Housing data for New Columbus, PA
New Columbus, PA has an estimated 305 residents and 127 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a borough in Luzerne County.
14.0% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $1,375 a month.
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 305 (±110)
- Housing units
- 127 (±44)
- Households that rent
- 14.0%
- Median gross rent
- $1,375
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +67.6%
What stands out in New Columbus
Homes heated by fuel oil: 52.9% (±17.1 points) in New Columbus, higher than in Luzerne County (15.8%).
Households that rent: 14.0% (±11.9 points) in New Columbus, lower than in Luzerne County (32.2%).
Average commute: 38.7 minutes (±5.2) in New Columbus, higher than in Luzerne County (23.5 minutes).
Median gross rent: $1,375 (±$176) in New Columbus, higher than in Luzerne County ($1,004).
Housing in New Columbus at a glance
- Median rent: $1,375 median gross rent a month (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Rent burden: 80.0% of renters pay 30% or more of income (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Renters and owners: 14.0% of households rent (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Income and affordability: $38,403 median household income (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Home values: $186,000 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,063 median monthly cost with a mortgage (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Property taxes: $1,700 median real estate taxes a year (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Types of homes: 0.0% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Bedrooms: 78.8% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Age of homes: 70.1% of homes were built before 1980 (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Vacancy rate: 0.0% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 52.9% heat with fuel oil or kerosene (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Commute and cars: 38.7 minutes average trip to work (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Growth: +67.6% residents since 2015–2019 (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- How long people stay: 9.9% moved in since 2020 (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Crowding and facilities: 0.0% of homes have more than 1 person per room (Small sample: wide margin of error)
New Columbus against Luzerne County, its state and the nation
| New Columbus | Luzerne County | Pennsylvania | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 305 (±110) | 327,675 (exact) | 13,018,639 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 127 (±44) | 151,287 (±105) | 5,806,452 (±672) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 14.0% (±11.9 points) | 32.2% (±0.9 points) | 30.7% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $1,375 (±$176) | $1,004 (±$25) | $1,209 (±$5) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $38,403 (±$10,097) | $63,691 (±$1,684) | $77,971 (±$342) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $186,000 (±$8,363) | $174,100 (±$3,161) | $254,500 (±$767) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $1,700 (±$920) | $2,530 (±$47) | $3,311 (±$12) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 70.1% (±33.3 points) | 74.4% (±1.5 points) | 67.3% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 38.7 minutes (±5.2) | 23.5 minutes (±0.5) | 26.3 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 69.4% (±20.5 points) | 87.8% (±0.7 points) | 89.7% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 50.6 years (±11.5) | 42.0 years (±0.2) | 40.9 years (±0.2) | 38.9 years |
New Columbus covers 3.1 square miles of land, about 98 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How New Columbus has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 182 (±58) | 305 (±110) | +67.6% | Not a measurable change |
| Housing units | 99 (±31) | 127 (±44) | +28.3% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $975 (±$764) | $1,375 (±$176) | +41.0% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $140,000 (±$25,979) | $186,000 (±$8,363) | +32.9% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median household income | $51,250 (±$30,827) | $38,403 (±$10,097) | −25.1% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,018 (±$246) | $1,063 (±$576) | +4.4% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $1,792 (±$990) | $1,700 (±$920) | −5.1% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 14.3% (±9.8 points) | 14.0% (±11.9 points) | −0.3 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% (±82.3 points) | 0.0% (±71.9 points) | 0.0 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Luzerne County
New Columbus has no police department of its own in the FBI’s figures, so this is the figure for Luzerne County as a whole.
In 2024, the police departments that report for Luzerne County recorded 185 violent and 1,007 property crimes per 100,000 residents.
A county-wide figure describes the whole county, not this place; crime varies from one community to the next.
ZIP codes in New Columbus
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17878 | 14% | 1,488 | $1,083 | $214,100 | $68,125 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near New Columbus
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huntington Township (Luzerne County) | 2.1 mi | $1,130 | $217,000 | 11.8% |
| Fishing Creek Township | 4.1 mi | $469 | $263,100 | 11.1% |
| Benton Township (Columbia County) | 4.4 mi | $870 | $209,900 | 16.8% |
| Stillwater | 4.8 mi | $1,250 | $186,100 | 11.8% |
| Benton | 5.3 mi | $956 | $168,400 | 56.6% |
| Briar Creek Township | 5.7 mi | $941 | $189,500 | 14.1% |
| Salem Township (Luzerne County) | 7.1 mi | $1,040 | $200,600 | 8.8% |
| Shickshinny | 7.2 mi | $817 | $84,800 | 41.7% |
Places in Pennsylvania most like New Columbus
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Logan Township (Clinton County) | $1,313 | $182,100 | $58,125 | 22.0% |
| Huntington Township (Luzerne County) | $1,130 | $217,000 | $62,212 | 11.8% |
| Brisbin | $1,292 | $147,500 | $57,857 | 18.1% |
| Greenwood Township (Clearfield County) | $1,042 | $111,500 | $53,036 | 7.6% |
| Hector Township | $879 | $153,700 | $51,250 | 13.7% |
| Bloomfield Township (Crawford County) | $1,097 | $133,200 | $62,721 | 17.2% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Pennsylvania.
HUD Fair Market Rent for New Columbus, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $949 | $1,106 | $1,363 | $1,786 | $1,962 |
HUD income limits for New Columbus, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $19,350 | $32,200 | $51,550 |
| 2 people | $22,100 | $36,800 | $58,900 |
| 3 people | $27,320 | $41,400 | $66,250 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $46,000 | $73,600 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $49,700 | $79,500 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $53,400 | $85,400 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $57,050 | $91,300 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $60,750 | $97,200 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $92,400.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about New Columbus
What is the average home value in New Columbus, PA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $186,000 (±$8,363) for owner-occupied homes in New Columbus (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is New Columbus growing?
In New Columbus, the number of residents went from 182 in 2015–2019 to 305 in 2020–2024 (+67.6%), not a measurable change.
What ZIP codes are in New Columbus?
The ZIP code that covers New Columbus is 17878.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 17878?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 17878 is $1,083 (±$764) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — New Columbus borough, Pennsylvania
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — New Columbus borough, Pennsylvania
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — New Columbus borough, Pennsylvania
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — New Columbus borough, Pennsylvania
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — New Columbus borough, Pennsylvania
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — New Columbus borough, Pennsylvania
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — New Columbus borough, Pennsylvania
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for New Columbus borough, Pennsylvania (place:53448, in state:42).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .