The pines, 1906
Dallas’s story
229 years in pictures
Census counts: 272 in 1880, 2,694 in 2020. The archive holds 15 old photos and papers going back to 1906 and 5 maps from 1893 on.
- 1797Dallas is settled
Photo: Jakec · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
2,685
2025 Census estimate · +1.2% since 2020
Median home value
$258K
Census ACS
Household income
$91K
median
Median age
38.3
years
Jobs based here
945
Balanced
TownGrade
B+
#498 of 1032 in PA
Is Dallas a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Dallas grades B+ overall, 498th among Pennsylvania's 1032 graded towns. Natural-hazard risk is low. Its schools outperform 83% of the state's. The catch is cost: homes are expensive, about $258K for a typical one and 4 times the Scranton metro’s $65K median household income. 58% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Dallas, above both Pennsylvania’s towns (29%) and U.S. towns (29%).
What makes Dallas stand out
Where Dallas beats most towns.
How Dallas grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Dallas is from typical.
Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listA+Open →SchoolsA−Open →Cost of livingC−Open →HealthGeisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center 5.1 miles awayB+Open →SafetyB+Open →Jobs & income$91K median household incomeC+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.4 of 20; 3.6% of households have no car; 0.6% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksCOpen →History3 notable people born hereCOpen →Civic life3.2 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Dallas: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Dallas, and how to reach them.
PowerUGI Utilities19.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterVeolia Water Pa Dallas1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpCounty or districtA county or regional provider runs trash and recyclingTown site
Register to voteOnlineIn Pennsylvania you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person until 15 days before Election Day, or by mail (received 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereLuzerne County Board of ElectionsLuzerne County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2015
ZIP code1861218612 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Dallas.
Dallas has less tooth loss than most of Pennsylvania, but it has lost a quarter or more of its jobs in ten years.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A+
Dallas stands out in Pennsylvania and nationally: the FEMA risk score there is lower
Dallas’ FEMA risk score is 2 of 100. Since 1996, 8 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Dallas.
2risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
8
paid flood claims since 1996
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthB+
Dallas ranks healthier than 72% of the country’s towns
Its widest gap with Pennsylvania is tooth loss: 7.6% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 14.5% statewide.
Dallas beats the Pennsylvania average on 5 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 4.8% of adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance in Dallas.
72%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Dallas | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 4.8% | 7% | 8.1% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 17% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 19% | 19% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 80% | 79% | 79% |
26 measures vs. Pennsylvania
5 better19 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Dallas | PA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.6% | 14.5% |
| Fewer smokers | 13.4% | 15.8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.2% | 8.8% |
Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center
5.1 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: dental
70th
percentile among PA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SafetyB+
Dallas is safer than 68% of U.S. towns, by crime per resident
Pennsylvania has less reported crime than most states, so among its own towns Dallas sits closer to the middle.
68%of U.S. towns report more crimeB+Safety Grade
| Dallas | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 8.8 per 1,000 residents | 5.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.1 per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Dallas1.1
Pennsylvania2.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Dallas8.8
Pennsylvania13.6
U.S.15.5
68th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
45th
percentile among PA towns
3
violent crimes reported in 2025
24
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Climate
Dallas has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Dallas has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Dallas is 82°F.
45″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter20–35°
Spring36–57°
Summer58–79°
Fall41–60°
Oct 20
typical first frost
Apr 23
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
With 0.8 jobs for every working resident, most of Dallas’ workers commute out
Jobs based here fell from 1,777 in 2013 to 945.
Most working residents leave Dallas for work: only 4% work in town. 17% of Dallas residents live below the poverty line. Jobs based in Dallas fell to 945 in 2023, 832 fewer than in 2013.
4%work in town
| Dallas | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $91,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.7% | 6.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Dallas4%
Wilkes-Barre14%
Dallas Township7%
Plains Township7%
Scranton6%
9 mi
median commute distance
945
jobs based in Dallas
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 48% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HousingCost of living grade C−
A home in Dallas sells for about $385K at the median
$385Kmedian sale price
Market temperature
6
days on market
104.9%
sale-to-list price
5
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 53 attractions →Steamtown National Historic Site and 18 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Dallas. Close and well known come first.
16 mi National Historic SiteSteamtown National Historic Site61K visitors a year
15 mi State parkRicketts Glen State Park
38 mi LakeLake Wallenpaupack
25 mi State parkHickory Run State Park14 mi Theme parkRocky Glen Park
38 mi Ski areaCamelback Mountain Resort37 runs · 804 ft verticalSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Steamtown National Historic Site: National Park Service, Public domain · Ricketts Glen State Park: en:User:Msitler, Public domain · Lake Wallenpaupack: Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Hickory Run State Park: Mtruch, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Camelback Mountain Resort: Calzarette at en.wikipedia, Public domain
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Dallas
19pages on Dallas
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
5 within 15 miles of the center of Dallas
Misericordia UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Dallas1 mi$40,370 tuitionPennsylvania State University-Penn State Wilkes-BarreUniversity or college · Public · Dallas2.9 mi$14,280 in-state tuitionLuzerne County Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Nanticoke9.5 mi$6,600 in-state tuition
About 11 of every 100 Dallas residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
Famous people from Dallas
3 notable people were born in Dallas.
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About Dallas
Borough in Pennsylvania, US
Dallas is a borough in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,692 at the 2020 census. The local government describes the borough as the "Pride" of the Back Mountain (a 118 square mile region in northern Luzerne County). The area includes the townships of Dallas, Franklin, Jackson, Kingston, Lake, and Lehman. The region also includes the boroughs of Dallas and Harveys Lake. Dallas is in the vicinity of Misericordia University and Dallas State Correctional Institution (which holds 2,150 inmates).
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1879
- Area
- 2.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,243 ft
- ZIP code
- 18612
- Area code
- 570
Dallas’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Dallas.
Dallas TownshipDallas
How the neighbors grade
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas | #498 | B+ | C− | B+ | A− | B+ |
| Dallas Township | #245 | A | C− | A | A− | B+ |
Questions about Dallas
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Dallas, PA a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Dallas grades B+ overall, better than 66% of U.S. towns and #498 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades B+ for health, B+ for safety and A− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Is Dallas, PA safe?
Yes, by national standards. Pennsylvania has less crime than most states, so among its own towns Dallas sits nearer the middle.
Is Dallas, PA expensive?
Yes. The typical home is worth about $258,000, 10% below the Pennsylvania typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
What is Dallas, PA known for?
3 notable people were born here, including Alex Rebar and Greg Manusky.