Backstop Inkerman PA, 2016
Jenkins Township’s story
Jenkins Township in pictures
Census counts: 4,584 in 2000, 4,282 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2008 and 4 maps from 1947 on.
Explore the history →Population
4,552
2025 Census estimate · +5.7% since 2020
Median home value
$214K
Census ACS
Household income
$55K
median
Median age
44.3
years
Jobs based here
5,601
A job hub
TownGrade
D
#1007 of 1032 in PA
Is Jenkins Township a good place to live?
Jenkins Township grades D overall, ranked 1007th of 1032 in Pennsylvania. What it does well: it has 12 miles of trail and 40% conserved land. 40% of the land in Jenkins Township is conserved, above both Pennsylvania’s towns (8.2%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). The biggest place to walk is State Game Lands Number 91, 3,509 acres with 8.5 miles of trail. The typical home is worth about $214K, 3.3 years of the Scranton metro’s $65K median household income.
What makes Jenkins Township stand out
Where Jenkins Township beats most towns.
A job hub
Every workday, about 5,493 people come to Jenkins Township for work
Where Jenkins Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
5,601jobs based in Jenkins Township
6%of working residents work in town
6 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Jenkins Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Jenkins Township is from typical.
Cost of livingC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.8 of 20; 8.6% of households have no car; 0.9% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →SchoolsC+Open →HealthWilkes-Barre General Hospital 6.9 miles awayC+Open →Jobs & incomeC+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 44% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 57 attractions →Steamtown National Historic Site and 21 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Jenkins Township. Close and well known come first.
9 mi National Historic SiteSteamtown National Historic Site61K visitors a year
28 mi LakeLake Wallenpaupack
27 mi State parkRicketts Glen State Park5 mi Theme parkRocky Glen Park
17 mi State parkHickory Run State Park
7 mi Ski areaMontage Mountain Ski Area25 runs · 998 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 · Lake Wallenpaupack: Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Ricketts Glen State Park: en:User:Msitler, Public domain · Hickory Run State Park: Mtruch, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Montage Mountain Ski Area: Montage Mountain Resorts, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Jenkins Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Jenkins Township, and how to reach them.
PowerPPL Electric Utilities18.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterPaw Watres water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpFrom the town’s siteTrash and recycling rulesTown 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 codes18640, 1870218640 86% · 18702 14%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 Jenkins Township.
Jenkins Township draws workers from Scranton and beyond, keeps more of its land conserved than most of Pennsylvania and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
Most working residents commute out of Jenkins Township
5,601 jobs are based in Jenkins Township, 3.2 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 18.8 minutes, against 26.3 across Pennsylvania.
Most working residents leave Jenkins Township for work: only 6% work in town. Jenkins Township’s average trip to work is 19 minutes, below both the Pennsylvania town median (26 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Jenkins Township’s median household income is $55,000.
6%work in town
| Jenkins Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $55,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Jenkins Township6%
Wilkes-Barre11%
Plains Township8%
Pittston Township7%
Scranton6%
6 mi
median commute distance
5,601
jobs based in Jenkins Township
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 35% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
SchoolsC+
Jenkins Township’s public schools trail 65% of Pennsylvania districts
Its public schools are run by Pittston Area SD. Its one school is below. The largest public high school is Pittston Area SHS, with 1,055 students.
35%of PA districts it outscoresC+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pittston Area SHSLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,055 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
OutdoorsA−
Jenkins Township has set aside nearly a third of its land for conservation
Its 3,553 conserved acres are a larger share of the town than in 97% of Pennsylvania towns.
The trail density in Jenkins Township is 0.9 miles per square mile.
#278for trails in PA
39.7%
conserved · 3,553 of 8,959 acres
12 mi
of trails · 0.9 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. State Game Lands Number 91 | 8.5 mi | 3,509 |
| 2. Spadi Park | — | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Who lives here
Older than Pennsylvania overall
People 65 and older are 29% of residents (20% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 29% of residents (38% statewide). Jenkins Township has grown 5.7% since 2020, to 4,552 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 32% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 35% across Pennsylvania.
44.3median age · PA 40.9
| Jenkins Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 29% | 21% | 18% |
| Median age | 44.3 years | 43.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 32% | 29% | 29% |
Jenkins TownshipPennsylvaniaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
15%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma4%
High school26%
Some college20%
Associate’s18%
Bachelor’s21%
Graduate11%
Women and men · all residents
59% women, 41% men
About 70 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±6.5 points). Across Pennsylvania, 50.7% of residents are women.
| Jenkins Township | PA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.5% | 10.8% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.7% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.9% | 9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 15% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 8% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.9% | 11.9% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.2% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.7% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 15.1% | 8.1% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.4% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 26.2% | 32.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 20.3% | 15.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 17.5% | 8.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 20.9% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.7% | 14.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 4,600, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Jenkins Township
Jenkins Township has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 17° and about 45 inches of snow falls in a winter.
45″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter20–36°
Spring36–57°
Summer58–79°
Fall41–60°
Oct 20
typical first frost
Apr 23
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthC+
On CDC estimates, Jenkins Township is less healthy than 62% of U.S. towns
Against the 7,377 U.S. towns with household incomes like Jenkins Township’s, it is healthier than 69%, so its C+ isn’t only a matter of income.
Jenkins Township beats the Pennsylvania average on 0 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 6. 18% of Jenkins Township adults smoke cigarettes.
38%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Jenkins Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 35% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 14% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 24% | 25% |
26 measures vs. Pennsylvania
0 better20 too close to call6 worse
| What stands out | Jenkins Township | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 7.9% | 5.8% |
| More adults with arthritis | 36.1% | 30.4% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.6% | 7.4% |
Wilkes-Barre General Hospital
In Wilkes-Barre · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: dental
24th
percentile among PA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Safety
Crime reported in Jenkins Township
Jenkins Township's reported crime rate is well below Pennsylvania's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. Violent crime is rare: 1 reported in 2023.
| Jenkins Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2023) | 0.2 per 1,000 residents | 0.9 | 1.8 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2023) | 9 per 1,000 residents | 7.6 | 13.1 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Jenkins Township0.2
Pennsylvania2.8
U.S.3.9
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Jenkins Township9
Pennsylvania16.1
U.S.19.5
1
violent crimes reported in 2023
40
property crimes reported in 2023
FBI crime data, 2023 · crimes reported to police
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B−
Moderate risk in Jenkins Township, with inland flooding at the top
170 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 22 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 56% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 170 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Jenkins Township.
44risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold waves
170
paid flood claims since 1979
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Jenkins Township
20pages on Jenkins Township
The big questions
SchoolsC+Behind 65% of PA districts · 1 schoolSafety0.2 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2023)HealthC+Better than PA on 0 of 26 CDC measuresCost of livingC−Work & commuteC+$55K median household income · 5,601 jobs hereNatural hazardsB−FEMA risk higher than 44% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
12 within 15 miles of the center of Jenkins Township
King's CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Wilkes-Barre7 mi$44,100 tuitionPennsylvania State University-Penn State ScrantonUniversity or college · Public · Dunmore12.8 mi$15,208 in-state tuitionLuzerne County Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Nanticoke13.9 mi$6,600 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Jenkins Township residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Pennsylvania.
About Jenkins Township
Township in Pennsylvania, US
Jenkins Township is a township in the Greater Pittston area of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,282 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 14 sq mi
Jenkins Township’s neighbors
10 towns share a border with Jenkins Township.
Plains Township next door grades lower for schools (D to Jenkins Township’s C+) and higher for cost of living (B− to C−).
LaflinPlains TownshipYatesvillePittston TownshipSpring Brook TownshipBear Creek TownshipThornhurst TownshipPittstonWyomingExeterJenkins Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jenkins Township | #1007 | D | C− | — | C+ | C+ |
| Laflin | — | — | C− | — | D | A |
| Plains Township | #994 | D | B− | B− | D | C− |
| Yatesville | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Pittston Township | #895 | C | C+ | C− | C+ | C+ |
| Spring Brook Township | #641 | B | C+ | — | A | B |
| Bear Creek Township | #1020 | D | C+ | — | D | C− |
| Thornhurst Township | — | — | D | — | A | B− |
Laflin and Thornhurst Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Jenkins Township, Laflin, Spring Brook Township, Bear Creek Township and Thornhurst Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Yatesville isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Jenkins Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Jenkins Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Jenkins Township, PA a good place to live?
Jenkins Township grades D overall, better than 9% of U.S. towns and #1007 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades C+ for health and C+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Is Jenkins Township, PA expensive?
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.