholesterol	36.6%
Diabetes	12.7%
Heart disease	9.3%
Stroke	4.3%
Asthma	10.6%
Arthritis	35.1%
Kidney disease	3.8%
Pulmonary disease	10.7%
Cancer	8.4%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	22.9%
Binge drinking	16.9%
No physical activity	28.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	37.2%
Depression	24.2%
Fair or poor health	19.2%
Poor mental health	16.5%
Poor physical health	13.6%
No health insurance	12.1%
Visited doctor (checkup)	79.6%
Visited dentist	57.5%
Cholesterol screening	88.8%
Teeth loss	20.3%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	529	8.9%

Disability	%
Any disability	22.8%
Under 18	8.9%
18–64 years	22.5%
65 and over	35.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	58.9%
Public insurance	56.0%
No insurance	3.3%
Uninsured under 19	1.5%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	6,905	95.5%
Spanish	115	1.7%
Other Indo-European	94	1.4%
Asian & Pacific Islander	21	0.3%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	7,059	97.6%
Born in same state	7,033	97.2%
Born in different state	6,177	85.4%
Foreign born	26	0.4%
Naturalized citizen	173	2.4%
Not a US citizen	63	36.4%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	1,296	17.9%
French	409	5.7%
Arab	330	4.6%

Ancestry	Count	%
Norwegian	201	2.8%
English	164	2.3%
Irish	25	0.3%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	42.0%
Internet access	80.2%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 17851

What city is ZIP code 17851 in?

ZIP code 17851 is primarily assigned to Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania.

What county is ZIP code 17851 in?

ZIP code 17851 falls within Northumberland County, Pennsylvania.

Does ZIP code 17851 have a large retiree population?

47% of households in ZIP code 17851 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 17851?

13% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 17851?

17% of residents in ZIP code 17851 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 17851?

The median home value in ZIP code 17851 is $62,800.

What timezone is ZIP code 17851 in?

ZIP code 17851 observes the EST timezone.