ZIP Code 17856 — New Columbia CDP, PA Demographics & Data

ZIP code 17856 covers New Columbia, PA in Union County with a population of about 3,085.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 48.0 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area codes 272, 570; U.S. House district PA-15; the WILKES BARRE - SCRANTON media market.

Median household income in ZIP 17856 is about $92,400 — about 23% above the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 7.6%; unemployment rate near 3.1%; 22.8% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 10.9 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Manufacturing, Healthcare, and Other services; about 2.9% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 12.3 points below the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 180.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $188,400 — about 46% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $617 (about 47% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 93.8% (about 28.4 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 17856 in New Columbia, PA, a household would need roughly $52,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $1,210. That sits below the local median household income ($92,400), suggesting the typical household income is closer to a workable buy-in level under these assumptions. Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates natural-hazard risk for New Columbia CDP, PA as Relatively Low (composite score 55.2), which is near the middle of the national distribution. The strongest component scores on US5 are hurricane (74.3) and flood (71.8). These scores are county-linked NRI values published for planning context — all ZIP codes in the same county share the same composite score on US5. Useful when comparing insurance and disaster exposure across areas, not a substitute for a parcel-level flood or fire determination.

Climate normals for New Columbia CDP, PA show little to no average snow and around 43.9 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 140 for ZIP 17856 (New Columbia CDP, PA) on US5’s published series — a signal of people/tax filers moving in relative to those leaving. Inflows often track job growth, housing demand, or lifestyle migration; treat the figure as a directional indicator rather than a precise headcount.