ZIP Code 17522 — Ephrata borough, PA Demographics & Data

ZIP code 17522 covers Ephrata, PA in Lancaster County with a population of about 33,601.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 38.6 (near the U.S. median).

It sits in telephone area codes 223, 717; U.S. House district PA-11; the HARRISBURG - LNCSTR - LEB - YORK media market.

Median household income in ZIP 17522 is about $71,865 — about 4% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 8.2%; unemployment rate near 3.4%; 23.5% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 10.2 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Healthcare, Manufacturing, and Retail trade; about 6.0% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 9.2 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 $263,600 — about 24% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $954 (about 18% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 66.2% (roughly in line with the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 17522 in Ephrata, PA, a household would need roughly $73,000 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 $1,693. That is roughly in line with the local median household income ($71,865). 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 Ephrata borough, PA as Relatively High (composite score 95.0), which is among the highest nationally. The strongest component scores on US5 are flood (96.9) and hurricane (95.5). 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 Ephrata borough, PA show little to no average snow and around 42.1 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 1,530 for ZIP 17522 (Ephrata borough, 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.