ZIP Code 18503 — Scranton city, PA Demographics & Data

ZIP code 18503 covers Scranton, PA in Lackawanna County with a population of about 1,537.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 31.5 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area codes 272, 570; U.S. House district PA-8; the WILKES BARRE - SCRANTON media market.

Scranton, PA sits in a university / college context (near lackawanna college (0.4 mi)). Expect stronger interest in student housing, rentals, walkability, transit, and a younger adult age mix versus typical suburban ZIPs.

Median household income in ZIP 18503 is about $40,214 — about 46% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 30.3%; unemployment rate near 4.4%; 40.3% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 6.5 points above the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Healthcare, Manufacturing, and Information; about 5.2% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 10.0 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 $259,400 — about 25% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $920 (about 21% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 3.3% (about 62.1 points below the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 18503 in Scranton, PA, a household would need roughly $71,000 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 $1,666. That is about 77% above the local median household income ($40,214), so the median earner would likely stretch or need a larger down payment. 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 Scranton city, PA as Relatively Moderate (composite score 89.9), which is elevated versus much of the country. The strongest component scores on US5 are flood (94.1) and hurricane (82.0). 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 Scranton city, PA show little to no average snow and around 38.7 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 70 for ZIP 18503 (Scranton city, 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.