Wilkes-Barre city, Pennsylvania
CityPopulation: 44,217 (2023 estimate)
Located in Pennsylvania , Pennsylvania
Census Bureau data for Wilkes-Barre city from the American Community Survey. "Cities" in Census data include incorporated places, towns, villages, and census-designated places (CDPs) — all places where the Census collects community-level estimates.
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023 (released December 2024).
Quick Facts — Wilkes-Barre city
- What is the median household income in Wilkes-Barre city?
- The median household income in Wilkes-Barre city is $47,970 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023).
- What is the poverty rate in Wilkes-Barre city?
- The poverty rate in Wilkes-Barre city is 17.4% (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the median home value in Wilkes-Barre city?
- $108,000 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the average rent in Wilkes-Barre city?
- The median gross rent in Wilkes-Barre city is $939 per month (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What percentage of Wilkes-Barre city residents have a college degree?
- 19.4% of adults in Wilkes-Barre city hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
Population
44,217
Median Income
$47,970
Median Home Value
$108,000
Poverty Rate
17.4%
Unemployment (ACS 2023)
8.3%
Median Age
35.0 yrs
Since 2019
Median Income:
+$10,068 (+26.6%)
Home Value:
+$32,900 (+43.8%)
Poverty Rate:
-3.4 pp (-16.3%)
Bachelor's+:
+2.9 pp (+17.6%)
Unemployment:
-0.8 pp (-8.8%)
Demographics
Total Population
44,217
Median Age
35.0
Female
51.2%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino 30.6%
White (non-Hisp.) 51.9%
Black 13.8%
Asian 2.1%
Two or More 12.9%
Other 15.5%
Asian Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Filipino
0.5%
Indian
0.2%
Chinese
0.2%
Korean
0.2%
Vietnamese
0.2%
Hispanic Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Mexican
8.2%
Puerto Rican
6.7%
Cuban
0.1%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Income & Poverty
Median Household Income
$47,970
±$2,490
-$28,111 vs. state
Per Capita Income
$66,071
Median Family Income
$59,231
Poverty Rate
17.4%
+9.3 pp vs. state
Child Poverty Rate
29.3%
Working-Age Poverty Rate
—
SNAP Recipients
27.5%
Social Security Income
—
Retirement Income
22.5%
Household Income Distribution
< $10k
8.9%
$10–15k
5.3%
$15–25k
10.9%
$25–35k
11.0%
$35–50k
15.9%
$50–75k
16.4%
$75–100k
14.1%
$100–150k
10.4%
$150–200k
3.6%
$200k+
3.5%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Housing
Total Housing Units
19,993
Owner-Occupied
48.9%
Renter-Occupied
51.1%
Vacancy Rate
16.4%
Median Home Value
$108,000
-$132,500 vs. state
Median Gross Rent
$939
Owner Cost Burden (30%+)
18.0%
Renter Cost Burden (30%+)
38.8%
Home Value Distribution
< $50k
10.1%
$50–100k
33.9%
$100–200k
28.8%
$200–300k
7.5%
$300–500k
3.9%
$500k–$1M
0.8%
Gross Rent Distribution
< $500
15.8%
$500–1k
40.3%
$1–1.5k
36.4%
$1.5–2k
6.1%
$2–2.5k
0.3%
$3.5k+
1.1%
Vehicle Availability
No vehicle
18.0%
1 vehicle
43.6%
2 vehicles
28.2%
3+
10.2%
Housing Type
Single-fam. det.
51.0%
Single-fam. att.
13.1%
2–4 units
7.9%
5–19 units
4.5%
20+ units
12.7%
Mobile home
0.3%
Housing Age
Pre-1940
46.9%
1940–1969
10.7%
1970–1999
15.0%
2000–2009
2.5%
2010+
1.5%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Education
High School or Higher
85.0%
Bachelor's or Higher
19.4%
-15.1 pp vs. state
Graduate Degree
6.5%
Some College / Associate
16.3%
Less Than High School
5.8%
Enrolled in School
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Employment
Labor Force Participation
58.9%
Unemployment Rate
8.3%
+3.1 pp vs. state
Work from Home
7.4%
Self-Employed
1.8%
Government Workers
10.6%
Private For-Profit
87.4%
Industry
Edu/Health
22.8%
Retail
13.7%
Manufacturing
11.7%
Arts/Entmt.
10.8%
Transportation
10.2%
Prof. Services
9.0%
Finance
4.9%
Construction
4.4%
Public Admin
3.9%
Wholesale
2.4%
Information
0.7%
Agriculture
0.3%
Occupation
Management
28.7%
Production
23.1%
Food Prep
21.8%
Sales
21.5%
Construction
5.0%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Commute
Median Travel Time
20.0 min
Drove Alone
70.4%
Carpool
11.3%
Public Transit
2.3%
Work from Home
7.4%
Walked
6.5%
Bicycle
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Households & Families
Total Households
16,710
Avg. Household Size
2.00
Avg. Family Size
—
Married-Couple Households
31.9%
Single-Mother Households
—
Single-Father Households
—
Living Alone
—
Households with Children
10.5%
Multigenerational
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Age Distribution
Under 5
5.9%
5–9
6.4%
10–14
5.1%
15–19
8.8%
20–24
9.2%
25–34
14.3%
35–44
14.0%
45–54
9.9%
55–64
5.9%
65–74
5.2%
75–84
8.6%
85+
4.6%
Under 18: 21.9%
Working age (18–64): 78.1%
65 and over: 15.5%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Social Characteristics
Immigration
Foreign Born
15.1%
Naturalized Citizen
42.3%
Speaks English Less Than Very Well
12.6%
Foreign-Born Origin
Latin America
81.2%
Asia
9.3%
Europe
5.3%
Africa
3.2%
Veterans & Disability
Veteran
5.7%
With a Disability
15.0%
Cognitive Difficulty
—
Ambulatory Difficulty
—
Health Insurance
Insured
91.8%
Uninsured
8.2%
Employer Insurance
—
Medicaid
—
Medicare
—
Technology & Mobility
Broadband Internet
84.7%
Has a Computer
89.0%
Same House 1 Year Ago
80.7%
Moved from Abroad
1.2%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023