17985 ZIP Code — Zion Grove, PA

Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania

ZIP code 17985 is located in Zion Grove, Pennsylvania, within Schuylkill County. It covers approximately 36.55 square miles and serves a population of 1,295 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 570.

About ZIP code 17985

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 $163,800. Owner-occupancy is high at 86%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $70,703. The poverty rate of 6% is below the national average. 43% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with manufacturing as the leading industry. The average commute of 31 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 (20%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 17985 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

1,295

population

36.55

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

17985 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 17985

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 17985. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Zion Grove	Acceptable
Zion Grove	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

18241 Nuremberg (2.9 mi) 17967 Ringtown (6.4 mi) 18635 Nescopeck (6.7 mi) 17976 Shenandoah (7.9 mi) 18249 Sugarloaf (8.3 mi) 17820 Catawissa (8.5 mi) 17935 Girardville (9.4 mi) 17948 Mahanoy City (10 mi) 17888 Wilburton (10.2 mi) 17932 Frackville (10.3 mi) 17931 Frackville (10.7 mi) 18214 Barnesville (11.6 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	1,295
Population density	35 / sq mi
State FIPS	42
County FIPS	107

Geography
Land area	36.55 sq mi
Water area	0.14 sq mi
Latitude	40.9320
Longitude	-76.2420
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	36.9%	46.8%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	38.5%	33.5%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	23.8%	17.4%	22.4%
Over $200k	0.8%	2.3%	7.1%

Demographics & statistics

1,295

Population

People per sq mi

48.3

Median age

$70,703

Median household income

$36,783

Per capita income

$163,800

Median home value

$1,077

Median monthly rent

85.6%

Home ownership

5.8%

Poverty rate

1.7%

Unemployment

584

Housing units

13.9%

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	231	17.8%
18 and over	1,064	82.2%
65 and over	317	24.5%
Median age	48.3 years

Race & ethnicity

White 91.4%

Black or African American 3.2%

Hispanic or Latino 2.6%

Two or more races 2%

Other race 0.7%

Asian 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	1,215	91.4%
Black or African American	43	3.2%
Hispanic or Latino	34	2.6%
Two or more races	27	2%
Other race	9	0.7%
Asian	1	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	36.9%	46.8%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	38.5%	33.5%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	23.8%	17.4%	22.4%
Over $200k	0.8%	2.3%	7.1%

Under $10k 1.7%

$10k–$15k 0.9%

$15k–$25k 8.6%

$25k–$35k 10.9%

$35k–$50k 12.9%

$50k–$75k 18.4%

$75k–$100k 12.6%

$100k–$150k 18.9%

$150k–$200k 7.5%

$200k+ 7.5%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	1.7%
$10k–$15k	0.9%
$15k–$25k	8.6%
$25k–$35k	10.9%
$35k–$50k	12.9%
$50k–$75k	18.4%
$75k–$100k	12.6%
$100k–$150k	18.9%
$150k–$200k	7.5%
$200k+	7.5%
Median income	$70,703

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 2.0%

$50k–$100k 15.4%

$100k–$150k 24.3%

$150k–$200k 23.0%

$200k–$300k 15.8%

$300k–$500k 15.8%

$500k–$1M 2.9%

$1M+ 0.9%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$163,800
Median rent / month	$1,077
Owner occupied	85.6%
Renter occupied	14.4%
Vacant	19.4%
Single-family detached	91.2%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	2.6%
Median rooms	5.9
Avg household size (owned)	2.56

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.5%
2010–2019	2.4%
2000–2009	10.7%
1990–1999	13.2%
1980–1989	10.6%
1970–1979	15.6%
1960–1969	6.5%
1950–1959	3.3%
1940–1949	3.5%
1939 or earlier	33.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	6.4%
2 bedrooms	24.1%
3 bedrooms	51.0%
4 bedrooms	13.8%
5+ bedrooms	4.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	0.9%
1 vehicle	24.4%
2 vehicles	48.2%
3 or more	26.5%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	1.7%
Electricity	26.1%
Propane / LP gas	12.9%
Fuel oil	35.1%
Wood	7.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	276	51.8%
Cohabiting couple	45	8.4%
Male householder, no spouse	112	21.0%
Female householder, no spouse	100	18.8%
Households with children under 18	130	24.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	214	40.2%
Average household size	2.43

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	28.9%	25.1%
Married	51.2%	55.3%
Separated	3.7%	0.0%
Widowed	3.4%	12.4%
Divorced	12.8%	7.2%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.5%

Some HS, no diploma 7.5%

HS graduate 46.1%

Some college, no degree 18.7%

Associate's degree 12.4%

Bachelor's degree 7.8%

Graduate / professional 6.1%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	91.0%
Bachelor's or higher	13.9%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	4	1.8%
Kindergarten	35	16.1%
Elementary school	107	49.1%
High school	57	26.1%
College / grad school	15	6.9%

Employment

Industry of employment

Manufacturing 22.9%

Education & healthcare 19.7%

Agriculture & mining 10.1%

Other services 8.6%

Transportation & utilities 7.7%

Public administration 7.0%

Construction 5.4%

Professional & management 4.7%

Retail trade 4.4%

Finance & real estate 3.4%

Arts, food & hospitality 3.4%

Information 1.9%

Wholesale trade 1.0%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	32.8%
Service	13.0%
Sales & office	17.9%
Natural resources & construction	12.8%
Production & transportation	23.5%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	70.6%
Government	13.4%
Self-employed	16.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	70.5%
Carpool	15.3%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	3.0%
Work from home	10.9%
Other means	0.3%
Avg commute (minutes)	31.2

Poverty

All people 5.8%

Under 18 years 3.6%

18 and over 6.3%

Married-couple families 1.4%

Female-led households 8.3%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	42.8%
Retirement income	26.1%
Supplemental Security	4.7%
Cash public assistance	0.9%
Food stamps / SNAP	2.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	36.0%
High blood pressure	34.0%
High cholesterol	34.3%
Diabetes	10.5%
Heart disease	7.2%
Stroke	3.1%
Asthma	9.7%
Arthritis	29.1%
Kidney disease	2.9%
Pulmonary disease	7.8%
Cancer	7.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	20.2%
Binge drinking	19.1%
No physical activity	24.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	34.8%
Depression	21.5%
Fair or poor health	14.2%
Poor mental health	15.2%
Poor physical health	11.1%
No health insurance	10.2%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.1%
Visited dentist	65.6%
Cholesterol screening	90.4%
Teeth loss	14.4%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	82	7.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	15.0%
Under 18	12.6%
18–64 years	10.3%
65 and over	27.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	74.9%
Public insurance	35.8%
No insurance	7.3%
Uninsured under 19	5.3%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,258	97.1%
Spanish	0	0.0%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	1,279	98.8%
Born in same state	1,279	98.8%
Born in different state	1,157	89.3%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	16	1.2%
Not a US citizen	16	100.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	178	13.7%
French	85	6.6%
English	61	4.7%

Ancestry	Count	%
Norwegian	46	3.6%
Arab	40	3.1%
Polish	3	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	41.2%
Internet access	88.6%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 17985

What city is ZIP code 17985 in?

ZIP code 17985 is primarily assigned to Zion Grove, Pennsylvania.

What county is ZIP code 17985 in?

ZIP code 17985 falls within Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.

Is ZIP code 17985 mostly owner-occupied?

86% of occupied units in ZIP code 17985 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 17985?

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 17985 have a large retiree population?

43% of households in ZIP code 17985 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 17985?

The median home value in ZIP code 17985 is $163,800.

What timezone is ZIP code 17985 in?

ZIP code 17985 observes the EST timezone.