Post office closures: Where USPS post offices could disappear first
Key Findings
- Since the 1960s, over 8,000 post offices have closed across the country, at an average rate of 1,100 per decade.
- A typical post office serves approximately 12,843 people, while some serve over 110,000 people based on their zip code locations.
- Of the nearly 40,000 post offices that have existed in the US, just 67% remain operational to this day.
- At the current rate of closures over the past 60 years, the last post office will shut its doors in 2250 (showing that postal services aren’t going away anytime soon.)
- Florida has the highest population-to-post office ratio, with every one post office in the Sunshine State serving an average of 51,708 people.
Businesses and consumers alike rely on the mail system to get important documents and packages from A to B. From sending and receiving compliance communications to sending and receiving packages, the postal service is still in demand. Between 2022 and 2024, 356 billion pieces of mail were handled by USPS.
However, despite it's continued relevancy, the number of post offices in the US is in decline, with more than a thousand shuttered on average every decade.
Our analysis reveals which US states have closed the most USPS post offices, which post offices serve the largest communities, and how or when remaining post offices might disappear altogether based on current trends.
Note: Our estimates of future post office closures are based on current and historical USPS data. However, it’s worth noting that closures may accelerate beyond our estimates if the USPS reforms under discussion in Washington come to fruition.
Closures of post offices across the US
The USPS regularly updates its listings of post offices that continue to operate and those that’ve ceased operations, often by combining or merging with other nearby offices. However, this still leaves communities with reduced access and can impact the type of service they receive.
Analyzing USPS data, we found that of the 39,427 post offices recorded to have been opened and run by the USPS, only 26,428 remain active, indicating that 67% of all post offices still exist.
A third (33%) of all post offices have shut in the US.
However, many of these closures occurred through the 1960s and into the 1990s; just under 6,500 closures took place, with 2,568 occurring in the 1960s. Since 2000, closures have slowed, with just 1,634 closing up to early 2025.
At the state level, these closures vary significantly. Our analysis of state-level data shows that fewer than a third (36%) of the 1,892 post offices that have opened in Kentucky remain operational and active - the lowest percentage of remaining post offices in the US.
Kentucky has closed 64% of its post offices.
With less than half of their total post offices still operational and active, West Virginia (46%), Virginia (47%), and Wyoming (49%) have seen the second, third, and fourth largest declines in their active post offices.
In comparison, 88% of the post offices that have opened in New Jersey are still listed by the USPS as active, followed by 87% in Delaware and 80% in Alaska, Connecticut, and Michigan.
Just 12% of post offices in New Jersey have closed.
States with the highest and lowest percentage of post offices still active
Between the mainstream adoption of email, the advent of social media, and the general shift in habits since 2000, the turn of the millennium marks a good point to see which states have seen the sharpest number of closures over the past 25 years.
Since the start of the new millennium, West Virginia has closed the most post offices, with a total of 175 closing over the past 25 years. Kentucky, meanwhile, has shut the second-highest number of post offices since 2000, with a total of 151 shutting down.
Pennsylvania (111), Missouri (102), and Virginia (76) are among the five states that have closed the most post offices since 2000.
In all, just two states have recorded no closures since 2000, those being Hawaii and Delaware.
States where post offices may soon disappear
Much like bank branches, post offices are also showing a general trend of decline. A linear projection of the national figures suggests that the U.S. could see post offices disappear entirely by 2252 - so while they’re declining at a rate of 112 per year on average, post offices will be around for a while longer.
Kentucky is on track to have no post offices by 2068.
That said, at the current linear rate of projection, Kentucky, West Virginia, and North Dakota could be without any post offices by the turn of the century. At the current rate of closures, Kentucky could be without any post offices by 2068, West Virginia by 2087, and North Dakota by 2099.
Note: Linear projections can be impacted by changes in policy, technology, and population dynamics, which could accelerate or slow closures. Our long-term estimates assume continuation of past rates.
States with the busiest post offices
As closures occur and populations within communities increase over time, the average population per post office across the country now stands at 12,843 people. However, with some states having larger populations or more closures, this figure is not spread evenly across the US.
For every post office still active in Florida, there are 51,708 residents (including children), making Florida the state with the highest population-to-post office ratio.
Florida has one post office per 51,708 people.
In a distant second place, Nevada has the second-highest population-to-post office ratio, with 39,847 people per post office. The state with the third-highest population-to-post office ratio is Arizona (39,287:1).
Number of post offices and the population they serve, by state
While the likes of Florida and California have twice the population-to-post office ratio as the national average, many states have far more intimate services.
Vermont, with a population of less than 650,000, has one post office for every 2,475 people. North Dakota, meanwhile, has one post office for every 2,700 residents.
It’s worth noting, however, that population density and centralization around cities don’t show real lived experiences for postal workers and residents.
Busiest postal zip codes
Analyzing USPS operational data, we were able to identify the “busiest” Zipcode post offices based on the local Zipcode populations from the Census Bureau.
Six of the 10 busiest post offices, based on local zip code populations, are located in California; however, the post office with the highest population density is found in Connecticut.
Connecticut’s Pleasant Valley (Zipcode: 06063) post office is the most densely populated among all post offices with matching zip codes and population data. A total of 114,453 people live in and are likely served by the Pleasant Valley post office.
Branches, stations, and postal stores typically supplement each post office; however, as a central hub with a dedicated postmaster, it can be estimated that Pleasant Valley serves the most people in the US.
The zip code and post office with the second-highest population to serve is 78660, better known as Pflugerville. A total of 110,955 people are estimated to be centrally serviced by the single post office in the city, with help from branches, stations, and stores.
Zipcodes with the largest populations per post office
Conclusion
Post offices still serve a vital part of our lives, helping small businesses to ship deliveries, and keep people connected with loved ones. However, the post office has faced a continued challenge from digital media and connections that have seen their usage plummet in recent times.
At Postal, we recognize that postal services remain a vital part of business operations. By leveraging technology to help companies and entities manage physical communications globally, we aim to mitigate the decline in postal services.
For more information about how we can help you manage your postal services, please visit our services page.
The future of post
“While email and digital communication has reduced our dependency on post, it still plays a huge role for business. More than many people realize,” said Max Clarke, CEO of Postal, a virtual mailbox provider.
“Every year, billions of important business documents, packages, and general mail are sent and received through USPS. Without the postal service, a lot of businesses, particularly in the service sector, would grind to a halt.”
“As a business that receives post for others, we can see firsthand that the demand for post offices, and the postal service generally, won’t be going away any time soon.”
Methodology:
Our analysis of USPS data reviewed Post Master finder data, looking at the opening and closing dates of post offices across the US and between different states. Analyzing the ‘Discontinued’ dates, we were able to reveal the number of post offices that have opened and shut across the US since the 1800s.
To add further insight, we used linear projection models to help analyze which states have seen the sharpest decline in open post offices, and which could have no post offices by the turn of the century.
With post offices closing, and populations across the country increasing, our analysis also provided an insight into the post offices that have the most potential customers on their doorstep, based on Zip code locations.
Sources:
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Tommy has a background in Defense, Intel and Commerce. Back in the day, Tommy studied physics at Harvard and directed the mariachi band while he was there.
