Lancaster County · Pennsylvania
ZIP code 17538
- Population
- 7,121
- Median income
- $96,463
- Median home
- $293,100
- Sales tax
- 6%
ZCTA residents
Household, past 12 months
Owner-occupied value
Pennsylvania state rate
Quick answer
ZIP 17538 sits in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and is home to 7,121 people. Median household income is $96,463, the median home is worth $293,100 and median gross rent is $1,088. 89.2% of households own their home, and purchases are taxed at 6% (Pennsylvania state rate).
- County
- Lancaster County
- State
- Pennsylvania (PA)
- Area codes
- Not published
- Metro area
- Outside covered metros
FIPS 42071
1,833 ZIPs covered
No NANPA match for this ZIP
Rate jurisdiction used for tax
The numbers for 17538
American Community Survey 2019-2023 ACS 5-year estimates for this ZCTA.
- Population
- 7,121ZIP 17538 residents
- Median household income
- $96,463Past 12 months, inflation adjusted
- Median home value
- $293,100Owner-occupied units
- Median gross rent
- $1,088Rent plus utilities, monthly
- Median age
- 51.8 yrsAll residents
- Homeownership rate
- 89.2%Owner-occupied households
Sales tax in 17538
What a purchase inside this ZIP costs at checkout.
Pennsylvania levies 6% statewide, and counties, cities and special districts inside this ZIP can add their own local rate on top. Check the county page for the local component before you quote a price.
Affordability in this ZIP
Derived from the Census medians above — indicative, not an offer.
A rent burden above 30% is the federal threshold for cost-burdened households, and a price-to-income multiple above 4× is generally considered a stretched housing market. The mortgage figure is principal and interest only — taxes, insurance and HOA dues are extra.
How 17538 compares
ZIP 17538 against the median ZIP in Lancaster County and across Pennsylvania.
| Measure | ZIP 17538 | County median | State median | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $96,463 | $86,848 | $70,000 | +38% |
| Median home value | $293,100 | $290,250 | $187,400 | +56% |
| Median gross rent | $1,088 | $1,229 | $953 | +14% |
| Population | 7,121 | 5,028 | 2,230 | +219% |
Medians are computed across the 53 ZIP areas in Lancaster County and the 1833 ZIP areas in Pennsylvania.
Statewide rank
Where this ZIP places among all 1833 Pennsylvania ZIP areas.
- Income
- #276
- Home value
- #271
- Population
- #520
richer than 83% of 1,668 state ZIPs
above 84% of 1,672 state ZIPs
larger than 72% of 1,833 state ZIPs
Comparable ZIP codes
Pennsylvania ZIP areas with almost the same household income.
Nearby ZIP codes
Other ZIP codes filed under Lancaster County.
ZIP 17538 questions
Common questions about this ZIP code.
- Where is ZIP code 17538?
- ZIP 17538 lies mostly in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. County assignment follows the largest share of land area, so a ZIP straddling a county line is filed under its dominant county.
- What sales tax do I pay in 17538?
- Pennsylvania charges 6% statewide, plus any county, city or district rate that applies locally.
- Is 17538 expensive to live in?
- Median rent runs $1,088 a month, about 14% of median household income, and the median home is worth $293,100 — +56% against the typical Pennsylvania ZIP.
- Is a ZCTA the same as a postal ZIP code?
- Not exactly. The Census builds ZIP Code Tabulation Areas from the ZIP codes of addresses inside each census block, so a ZCTA can differ slightly from the USPS delivery route of the same number, and PO-box-only ZIPs have no ZCTA at all.
Keep going
Related pages for this area.
Sources & transparency
- US Census Bureau, ACS 2019-2023 5-year estimates — 2019-2023 ACS 5-year — population, income, housing
- Census 2020 ZCTA-to-county relationship file — County assignment by largest land-area overlap
- Pennsylvania Department of Revenue — Sales tax rates and local add-ons
Last reviewed December 2024. Figures are published for reference and can change; verify with the source agency before filing or contracting. How we build and check this data.