19081 ZIP Code — Swarthmore, PA

Delaware County, Pennsylvania

ZIP code 19081 is located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, within Delaware County. It covers approximately 2.16 square miles and serves a population of 10,577 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 610/484.

About ZIP code 19081

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the 1950s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $312,600. Owner-occupancy is high at 84%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($121,167) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. The poverty rate of 5% is below the national average. 36% 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 27 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is high — 63% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

Overall, ZIP code 19081 reflects a community defined by a highly educated population, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

10,577

population

2.16

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

19081 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 19081

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 19081. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Swarthmore	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

19033 Folsom (1.1 mi) 19070 Morton (1.4 mi) 19094 Woodlyn (1.5 mi) 19098 Holmes (2.1 mi) 19043 Holmes (2.1 mi) 19078 Ridley Park (2.2 mi) 19076 Prospect Park (2.2 mi) 19091 Media (2.6 mi) 19022 Crum Lynne (2.7 mi) 19074 Norwood (2.8 mi) 19036 Glenolden (2.9 mi) 19015 Brookhaven (3.1 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	10,577
Population density	4,897 / sq mi
State FIPS	42
County FIPS	045

Geography
Land area	2.16 sq mi
Water area	0.00 sq mi
Latitude	39.8969
Longitude	-75.3469
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	610/484

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	25.9%	33.0%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	22.3%	26.9%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	33.5%	26.8%	22.4%
Over $200k	18.4%	13.2%	7.1%

Demographics & statistics

10,577

Population

4,897

People per sq mi

36.9

Median age

$121,167

Median household income

$57,939

Per capita income

$312,600

Median home value

$1,404

Median monthly rent

84.4%

Home ownership

4.9%

Poverty rate

8.1%

Unemployment

3,292

Housing units

63.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

267

Under 5

289

203

5–9

219

340

10–14

369

580

15–19

629

464

20–24

503

607

25–34

658

35–44

713

440

45–54

477

311

55–59

336

344

60–64

373

408

65–74

441

304

75–84

329

151

85+

164

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	2,048	19.4%
18 and over	8,529	80.6%
65 and over	1,797	17.0%
Median age	36.9 years

Race & ethnicity

White 83.1%

Two or more races 5.3%

Asian 4.8%

Black or African American 4.4%

Hispanic or Latino 1.4%

Other race 0.8%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%

Group	Count	%
White	8,907	83.1%
Two or more races	569	5.3%
Asian	512	4.8%
Black or African American	477	4.4%
Hispanic or Latino	145	1.4%
Other race	82	0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	30	0.3%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	25.9%	33.0%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	22.3%	26.9%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	33.5%	26.8%	22.4%
Over $200k	18.4%	13.2%	7.1%

Under $10k 1.8%

$10k–$15k 4.0%

$15k–$25k 2.6%

$25k–$35k 4.3%

$35k–$50k 8.5%

$50k–$75k 13.0%

$75k–$100k 7.7%

$100k–$150k 20.6%

$150k–$200k 11.0%

$200k+ 26.5%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	1.8%
$10k–$15k	4.0%
$15k–$25k	2.6%
$25k–$35k	4.3%
$35k–$50k	8.5%
$50k–$75k	13.0%
$75k–$100k	7.7%
$100k–$150k	20.6%
$150k–$200k	11.0%
$200k+	26.5%
Median income	$121,167

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 1.3%

$50k–$100k 2.2%

$100k–$150k 10.3%

$150k–$200k 11.1%

$200k–$300k 23.6%

$300k–$500k 24.1%

$500k–$1M 25.6%

$1M+ 1.8%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$312,600
Median rent / month	$1,404
Owner occupied	84.4%
Renter occupied	15.6%
Vacant	4.1%
Single-family detached	50.5%
Large apartment buildings	14.4%
Mobile homes	0.4%
Median rooms	6.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.54

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	1.1%
2000–2009	0.9%
1990–1999	1.5%
1980–1989	0.5%
1970–1979	10.4%
1960–1969	15.9%
1950–1959	33.7%
1940–1949	3.1%
1939 or earlier	32.8%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	3.0%
1 bedroom	7.8%
2 bedrooms	21.3%
3 bedrooms	39.3%
4 bedrooms	19.3%
5+ bedrooms	9.4%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.1%
1 vehicle	37.0%
2 vehicles	44.7%
3 or more	14.2%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	73.6%
Electricity	12.7%
Propane / LP gas	0.4%
Fuel oil	12.3%
No fuel used	0.4%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,019	54.4%
Cohabiting couple	264	7.1%
Male householder, no spouse	490	13.2%
Female householder, no spouse	939	25.3%
Households with children under 18	1,296	34.9%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,327	35.7%
Average household size	2.44

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	40.9%	38.5%
Married	49.8%	44.5%
Separated	1.6%	1.3%
Widowed	1.9%	7.7%
Divorced	5.7%	8.0%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.3%

Some HS, no diploma 0.7%

HS graduate 19.8%

Some college, no degree 9.3%

Associate's degree 5.9%

Bachelor's degree 27.7%

Graduate / professional 35.4%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	98.0%
Bachelor's or higher	63.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	140	3.9%
Kindergarten	84	2.3%
Elementary school	844	23.4%
High school	578	16.1%
College / grad school	1,955	54.3%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 31.6%

Professional & management 12.2%

Finance & real estate 10.9%

Retail trade 9.9%

Manufacturing 9.5%

Arts, food & hospitality 7.4%

Public administration 6.0%

Transportation & utilities 3.5%

Construction 3.2%

Other services 2.5%

Information 2.1%

Wholesale trade 1.1%

Agriculture & mining 0.1%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	57.0%
Service	11.6%
Sales & office	20.0%
Natural resources & construction	4.8%
Production & transportation	6.6%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	78.1%
Government	16.0%
Self-employed	5.9%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	64.4%
Carpool	4.4%
Public transit	6.6%
Walk	9.0%
Work from home	14.3%
Other means	1.3%
Avg commute (minutes)	27.0

Poverty

All people 4.9%

Under 18 years 5.9%

18 and over 4.6%

Married-couple families 4.0%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	35.6%
Retirement income	26.4%
Supplemental Security	3.9%
Cash public assistance	1.6%
Food stamps / SNAP	6.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	24.5%
High blood pressure	28.2%
High cholesterol	29.7%
Diabetes	8.0%
Heart disease	5.2%
Stroke	2.2%
Asthma	9.0%
Arthritis	21.5%
Kidney disease	2.3%
Pulmonary disease	4.9%
Cancer	6.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	11.8%
Binge drinking	19.5%
No physical activity	17.2%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.6%
Depression	20.8%
Fair or poor health	9.4%
Poor mental health	13.9%
Poor physical health	7.8%
No health insurance	7.7%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.0%
Visited dentist	74.5%
Cholesterol screening	89.8%
Teeth loss	8.9%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	358	4.2%

Disability	%
Any disability	9.1%
Under 18	3.1%
18–64 years	6.4%
65 and over	26.4%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	87.0%
Public insurance	26.8%
No insurance	1.6%
Uninsured under 19	1.6%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	10,021	94.7%
Spanish	205	2.0%
Other Indo-European	34	0.3%
Asian & Pacific Islander	68	0.7%
Other languages	69	0.7%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	9,738	92.1%
Born in same state	9,585	90.6%
Born in different state	6,708	63.4%
Foreign born	153	1.4%
Naturalized citizen	839	7.9%
Not a US citizen	570	67.9%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	3,416	32.3%
French	1,035	9.8%
Arab	389	3.7%
English	128	1.2%
Norwegian	56	0.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
Irish	33	0.3%
Dutch	24	0.2%
Polish	19	0.2%
German	9	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	35.1%
Internet access	95.9%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 19081

What city is ZIP code 19081 in?

ZIP code 19081 is primarily assigned to Swarthmore, Pennsylvania.

What county is ZIP code 19081 in?

ZIP code 19081 falls within Delaware County, Pennsylvania.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 19081?

63% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.

Is ZIP code 19081 mostly owner-occupied?

84% of occupied units in ZIP code 19081 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 19081 have a large retiree population?

36% of households in ZIP code 19081 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 19081?

The median household income in ZIP code 19081 is $121,167, above the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 19081 in?

ZIP code 19081 observes the EST timezone.