17801 ZIP Code — Sunbury, PA

Northumberland County, Pennsylvania

ZIP code 17801 is located in Sunbury, Pennsylvania, within Northumberland County. It covers approximately 66.12 square miles and serves a population of 16,236 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 570/272.

About ZIP code 17801

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 $136,600. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 65%.

Median household income is $52,937. SNAP benefit usage at 18% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 40% 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 24 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 16% 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.

Overall, ZIP code 17801 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

16,236

population

66.12

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

17801 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 17801

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 17801. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Sunbury	Acceptable
Sunbury	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

17876 Shamokin Dam (3.1 mi) 17857 Northumberland (6.4 mi) 17860 Paxinos (7 mi) 17870 Selinsgrove (7.2 mi) 17889 Winfield (7.4 mi) 17881 Trevorton (8 mi) 17823 Dornsife (8.4 mi) 17830 Herndon (9.8 mi) 17827 Freeburg (10.1 mi) 17843 Beaver Springs (10.3 mi) 17855 New Berlin (11.1 mi) 17864 Port Trevorton (11.4 mi)

Demographics updated 07/2026

Population
Total population	16,236
Population density	246 / sq mi
State FIPS	42
County FIPS	097

Geography
Land area	66.12 sq mi
Water area	5.93 sq mi
Latitude	40.8330
Longitude	-76.7747
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	570/272

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 07/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	54.4%	50.8%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	29.3%	30.7%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	13.0%	16.2%	22.4%
Over $200k	3.4%	2.3%	7.1%

Demographics & statistics

16,236

Population

246

People per sq mi

43.5

Median age

$52,937

Median household income

$30,856

Per capita income

$136,600

Median home value

$716

Median monthly rent

65.1%

Home ownership

13.3%

Poverty rate

4.2%

Unemployment

4,980

Housing units

15.7%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

350

Under 5

385

514

5–9

564

517

10–14

569

430

15–19

473

467

20–24

514

915

25–34

1,005

797

35–44

875

1,046

45–54

1,150

521

55–59

572

550

60–64

605

966

65–74

1,062

464

75–84

509

198

85+

218

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	3,376	20.8%
18 and over	12,860	79.2%
65 and over	3,417	21.0%
Median age	43.5 years

Race & ethnicity

White 87.5%

Hispanic or Latino 4.4%

Other race 3.4%

Two or more races 2.8%

Black or African American 1.7%

Asian 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	14,867	87.5%
Hispanic or Latino	749	4.4%
Other race	585	3.4%
Two or more races	477	2.8%
Black or African American	286	1.7%
Asian	20	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	54.4%	50.8%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	29.3%	30.7%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	13.0%	16.2%	22.4%
Over $200k	3.4%	2.3%	7.1%

Under $10k 4.4%

$10k–$15k 4.7%

$15k–$25k 13.9%

$25k–$35k 9.1%

$35k–$50k 14.3%

$50k–$75k 17.5%

$75k–$100k 12.0%

$100k–$150k 14.0%

$150k–$200k 6.4%

$200k+ 3.6%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.4%
$10k–$15k	4.7%
$15k–$25k	13.9%
$25k–$35k	9.1%
$35k–$50k	14.3%
$50k–$75k	17.5%
$75k–$100k	12.0%
$100k–$150k	14.0%
$150k–$200k	6.4%
$200k+	3.6%
Median income	$52,937

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 7.9%

$50k–$100k 25.9%

$100k–$150k 20.3%

$150k–$200k 16.6%

$200k–$300k 20.6%

$300k–$500k 6.8%

$500k–$1M 1.3%

$1M+ 0.7%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$136,600
Median rent / month	$716
Owner occupied	65.1%
Renter occupied	34.9%
Vacant	8.1%
Single-family detached	60.8%
Large apartment buildings	8.0%
Mobile homes	3.0%
Median rooms	6.1
Avg household size (owned)	2.48

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.2%
2010–2019	1.6%
2000–2009	3.1%
1990–1999	7.9%
1980–1989	8.0%
1970–1979	14.8%
1960–1969	8.4%
1950–1959	10.3%
1940–1949	6.6%
1939 or earlier	39.2%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.6%
1 bedroom	12.1%
2 bedrooms	19.4%
3 bedrooms	52.4%
4 bedrooms	10.3%
5+ bedrooms	3.1%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	12.3%
1 vehicle	33.5%
2 vehicles	34.5%
3 or more	19.7%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	39.3%
Electricity	27.1%
Propane / LP gas	3.6%
Fuel oil	20.9%
Wood	3.4%
Solar	0.1%
No fuel used	0.5%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,833	42.0%
Cohabiting couple	652	9.7%
Male householder, no spouse	1,356	20.1%
Female householder, no spouse	1,898	28.2%
Households with children under 18	1,773	26.3%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,419	35.9%
Average household size	2.37

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	38.0%	30.8%
Married	47.8%	42.4%
Separated	1.1%	2.4%
Widowed	5.5%	11.3%
Divorced	7.6%	13.1%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.0%

Some HS, no diploma 6.9%

HS graduate 51.0%

Some college, no degree 14.8%

Associate's degree 9.6%

Bachelor's degree 12.7%

Graduate / professional 3.0%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	91.1%
Bachelor's or higher	15.7%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	258	7.9%
Kindergarten	217	6.6%
Elementary school	1,652	50.4%
High school	635	19.4%
College / grad school	513	15.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 26.0%

Retail trade 17.9%

Manufacturing 12.1%

Arts, food & hospitality 8.7%

Professional & management 6.3%

Other services 6.1%

Transportation & utilities 5.8%

Construction 5.2%

Public administration 5.1%

Finance & real estate 2.5%

Wholesale trade 2.2%

Agriculture & mining 1.5%

Information 0.5%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	26.0%
Service	18.5%
Sales & office	24.6%
Natural resources & construction	7.3%
Production & transportation	23.5%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	85.7%
Government	10.4%
Self-employed	3.5%
Unpaid family workers	0.4%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	76.2%
Carpool	10.4%
Public transit	0.5%
Walk	4.6%
Work from home	7.2%
Other means	1.2%
Avg commute (minutes)	23.5

Poverty

All people 13.3%

Under 18 years 16.0%

18 and over 12.6%

Married-couple families 2.7%

Female-led households 24.2%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	40.4%
Retirement income	25.5%
Supplemental Security	7.4%
Cash public assistance	4.7%
Food stamps / SNAP	17.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	36.5%
High blood pressure	34.8%
High cholesterol	34.9%
Diabetes	11.2%
Heart disease	7.7%
Stroke	3.6%
Asthma	10.5%
Arthritis	31.3%
Kidney disease	3.2%
Pulmonary disease	9.2%
Cancer	7.3%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	22.8%
Binge drinking	18.4%
No physical activity	26.5%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	37.6%
Depression	24.3%
Fair or poor health	17.3%
Poor mental health	16.6%
Poor physical health	12.4%
No health insurance	12.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.3%
Visited dentist	59.1%
Cholesterol screening	88.3%
Teeth loss	18.6%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,081	8.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	17.0%
Under 18	3.8%
18–64 years	13.5%
65 and over	40.9%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	67.8%
Public insurance	43.2%
No insurance	3.8%
Uninsured under 19	2.6%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	15,501	95.5%
Spanish	328	2.1%
Other Indo-European	298	1.9%
Asian & Pacific Islander	19	0.1%
Other languages	11	0.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	16,197	99.8%
Born in same state	15,858	97.7%
Born in different state	14,136	87.1%
Foreign born	339	2.1%
Naturalized citizen	39	0.2%
Not a US citizen	30	76.9%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	1,589	9.8%
French	1,559	9.6%
Arab	1,022	6.3%
English	423	2.6%
Dutch	46	0.3%

Ancestry	Count	%
Norwegian	40	0.2%
Irish	33	0.2%
Polish	14	0.1%
German	11	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	41.5%
Internet access	87.6%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 17801

What city is ZIP code 17801 in?

ZIP code 17801 is primarily assigned to Sunbury, Pennsylvania.

What county is ZIP code 17801 in?

ZIP code 17801 falls within Northumberland County, Pennsylvania.

Does ZIP code 17801 have a large retiree population?

40% of households in ZIP code 17801 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 17801?

The median home value in ZIP code 17801 is $136,600.

What is the population of ZIP code 17801?

ZIP code 17801 has an estimated population of 16,236 residents, with a density of 246 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 17801?

The median household income in ZIP code 17801 is $52,937, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 17801 in?

ZIP code 17801 observes the EST timezone.