17974 ZIP Code — Seltzer, PA

Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania

ZIP code 17974 is located in Seltzer, Pennsylvania, within Schuylkill County. It covers approximately 0.08 square miles and serves a population of 388 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 570.

About ZIP code 17974

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 $145,800. Owner-occupancy is high at 82%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $84,167. SNAP benefit usage at 27% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 34% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is sales and office, with retail trade as the leading industry. An above-average commute of 41 minutes suggests many residents work outside the immediate area.

College attainment at 17% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Overall, ZIP code 17974 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

388

population

0.08

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

17974 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 17974

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 17974. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Seltzer	Acceptable

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	388
Population density	4,850 / sq mi
State FIPS	42
County FIPS	107

Geography
Land area	0.08 sq mi
Water area	0.00 sq mi
Latitude	40.6959
Longitude	-76.2364
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	49.6%	46.8%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	50.4%	33.5%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	0.0%	17.4%	22.4%
Over $200k	0.0%	2.3%	7.1%

Demographics & statistics

388

Population

4,850

People per sq mi

33.1

Median age

$84,167

Median household income

$28,909

Per capita income

$145,800

Median home value

Median monthly rent

82.0%

Home ownership

11.3%

Poverty rate

9.9%

Unemployment

114

Housing units

16.7%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

35–44

45–54

65–74

75–84

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	101	26.0%
18 and over	287	74.0%
65 and over	82	21.1%
Median age	33.1 years

Race & ethnicity

White 92%

Two or more races 8%

Group	Count	%
White	357	92%
Two or more races	31	8%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	49.6%	46.8%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	50.4%	33.5%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	0.0%	17.4%	22.4%
Over $200k	0.0%	2.3%	7.1%

$15k–$25k 9.0%

$35k–$50k 23.0%

$50k–$75k 6.6%

$75k–$100k 17.2%

$100k–$150k 44.3%

Range	% of households
$15k–$25k	9.0%
$35k–$50k	23.0%
$50k–$75k	6.6%
$75k–$100k	17.2%
$100k–$150k	44.3%
Median income	$84,167

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 8.0%

$100k–$150k 45.0%

$150k–$200k 26.0%

$200k–$300k 21.0%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$145,800
Median rent / month	$0
Owner occupied	82.0%
Renter occupied	18.0%
Vacant	10.3%
Single-family detached	94.1%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	0.0%
Median rooms	6.0
Avg household size (owned)	2.99

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	0.0%
2000–2009	8.1%
1990–1999	15.4%
1980–1989	0.0%
1970–1979	11.0%
1960–1969	13.2%
1950–1959	0.0%
1940–1949	0.0%
1939 or earlier	52.2%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	0.0%
2 bedrooms	0.0%
3 bedrooms	84.6%
4 bedrooms	15.4%
5+ bedrooms	0.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	0.0%
1 vehicle	0.0%
2 vehicles	91.0%
3 or more	9.0%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Fuel oil	59.0%
Solar	9.0%
No fuel used	17.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	93	76.2%
Cohabiting couple	18	14.8%
Male householder, no spouse	0	0.0%
Female householder, no spouse	11	9.0%
Households with children under 18	51	41.8%
Households with seniors (65+)	42	34.4%
Average household size	3.18

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	29.1%	36.8%
Married	70.9%	56.1%
Separated	0.0%	0.0%
Widowed	0.0%	0.0%
Divorced	0.0%	7.1%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.0%

Some HS, no diploma 9.3%

HS graduate 35.6%

Some college, no degree 28.2%

Associate's degree 10.2%

Bachelor's degree 16.7%

Graduate / professional 0.0%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	90.7%
Bachelor's or higher	16.7%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	0	0.0%
Kindergarten	0	0.0%
Elementary school	35	79.5%
High school	9	20.5%
College / grad school	0	0.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Retail trade 33.6%

Manufacturing 23.4%

Finance & real estate 22.7%

Construction 14.1%

Education & healthcare 6.3%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	22.7%
Service	6.3%
Sales & office	33.6%
Natural resources & construction	31.3%
Production & transportation	6.3%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	85.2%
Government	14.8%
Self-employed	0.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	100.0%
Carpool	0.0%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	0.0%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	41.1

Poverty

All people 11.3%

Under 18 years 0.0%

18 and over 15.3%

Married-couple families 0.0%

Female-led households 100.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	34.4%
Retirement income	34.4%
Supplemental Security	0.0%
Cash public assistance	0.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	27.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	36.0%
High blood pressure	38.8%
High cholesterol	38.2%
Diabetes	12.6%
Heart disease	9.1%
Stroke	3.7%
Asthma	9.6%
Arthritis	33.5%
Kidney disease	3.5%
Pulmonary disease	9.2%
Cancer	8.9%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	19.2%
Binge drinking	16.8%
No physical activity	26.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	33.3%
Depression	20.8%
Fair or poor health	15.6%
Poor mental health	14.2%
Poor physical health	12.0%
No health insurance	10.2%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.6%
Visited dentist	65.7%
Cholesterol screening	91.9%
Teeth loss	14.3%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	6	2.1%

Disability	%
Any disability	5.2%
Under 18	0.0%
18–64 years	0.0%
65 and over	24.4%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	85.8%
Public insurance	52.6%
No insurance	2.8%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	331	85.3%
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)	388	100.0%
Born in same state	388	100.0%
Born in different state	359	92.5%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	0	0.0%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	101	26%
Norwegian	38	9.8%

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	31	8%
English	6	1.5%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	31.4%
Internet access	100.0%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 17974

What city is ZIP code 17974 in?

ZIP code 17974 is primarily assigned to Seltzer, Pennsylvania.

What county is ZIP code 17974 in?

ZIP code 17974 falls within Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.

Is ZIP code 17974 mostly owner-occupied?

82% of occupied units in ZIP code 17974 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 17974?

The median home value in ZIP code 17974 is $145,800.

What is the population of ZIP code 17974?

ZIP code 17974 has an estimated population of 388 residents, with a density of 5,105 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 17974?

The median household income in ZIP code 17974 is $84,167, above the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 17974 in?

ZIP code 17974 observes the EST timezone.