17872 ZIP Code — Shamokin, PA

Northumberland County, Pennsylvania

ZIP code 17872 is located in Shamokin, Pennsylvania, within Northumberland County. It covers approximately 43.02 square miles and serves a population of 9,157 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 570/272.

About ZIP code 17872

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 $81,500. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 66%.

Median household income is $36,842. Poverty affects 28% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 27% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 42% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is service, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 30 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 14% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (26%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 17872 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

9,157

population

43.02

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

17872 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 17872

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 17872. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Shamokin	Acceptable
Shamokin	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

17834 Kulpmont (2.4 mi) 17851 Mount Carmel (3.8 mi) 17964 Pitman (3.9 mi) 17824 Elysburg (6.2 mi) 17938 Hegins (6.8 mi) 17921 Ashland (7.5 mi) 17888 Wilburton (7.6 mi) 17881 Trevorton (8 mi) 17983 Valley View (8.6 mi) 17860 Paxinos (9 mi) 17981 Tremont (10.6 mi) 17968 Sacramento (10.8 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	9,157
Population density	213 / sq mi
State FIPS	42
County FIPS	097

Geography
Land area	43.02 sq mi
Water area	0.26 sq mi
Latitude	40.7629
Longitude	-76.4963
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	570/272

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	57.5%	50.8%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	27.1%	30.7%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	14.6%	16.2%	22.4%
Over $200k	0.8%	2.3%	7.1%

Demographics & statistics

9,157

Population

213

People per sq mi

41.1

Median age

$36,842

Median household income

$25,254

Per capita income

$81,500

Median home value

$680

Median monthly rent

66.0%

Home ownership

28.2%

Poverty rate

6.8%

Unemployment

4,009

Housing units

13.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

295

Under 5

287

314

5–9

307

273

10–14

266

251

15–19

244

324

20–24

316

452

25–34

441

593

35–44

578

695

45–54

678

326

55–59

317

292

60–64

285

526

65–74

513

181

75–84

177

114

85+

112

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	2,090	22.8%
18 and over	7,067	77.2%
65 and over	1,623	17.7%
Median age	41.1 years

Race & ethnicity

White 82.2%

Two or more races 10.8%

Hispanic or Latino 3.4%

Black or African American 1.9%

Other race 1.5%

Asian 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	7,798	82.2%
Two or more races	1,027	10.8%
Hispanic or Latino	324	3.4%
Black or African American	176	1.9%
Other race	146	1.5%
Asian	8	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	57.5%	50.8%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	27.1%	30.7%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	14.6%	16.2%	22.4%
Over $200k	0.8%	2.3%	7.1%

Under $10k 8.7%

$10k–$15k 10.4%

$15k–$25k 15.3%

$25k–$35k 14.0%

$35k–$50k 7.9%

$50k–$75k 16.6%

$75k–$100k 9.4%

$100k–$150k 11.5%

$150k–$200k 4.6%

$200k+ 1.5%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	8.7%
$10k–$15k	10.4%
$15k–$25k	15.3%
$25k–$35k	14.0%
$35k–$50k	7.9%
$50k–$75k	16.6%
$75k–$100k	9.4%
$100k–$150k	11.5%
$150k–$200k	4.6%
$200k+	1.5%
Median income	$36,842

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 33.7%

$50k–$100k 25.0%

$100k–$150k 13.0%

$150k–$200k 11.8%

$200k–$300k 10.8%

$300k–$500k 3.0%

$500k–$1M 2.7%

$1M+ 0.1%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$81,500
Median rent / month	$680
Owner occupied	66.0%
Renter occupied	34.0%
Vacant	27.9%
Single-family detached	42.5%
Large apartment buildings	4.8%
Mobile homes	2.1%
Median rooms	6.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.30

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	1.4%
2000–2009	1.6%
1990–1999	2.2%
1980–1989	4.3%
1970–1979	9.5%
1960–1969	8.2%
1950–1959	3.5%
1940–1949	10.1%
1939 or earlier	59.1%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.4%
1 bedroom	9.2%
2 bedrooms	23.8%
3 bedrooms	46.4%
4 bedrooms	10.9%
5+ bedrooms	8.3%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	18.0%
1 vehicle	34.2%
2 vehicles	29.9%
3 or more	17.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	21.6%
Electricity	22.0%
Propane / LP gas	3.6%
Fuel oil	45.2%
Wood	1.6%
Solar	0.2%
No fuel used	0.5%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,400	36.6%
Cohabiting couple	327	8.5%
Male householder, no spouse	894	23.3%
Female householder, no spouse	1,209	31.6%
Households with children under 18	1,064	27.8%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,319	34.4%
Average household size	2.39

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	36.8%	31.2%
Married	42.5%	39.7%
Separated	4.8%	3.9%
Widowed	6.4%	11.2%
Divorced	9.6%	14.1%

Education

Less than 9th grade 4.1%

Some HS, no diploma 14.2%

HS graduate 44.4%

Some college, no degree 15.7%

Associate's degree 7.9%

Bachelor's degree 10.7%

Graduate / professional 2.9%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	81.7%
Bachelor's or higher	13.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	19	1.1%
Kindergarten	108	6.4%
Elementary school	852	50.4%
High school	512	30.3%
College / grad school	200	11.8%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 27.2%

Retail trade 16.0%

Manufacturing 13.3%

Arts, food & hospitality 9.8%

Construction 6.5%

Public administration 5.5%

Professional & management 4.4%

Other services 3.9%

Transportation & utilities 3.5%

Agriculture & mining 3.2%

Wholesale trade 2.9%

Finance & real estate 2.9%

Information 0.9%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	23.8%
Service	24.8%
Sales & office	19.8%
Natural resources & construction	10.6%
Production & transportation	21.0%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	79.6%
Government	13.9%
Self-employed	6.5%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	71.2%
Carpool	15.1%
Public transit	0.4%
Walk	5.3%
Work from home	6.7%
Other means	1.2%
Avg commute (minutes)	29.8

Poverty

All people 28.2%

Under 18 years 42.4%

18 and over 24.1%

Married-couple families 8.4%

Female-led households 54.9%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	42.3%
Retirement income	22.5%
Supplemental Security	13.7%
Cash public assistance	8.6%
Food stamps / SNAP	27.2%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	39.1%
High blood pressure	38.3%
High cholesterol	35.4%
Diabetes	13.4%
Heart disease	9.4%
Stroke	4.5%
Asthma	11.3%
Arthritis	34.7%
Kidney disease	4.0%
Pulmonary disease	11.9%
Cancer	7.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	26.0%
Binge drinking	17.0%
No physical activity	30.5%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	38.6%
Depression	25.7%
Fair or poor health	21.6%
Poor mental health	17.9%
Poor physical health	15.0%
No health insurance	12.9%
Visited doctor (checkup)	79.1%
Visited dentist	53.1%
Cholesterol screening	87.2%
Teeth loss	23.5%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	640	9.1%

Disability	%
Any disability	21.7%
Under 18	4.5%
18–64 years	22.4%
65 and over	41.2%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	53.3%
Public insurance	57.2%
No insurance	2.1%
Uninsured under 19	2.7%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	8,575	93.6%
Spanish	61	0.7%
Other Indo-European	18	0.2%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	19	0.2%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	9,038	98.7%
Born in same state	9,029	98.6%
Born in different state	7,498	81.9%
Foreign born	9	0.1%
Naturalized citizen	119	1.3%
Not a US citizen	63	52.9%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	1,065	11.6%
French	740	8.1%
English	471	5.1%
Arab	288	3.1%

Ancestry	Count	%
Norwegian	214	2.3%
Irish	165	1.8%
German	6	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	41.8%
Internet access	83.0%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 17872

What city is ZIP code 17872 in?

ZIP code 17872 is primarily assigned to Shamokin, Pennsylvania.

What county is ZIP code 17872 in?

ZIP code 17872 falls within Northumberland County, Pennsylvania.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 17872?

28% of residents in ZIP code 17872 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 17872?

14% 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 17872 have a large retiree population?

42% of households in ZIP code 17872 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 17872?

The median home value in ZIP code 17872 is $81,500.

What timezone is ZIP code 17872 in?

ZIP code 17872 observes the EST timezone.