Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Hazleton earns a D, 982nd among Pennsylvania's 1032 graded towns, mostly because of health and schools. Residents are less healthy than 97% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Its schools rank behind 85% of the state's. In its favor, natural-hazard risk is low. 25% of residents live below the poverty line in Hazleton, above both the Pennsylvania town median (7.6%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Only 19 of Pennsylvania’s 1,717 towns score lower on civic life. Hazleton has 5 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Israel Platt Pardee Mansion and Markle Banking & Trust Company Building.
Where Hazleton beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Israel Platt Pardee Mansion| Widest gap | Hazleton | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 23.2% | 5.8% |
Census counts: 2,080 in 1850, 29,963 in 2020. The archive holds 22 old photos and papers going back to 1860 and 7 maps from 1889 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Hazleton is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Hazleton, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Hazleton.
Hazleton has cooler summers than nearly all U.S. towns and has seen reported crime fall beyond ordinary swings, but it has poverty well above the Pennsylvania rate.
33% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Hazleton. Among 1,035 Pennsylvania towns, just 6 have a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Hazleton. 20% of adults report frequent mental distress in Hazleton.
| Hazleton | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 19% | 19% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 14% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 24% | 25% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 6.9% | 8.1% |
| What stands out | Hazleton | PA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.8% | 8.8% |
| More uninsured adults | 23.2% | 5.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by Hazleton Area SD. Two of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heights Terrace El/MSLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 1,236 | D |
| Immanuel Christian School PrivateLargest high schoolGrades K–12 | Grades K–12 | 157 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 97% of U.S. communities. Since 1981, 12 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Hazleton.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
4.6 miles of trail in 19 parks and preserves. Hazleton’s trail density is 0.8 miles per square mile. The biggest park or preserve is Louis Schiavo City View Park, at 25 acres.
| Hazleton | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.7% | 8.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.8 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Saint Gabriel's Cemetery | 0.9 mi | 17 |
| 2. Louis Schiavo City View Park | 0.6 mi | 25 |
| 3. Altmiller Playground | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Most working residents leave Hazleton for work: only 10% work in town. The median household income in Hazleton is $46,000. Since 2013, Hazleton has lost 597 jobs, to 5,759 in 2023.
| Hazleton | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $46,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 9.9% | 6.3% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The typical Hazleton home is worth about $225,000, up 2.8% in a year, 22% below the Pennsylvania typical home. 51% of Hazleton households own their home.
| Hazleton | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 51% | 78% | 73% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 60% | 44% | 48% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
July afternoons average 78°, cooler than in 95% of U.S. towns; January nights average 15.6°.
Only 8 of the 1,037 Pennsylvania towns we compare have a lower July high than Hazleton. Hazleton has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. About 42 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Hazleton | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 78°F | 85°F | 85°F |
| January low | 16°F | 21°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Reported crimes fell from 238 to 200 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Pennsylvania has less reported crime than most states, so among its own towns Hazleton sits closer to the middle.
| Hazleton | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.9 per 1,000 residents | 5.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.6 per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Hazleton. Close and well known come first.
35 mi Theme parkDorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom28 mi Theme parkKnoebels Amusement Resort
35 mi National Historic SiteSteamtown National Historic Site61K visitors a year
31 mi State parkRicketts Glen State Park
16 mi State parkHickory Run State Park
36 mi Stadium & arenaPPL CenterDorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom: Coasterman1234 at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Steamtown National Historic Site: National Park Service, Public domain · Ricketts Glen State Park: en:User:Msitler, Public domain · Hickory Run State Park: Mtruch, CC BY-SA 3.0 · PPL Center: Hunter Kahn, CC BY-SA 3.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Hazleton
About 4 of every 100 Hazleton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
25,340 counted in 2010 and 29,963 in 2020; an estimated 30,286 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
5 places in Hazleton on the National Register of Historic Places.
28 notable people were born in Hazleton.
City in Pennsylvania, United States
Hazleton is a city in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 29,963 at the 2020 census. Hazleton is the second-most populous city in Luzerne County. It was incorporated as a borough on January 5, 1857, and as a city on December 4, 1891. Hazleton is located in Northeastern Pennsylvania, 35 miles (56 km) northwest of Allentown, 82 miles (132 km) north-northwest of Philadelphia and 106 miles (171 km) west of New York City.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Hazleton.
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hazleton | #982 | D | C+ | B | C− | D− |
| Hazle Township | #1024 | D | B− | — | C− | D |
| West Hazleton | #1017 | D | C+ | B | C− | D− |
Hazle Township reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Hazleton with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Hazleton grades D overall, better than 15% of U.S. towns and #982 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades D− for health, B for safety and C− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
Yes, by national standards. Pennsylvania has less crime than most states, so among its own towns Hazleton sits nearer the middle.
That is 3.5 years of the area's median household income ($65,158 across the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
28 notable people were born here, including Lou Barletta and Tom DeMarco.
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