17978 ZIP Code — Spring Glen, PA

Dauphin County, Pennsylvania

ZIP code 17978 is located in Spring Glen, Pennsylvania, within Dauphin County. It covers approximately 6.77 square miles and serves a population of 739 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 570.

About ZIP code 17978

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 $169,300. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 63%.

Median household income is $56,528. SNAP benefit usage at 19% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 32% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is natural resources, construction, and trades, with manufacturing as the leading industry. The average commute of 20 minutes is near the national average.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (20%) compared to national benchmarks. 23% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

Overall, ZIP code 17978 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

739

population

6.77

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

17978 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 17978

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 17978. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Spring Glen	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

17968 Sacramento (1.5 mi) 17098 Williamstown (3.4 mi) 17030 Gratz (3.8 mi) 17048 Lykens (4.6 mi) 17983 Valley View (4.7 mi) 17980 Tower City (6.7 mi) 17823 Dornsife (7 mi) 17938 Hegins (7.3 mi) 17957 Muir (7.9 mi) 17830 Herndon (8 mi) 17964 Pitman (8.1 mi) 17881 Trevorton (9.1 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	739
Population density	109 / sq mi
State FIPS	42
County FIPS	043

Geography
Land area	6.77 sq mi
Water area	0.00 sq mi
Latitude	40.6349
Longitude	-76.6423
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	52.2%	38.4%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	42.6%	34.2%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	5.1%	21.5%	22.4%
Over $200k	0.0%	5.9%	7.1%

Demographics & statistics

739

Population

109

People per sq mi

35.3

Median age

$56,528

Median household income

$21,042

Per capita income

$169,300

Median home value

$858

Median monthly rent

63.1%

Home ownership

8.7%

Poverty rate

2.9%

Unemployment

148

Housing units

0.7%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

35–44

45–54

55–59

60–64

65–74

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	265	35.9%
18 and over	474	64.1%
65 and over	85	11.5%
Median age	35.3 years

Race & ethnicity

White 99.6%

Two or more races 0.3%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	736	99.6%
Two or more races	2	0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	52.2%	38.4%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	42.6%	34.2%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	5.1%	21.5%	22.4%
Over $200k	0.0%	5.9%	7.1%

Under $10k 1.4%

$15k–$25k 12.6%

$25k–$35k 6.1%

$35k–$50k 3.3%

$50k–$75k 43.9%

$75k–$100k 9.3%

$100k–$150k 15.0%

$150k–$200k 3.3%

$200k+ 5.1%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	1.4%
$15k–$25k	12.6%
$25k–$35k	6.1%
$35k–$50k	3.3%
$50k–$75k	43.9%
$75k–$100k	9.3%
$100k–$150k	15.0%
$150k–$200k	3.3%
$200k+	5.1%
Median income	$56,528

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 6.7%

$50k–$100k 9.6%

$100k–$150k 27.4%

$150k–$200k 15.6%

$200k–$300k 4.4%

$300k–$500k 16.3%

$500k–$1M 18.5%

$1M+ 1.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$169,300
Median rent / month	$858
Owner occupied	63.1%
Renter occupied	36.9%
Vacant	5.7%
Single-family detached	91.2%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	5.3%
Median rooms	6.4
Avg household size (owned)	3.41

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	8.4%
2000–2009	7.5%
1990–1999	5.3%
1980–1989	0.0%
1970–1979	12.8%
1960–1969	12.3%
1950–1959	11.5%
1940–1949	1.8%
1939 or earlier	40.5%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	0.0%
2 bedrooms	28.2%
3 bedrooms	37.9%
4 bedrooms	23.3%
5+ bedrooms	10.6%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	28.5%
1 vehicle	20.6%
2 vehicles	23.4%
3 or more	27.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	0.5%
Electricity	3.7%
Propane / LP gas	20.6%
Fuel oil	50.5%
Wood	11.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	154	72.0%
Cohabiting couple	2	0.9%
Male householder, no spouse	38	17.8%
Female householder, no spouse	20	9.3%
Households with children under 18	70	32.7%
Households with seniors (65+)	67	31.3%
Average household size	3.45

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	33.6%	27.2%
Married	56.8%	62.2%
Separated	0.0%	0.0%
Widowed	4.6%	6.5%
Divorced	5.0%	4.1%

Education

Less than 9th grade 26.9%

Some HS, no diploma 14.0%

HS graduate 51.1%

Some college, no degree 5.2%

Associate's degree 2.0%

Bachelor's degree 0.7%

Graduate / professional 0.0%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	59.1%
Bachelor's or higher	0.7%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	18	8.1%
Kindergarten	3	1.4%
Elementary school	154	69.7%
High school	46	20.8%
College / grad school	0	0.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Manufacturing 34.7%

Construction 20.5%

Retail trade 17.9%

Education & healthcare 9.0%

Agriculture & mining 6.7%

Transportation & utilities 3.4%

Arts, food & hospitality 2.6%

Public administration 1.9%

Information 1.5%

Other services 1.1%

Wholesale trade 0.7%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	5.2%
Service	22.0%
Sales & office	7.8%
Natural resources & construction	33.6%
Production & transportation	31.3%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	89.6%
Government	5.2%
Self-employed	5.2%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	53.4%
Carpool	16.4%
Public transit	1.1%
Walk	13.4%
Work from home	0.0%
Other means	15.7%
Avg commute (minutes)	19.7

Poverty

All people 8.7%

Under 18 years 9.1%

18 and over 8.4%

Married-couple families 1.9%

Female-led households 100.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	31.8%
Retirement income	26.6%
Supplemental Security	7.9%
Cash public assistance	7.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	18.7%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	35.9%
High blood pressure	34.8%
High cholesterol	34.9%
Diabetes	10.8%
Heart disease	7.6%
Stroke	3.3%
Asthma	9.7%
Arthritis	30.0%
Kidney disease	3.0%
Pulmonary disease	8.2%
Cancer	7.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	20.2%
Binge drinking	18.8%
No physical activity	25.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	34.5%
Depression	21.3%
Fair or poor health	14.8%
Poor mental health	15.1%
Poor physical health	11.4%
No health insurance	10.6%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.3%
Visited dentist	65.0%
Cholesterol screening	90.3%
Teeth loss	14.9%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	31	6.5%

Disability	%
Any disability	14.2%
Under 18	5.7%
18–64 years	9.0%
65 and over	64.7%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	50.2%
Public insurance	41.5%
No insurance	22.6%
Uninsured under 19	17.3%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	703	95.1%
Spanish	82	11.7%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	82	11.7%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	739	100.0%
Born in same state	739	100.0%
Born in different state	708	95.8%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	0	0.0%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	55	7.4%
Arab	52	7%

Ancestry	Count	%
French	8	1.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	29.0%
Internet access	57.0%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 17978

What city is ZIP code 17978 in?

ZIP code 17978 is primarily assigned to Spring Glen, Pennsylvania.

What county is ZIP code 17978 in?

ZIP code 17978 falls within Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.

Is ZIP code 17978 family-oriented?

36% of residents in ZIP code 17978 are under 18, reflecting a younger, family-oriented community.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 17978?

The median home value in ZIP code 17978 is $169,300.

What is the population of ZIP code 17978?

ZIP code 17978 has an estimated population of 739 residents, with a density of 109 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 17978?

The median household income in ZIP code 17978 is $56,528, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 17978 in?

ZIP code 17978 observes the EST timezone.