City safety & data profile

Wilkes-BarrePA

Wilkes-Barre, PA is a 41K-resident city in Luzerne County with a median household income of $48,515.

Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Wilkes-Barre, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Wilkes-Barre has a population larger than 74% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $117,200, and 2 hospitals serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-20

41K
Population
Top 26%
By size
$48,515
Median income
$117,200
Median home
23.1%
Poverty rate

The read on Wilkes-Barre

Wilkes-Barre posts a median household income higher than 7% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 2 hospitals serve the Wilkes-Barre area.

Top 93%
by median income, US cities
2
hospitals in & near Wilkes-Barre

Where Wilkes-Barre income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$48,515 Bottom 7% higher than 7% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. PA $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Wilkes-Barre, PA beyond the headline numbers

Wilkes-Barre sits inside Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, at roughly 41.25°N, -75.88°W. Population 40,780, $48,515 median household income. Median home value $117,200, median rent $946. Poverty rate 23.1%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Wilkes-Barre's highest-prevalence health measure is short sleep duration at 42.3%. 2 hospitals in/around Wilkes-Barre, 3.5/5 avg rating, 2 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Wilkes-Barre from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
40,780
Wilkes-Barre
Median Income
$48,515
-29% vs avg
Median Home Value
$117,200
-49% vs avg
Median Age
34.7
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Luzerne County) - Wilkes-Barre's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
328K+2%
Median Income
$63,691+43%
Median Home Value
$174,100+44%
Poverty Rate
15.3%-2%
Unemployment
5.8%-31%

Economics

Economics indicators for Wilkes-Barre, PA
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$946/mo
Poverty Rate
23.1% +63% vs avg
Unemployment 8.4%
Bachelor's Degree+ 20.5%
Work From Home 8.2%
Public Transit 2.2%

Population

White 53.7%
African American 11.3%
Asian 1.6%

Health Profile 2 measures

Health Indicators

Short Sleep Duration
42.3%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 54.4%

Hospitals 2 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
1
★★★★
0
★★★
0
★★
1
★
0
Average Rating
3.5/5
Total Hospitals
2
With ER
2
WILKES BARRE VA MEDICAL CENTER
WILKES-BARRE · Acute Care - Veterans Administration · ER
★★★★★
WILKES-BARRE GENERAL HOSPITAL
WILKES-BARRE · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★☆☆☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Wilkes-Barre, PA? ▼
Wilkes-Barre, PA has a population of 40,780 people, located in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.
What is the median household income in Wilkes-Barre? ▼
The median household income in Wilkes-Barre, PA is $48,515 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 23.1%.
What is the median home value in Wilkes-Barre? ▼
The median home value in Wilkes-Barre, PA is $117,200. Median rent is $946/month.
What are the top health concerns in Wilkes-Barre? ▼
The top health indicators in Wilkes-Barre include Short Sleep Duration (42.3%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Wilkes-Barre? ▼
Wilkes-Barre has 2 hospitals with an average rating of 3.5/5 stars. 2 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Wilkes-Barre? ▼
The median age in Wilkes-Barre, PA is 34.7 years. 20.5% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Wilkes-Barre, PA is located in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. With a population of 41K and a $48,515 median household income, the community faces health challenges including short sleep duration. Residents have access to 2 hospitals with an average rating of 3.5/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Wilkes-Barre area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Pennsylvania

Real-time AQI for every monitored Pennsylvania location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Kingston, PA 13K Mountain Top, PA 11K Nanticoke, PA 10K Back Mountain, PA 27K Scranton, PA 77K Hazleton, PA 25K Dunmore, PA 13K Berwick, PA 10K
All cities in Pennsylvania → Compare Wilkes-Barre vs Kingston → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Wilkes-Barre's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Wilkes-Barre area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Wilkes-Barre against Pennsylvania peers on any ranking lens. Explore Pennsylvania

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Luzerne County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.