16438 ZIP Code — Union City, PA

Erie County, Pennsylvania

ZIP code 16438 is located in Union City, Pennsylvania, within Erie County. It covers approximately 102.43 square miles and serves a population of 7,260 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 814.

About ZIP code 16438

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 $137,300. Owner-occupancy is high at 76%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $58,679. SNAP benefit usage at 20% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 43% 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 26 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 18% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (24%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 16438 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

7,260

population

102.43

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

16438 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 16438

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 16438. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Union City	Acceptable
Union City	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

16442 Wattsburg (7.9 mi) 16441 Waterford (8 mi) 16407 Corry (8.5 mi) 16434 Spartansburg (12 mi) 16509 Erie (13.9 mi) 16404 Centerville (14 mi) 16403 Cambridge Springs (14 mi) 16510 Erie (14.2 mi) 16444 Edinboro (14.3 mi) 14724 Clymer (14.9 mi) 14736 Findley Lake (15.3 mi) 16426 Mc Kean (15.3 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	7,260
Population density	71 / sq mi
State FIPS	42
County FIPS	049

Geography
Land area	102.43 sq mi
Water area	0.76 sq mi
Latitude	41.9165
Longitude	-79.8508
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	814

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	46.5%	47.4%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	36.6%	31.2%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	14.1%	17.7%	22.4%
Over $200k	2.7%	3.7%	7.1%

Demographics & statistics

7,260

Population

People per sq mi

47.5

Median age

$58,679

Median household income

$31,189

Per capita income

$137,300

Median home value

$756

Median monthly rent

75.6%

Home ownership

13.7%

Poverty rate

9.1%

Unemployment

3,447

Housing units

17.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

147

Under 5

164

178

5–9

197

160

10–14

179

225

15–19

251

210

20–24

233

355

25–34

395

311

35–44

345

549

45–54

611

213

55–59

237

284

60–64

316

479

65–74

532

267

75–84

296

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,356	18.7%
18 and over	5,904	81.3%
65 and over	1,700	23.4%
Median age	47.5 years

Race & ethnicity

White 90.4%

Two or more races 5%

Hispanic or Latino 3.6%

Asian 0.5%

Other race 0.5%

Group	Count	%
White	6,807	90.4%
Two or more races	374	5%
Hispanic or Latino	273	3.6%
Asian	41	0.5%
Other race	35	0.5%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	46.5%	47.4%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	36.6%	31.2%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	14.1%	17.7%	22.4%
Over $200k	2.7%	3.7%	7.1%

Under $10k 6.1%

$10k–$15k 5.7%

$15k–$25k 9.9%

$25k–$35k 9.5%

$35k–$50k 12.1%

$50k–$75k 21.7%

$75k–$100k 14.5%

$100k–$150k 11.2%

$150k–$200k 4.9%

$200k+ 4.5%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	6.1%
$10k–$15k	5.7%
$15k–$25k	9.9%
$25k–$35k	9.5%
$35k–$50k	12.1%
$50k–$75k	21.7%
$75k–$100k	14.5%
$100k–$150k	11.2%
$150k–$200k	4.9%
$200k+	4.5%
Median income	$58,679

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 10.5%

$50k–$100k 23.7%

$100k–$150k 20.5%

$150k–$200k 16.2%

$200k–$300k 15.9%

$300k–$500k 8.6%

$500k–$1M 4.5%

$1M+ 0.1%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$137,300
Median rent / month	$756
Owner occupied	75.6%
Renter occupied	24.4%
Vacant	26.5%
Single-family detached	78.0%
Large apartment buildings	1.4%
Mobile homes	9.6%
Median rooms	5.9
Avg household size (owned)	2.42

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.2%
2010–2019	4.0%
2000–2009	7.1%
1990–1999	8.4%
1980–1989	10.3%
1970–1979	10.8%
1960–1969	8.6%
1950–1959	10.8%
1940–1949	7.2%
1939 or earlier	32.6%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.0%
1 bedroom	10.1%
2 bedrooms	26.1%
3 bedrooms	46.2%
4 bedrooms	13.5%
5+ bedrooms	3.2%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	8.4%
1 vehicle	35.7%
2 vehicles	39.2%
3 or more	16.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	46.0%
Electricity	8.8%
Propane / LP gas	20.1%
Fuel oil	10.3%
Wood	9.2%
No fuel used	0.5%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,632	52.8%
Cohabiting couple	244	7.9%
Male householder, no spouse	548	17.7%
Female householder, no spouse	664	21.5%
Households with children under 18	792	25.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,213	39.3%
Average household size	2.35

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	25.9%	25.3%
Married	58.2%	51.0%
Separated	1.6%	2.9%
Widowed	4.2%	11.6%
Divorced	10.2%	9.1%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.9%

Some HS, no diploma 7.1%

HS graduate 53.5%

Some college, no degree 12.9%

Associate's degree 6.9%

Bachelor's degree 11.4%

Graduate / professional 6.2%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	91.0%
Bachelor's or higher	17.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	66	5.3%
Kindergarten	106	8.5%
Elementary school	521	41.6%
High school	368	29.4%
College / grad school	190	15.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 22.0%

Manufacturing 20.1%

Retail trade 11.9%

Transportation & utilities 7.3%

Professional & management 6.9%

Construction 6.6%

Arts, food & hospitality 5.4%

Finance & real estate 4.4%

Other services 4.2%

Agriculture & mining 3.4%

Wholesale trade 3.3%

Public administration 2.9%

Information 1.6%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	31.5%
Service	19.3%
Sales & office	17.0%
Natural resources & construction	8.3%
Production & transportation	23.9%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	84.8%
Government	8.1%
Self-employed	7.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.1%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	77.0%
Carpool	10.9%
Public transit	0.1%
Walk	3.8%
Work from home	4.7%
Other means	3.5%
Avg commute (minutes)	25.5

Poverty

All people 13.7%

Under 18 years 15.1%

18 and over 13.4%

Married-couple families 7.2%

Female-led households 37.1%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	43.1%
Retirement income	31.0%
Supplemental Security	9.2%
Cash public assistance	4.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	19.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	37.7%
High blood pressure	34.0%
High cholesterol	34.2%
Diabetes	11.5%
Heart disease	7.7%
Stroke	3.6%
Asthma	10.6%
Arthritis	30.3%
Kidney disease	3.2%
Pulmonary disease	9.6%
Cancer	6.8%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	24.0%
Binge drinking	18.9%
No physical activity	26.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	34.7%
Depression	23.9%
Fair or poor health	17.6%
Poor mental health	17.1%
Poor physical health	13.1%
No health insurance	12.3%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.0%
Visited dentist	62.1%
Cholesterol screening	87.3%
Teeth loss	20.1%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	629	10.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	19.5%
Under 18	8.8%
18–64 years	19.5%
65 and over	27.9%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	65.4%
Public insurance	48.6%
No insurance	4.4%
Uninsured under 19	4.3%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	6,949	95.7%
Spanish	59	0.8%
Other Indo-European	20	0.3%
Asian & Pacific Islander	29	0.4%
Other languages	10	0.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	7,198	99.1%
Born in same state	7,160	98.6%
Born in different state	6,372	87.8%
Foreign born	38	0.5%
Naturalized citizen	62	0.9%
Not a US citizen	39	62.9%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	941	13%
French	879	12.1%
Arab	357	4.9%
English	167	2.3%

Ancestry	Count	%
Irish	106	1.5%
Polish	13	0.2%
Dutch	5	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	42.5%
Internet access	88.1%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 16438

What city is ZIP code 16438 in?

ZIP code 16438 is primarily assigned to Union City, Pennsylvania.

What county is ZIP code 16438 in?

ZIP code 16438 falls within Erie County, Pennsylvania.

Does ZIP code 16438 have a large retiree population?

43% of households in ZIP code 16438 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 16438 have a large veteran population?

11% of civilians in ZIP code 16438 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 16438?

The median home value in ZIP code 16438 is $137,300.

What is the population of ZIP code 16438?

ZIP code 16438 has an estimated population of 7,260 residents, with a density of 71 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 16438 in?

ZIP code 16438 observes the EST timezone.