17961 ZIP Code — Orwigsburg, PA

Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania

ZIP code 17961 is located in Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania, within Schuylkill County. It covers approximately 25.62 square miles and serves a population of 6,783 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 570.

About ZIP code 17961

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 $214,200. Owner-occupancy is high at 76%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($89,066) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. The poverty rate of 4% is below the national average. 32% 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 30 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 36% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 17961 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

6,783

population

25.62

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

17961 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 17961

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 17961. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Orwigsburg	Acceptable
Orwigsburg	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

17922 Auburn (4.5 mi) 17953 Middleport (6.6 mi) 19526 Hamburg (6.6 mi) 17965 Port Carbon (7 mi) 17929 Cressona (7 mi) 17960 New Ringgold (7.2 mi) 17959 New Philadelphia (7.5 mi) 17972 Schuylkill Haven (7.6 mi) 17952 Mary D (8.9 mi) 17925 Brockton (9.4 mi) 19529 Kempton (10.5 mi) 17982 Tuscarora (10.6 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	6,783
Population density	265 / sq mi
State FIPS	42
County FIPS	107

Geography
Land area	25.62 sq mi
Water area	0.06 sq mi
Latitude	40.6350
Longitude	-76.0620
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	29.9%	46.8%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	39.3%	33.5%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	23.8%	17.4%	22.4%
Over $200k	7.0%	2.3%	7.1%

Demographics & statistics

6,783

Population

265

People per sq mi

47.7

Median age

$89,066

Median household income

$51,320

Per capita income

$214,200

Median home value

$836

Median monthly rent

75.8%

Home ownership

4.2%

Poverty rate

1.3%

Unemployment

2,274

Housing units

35.7%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

225

Under 5

227

242

5–9

244

180

10–14

182

203

15–19

205

20–24

261

25–34

264

391

35–44

395

483

45–54

488

251

55–59

254

314

60–64

317

446

65–74

451

198

75–84

200

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,496	22.1%
18 and over	5,287	77.9%
65 and over	1,471	21.7%
Median age	47.7 years

Race & ethnicity

White 91.5%

Two or more races 5.2%

Hispanic or Latino 1.4%

Asian 1.2%

Black or African American 0.6%

Other race 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	6,295	91.5%
Two or more races	358	5.2%
Hispanic or Latino	95	1.4%
Asian	85	1.2%
Black or African American	41	0.6%
Other race	4	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	29.9%	46.8%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	39.3%	33.5%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	23.8%	17.4%	22.4%
Over $200k	7.0%	2.3%	7.1%

Under $10k 2.0%

$10k–$15k 2.1%

$15k–$25k 3.8%

$25k–$35k 7.2%

$35k–$50k 7.8%

$50k–$75k 14.6%

$75k–$100k 19.3%

$100k–$150k 17.8%

$150k–$200k 11.4%

$200k+ 14.0%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.0%
$10k–$15k	2.1%
$15k–$25k	3.8%
$25k–$35k	7.2%
$35k–$50k	7.8%
$50k–$75k	14.6%
$75k–$100k	19.3%
$100k–$150k	17.8%
$150k–$200k	11.4%
$200k+	14.0%
Median income	$89,066

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 4.4%

$50k–$100k 7.5%

$100k–$150k 13.8%

$150k–$200k 19.9%

$200k–$300k 25.9%

$300k–$500k 21.1%

$500k–$1M 7.0%

$1M+ 0.4%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$214,200
Median rent / month	$836
Owner occupied	75.8%
Renter occupied	24.2%
Vacant	7.7%
Single-family detached	64.9%
Large apartment buildings	1.8%
Mobile homes	4.1%
Median rooms	6.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.72

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	1.7%
2000–2009	9.9%
1990–1999	11.8%
1980–1989	11.9%
1970–1979	17.7%
1960–1969	12.9%
1950–1959	7.9%
1940–1949	3.1%
1939 or earlier	23.2%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	8.7%
2 bedrooms	20.4%
3 bedrooms	46.7%
4 bedrooms	17.4%
5+ bedrooms	6.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	2.8%
1 vehicle	31.4%
2 vehicles	37.9%
3 or more	27.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	1.9%
Electricity	45.6%
Propane / LP gas	7.4%
Fuel oil	36.2%
Wood	0.7%
Solar	0.7%
No fuel used	1.6%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,433	53.0%
Cohabiting couple	185	6.8%
Male householder, no spouse	475	17.6%
Female householder, no spouse	609	22.5%
Households with children under 18	651	24.1%
Households with seniors (65+)	844	31.2%
Average household size	2.41

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	27.5%	22.6%
Married	56.8%	53.1%
Separated	0.0%	0.5%
Widowed	3.2%	11.4%
Divorced	12.5%	12.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.5%

Some HS, no diploma 3.7%

HS graduate 32.1%

Some college, no degree 16.7%

Associate's degree 10.2%

Bachelor's degree 18.9%

Graduate / professional 16.8%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	94.8%
Bachelor's or higher	35.7%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	76	5.6%
Kindergarten	16	1.2%
Elementary school	753	55.4%
High school	346	25.4%
College / grad school	169	12.4%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 35.9%

Manufacturing 18.0%

Professional & management 11.7%

Retail trade 9.1%

Transportation & utilities 5.8%

Construction 5.3%

Arts, food & hospitality 3.6%

Finance & real estate 3.2%

Other services 2.4%

Wholesale trade 1.9%

Public administration 1.9%

Agriculture & mining 1.1%

Information 0.1%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	47.9%
Service	11.5%
Sales & office	14.9%
Natural resources & construction	7.9%
Production & transportation	17.8%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	83.0%
Government	13.0%
Self-employed	3.8%
Unpaid family workers	0.2%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	85.7%
Carpool	6.6%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.2%
Work from home	6.5%
Other means	1.1%
Avg commute (minutes)	30.4

Poverty

All people 4.2%

Under 18 years 1.1%

18 and over 5.1%

Married-couple families 0.7%

Female-led households 9.5%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	32.2%
Retirement income	36.2%
Supplemental Security	3.5%
Cash public assistance	2.4%
Food stamps / SNAP	5.6%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	32.9%
High blood pressure	33.7%
High cholesterol	35.2%
Diabetes	10.0%
Heart disease	7.2%
Stroke	3.0%
Asthma	9.3%
Arthritis	29.7%
Kidney disease	2.9%
Pulmonary disease	7.0%
Cancer	8.4%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	16.2%
Binge drinking	18.0%
No physical activity	23.2%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.6%
Depression	20.2%
Fair or poor health	12.5%
Poor mental health	13.8%
Poor physical health	10.0%
No health insurance	8.9%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.5%
Visited dentist	70.3%
Cholesterol screening	92.0%
Teeth loss	12.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	473	8.9%

Disability	%
Any disability	13.9%
Under 18	4.7%
18–64 years	12.3%
65 and over	30.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	86.7%
Public insurance	29.0%
No insurance	1.3%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	6,331	93.3%
Spanish	79	1.2%
Other Indo-European	4	0.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander	35	0.6%
Other languages	40	0.6%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	6,658	98.2%
Born in same state	6,535	96.3%
Born in different state	5,518	81.4%
Foreign born	123	1.8%
Naturalized citizen	125	1.8%
Not a US citizen	101	80.8%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	1,162	17.1%
French	542	8%
Arab	474	7%
Norwegian	258	3.8%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	159	2.3%
Irish	50	0.7%
German	13	0.2%
Polish	10	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	39.8%
Internet access	94.6%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 17961

What city is ZIP code 17961 in?

ZIP code 17961 is primarily assigned to Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania.

What county is ZIP code 17961 in?

ZIP code 17961 falls within Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.

What is the population of ZIP code 17961?

ZIP code 17961 has an estimated population of 6,783 residents, with a density of 265 people per square mile.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 17961?

The median home value in ZIP code 17961 is $214,200.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 17961?

The median household income in ZIP code 17961 is $89,066, above the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 17961 in?

ZIP code 17961 observes the EST timezone.