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Pennsylvania›Luzerne County

LaflinPA

A town of 1,468, settled in 1889.

Trash day: Tuesday

Is Laflin a good place to live?

Laflin’s best subject grades are an A+ for incomes and an A for health; its weakest is a D for schools. On incomes, just 60 of Pennsylvania’s 1,749 towns do better. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 83% of U.S. towns. On health, just 139 of Pennsylvania’s 1,749 towns do better. Only 6 of Pennsylvania’s 1,717 towns score lower on civic life. Laflin has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.

What makes Laflin stand out

Where Laflin beats most towns.

Small town

1,468 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns
Jenkins TownshipJenkins TownshipLaflin

How Laflin grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Laflin is from typical.

How grading works

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 →

St. Maria Goretti Church
St. Maria Goretti Church, 2007
Laflin’s story

137 years in pictures

Census counts: 231 in 1890, a low of 231 in 1890, 1,451 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2007 and 5 maps from 1893 on.

  • 1889Laflin is settled
Explore the history →
Nearby attractions

Steamtown National Historic Site and 19 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Laflin. Close and well known come first.

All 57 attractions →
Sources: 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

Getting set up

Moving to Laflin: who provides what

Who provides power, water and the rest in Laflin, and how to reach them.

The full setup list →
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 & dumpTuesdayTrash dayTown site
SchoolsWilkes-Barre Area School DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES
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.gov
Who runs elections hereLuzerne County Board of ElectionsLuzerne County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2015
ZIP codes18702, 1864018702 99% · 18640 1%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 Laflin.

HealthA

Laflin is healthier than 89% of U.S. towns

Laflin beats the Pennsylvania average on 10 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 13% of Laflin adults report frequent mental distress, below both Pennsylvania’s towns (16%) and U.S. towns (17%). 11% of adults smoke cigarettes in Laflin.

89%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade
LaflinPennsylvania townsU.S. towns
Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES)13%16%17%
Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES)11%17%14%
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)11%14%14%
Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES)14%19%19%
26 measures vs. Pennsylvania
10 better15 too close to call1 worse
What stands outLaflinPA
Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth5.5%14.5%
Fewer smokers10.8%15.8%
More adults who have had cancer11.1%8.8%
Wilkes-Barre General Hospital
In Wilkes-Barre · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: dental

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A

Inland flooding leads a very low hazard risk in Laflin

Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 85% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Laflin since 1996.

15risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
15Very low riskLowerHigher
Inland floodingCold waves
1
paid flood claims since 1996
1
federal disasters paid out here

FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Work & commuteJobs & income grade A+

Laflin has 0.4 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out

Most working residents leave Laflin for work: only 1% work in town. At $121,000, Laflin’s median household income is against $81,000 in Pennsylvania’s towns and $80,000 across U.S. towns. The average trip to work in Laflin is 19 minutes.

1%work in town
LaflinPennsylvania townsU.S. towns
Median household income$121,000$81,000$80,000
Average trip to work19 minutes26 minutes25 minutes
Below the poverty line2.3%7.6%9.6%
Working residents who work in town0.9%6.3%8%

Where working residents work

In Laflin1%
Wilkes-Barre21%
Plains Township12%
Scranton6%
Pittston Township4%
6 mi
median commute distance
281
jobs based in Laflin
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 17% of U.S. towns

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Climate

Laflin has snowy winters and pleasant summers

Laflin has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 18° and about 45 inches of snow falls in a winter.

45″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter20–37°
Spring36–59°
Summer58–81°
Fall41–62°
Oct 20
typical first frost
Apr 23
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

HousingCost of living grade C−

Homes in Laflin are worth about $296K, by Zillow’s estimate

The typical Laflin home is worth about $296,000, up 4.8% in a year, close to the Pennsylvania typical home. Laflin’s median rent is $1,710 a month.

$296KZillow home value
LaflinPennsylvania townsU.S. towns
Median rent$1,710 a month$1,115 a month$1,185 a month
Households that own their home90%78%73%

Typical home value

Laflin$296K
Pennsylvania$287K
+4.8%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Laflin

17pages on Laflin
After high school

Colleges nearby

12 within 15 miles of the center of Laflin

A commuter town

99% of working residents leave Laflin for work

Where Laflin’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

21% → Wilkes-Barre Wilkes-Barre 21% 12% → Plains Township Plains Township 12% 6% → Scranton Scranton 6% 4% → Pittston Township Pittston Township 4% 3% → Jenkins Township Jenkins Township 3% 3% → Kingston Kingston 3% Laflin · 1% stay
281jobs based in Laflin
1%of working residents work in town
6 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

About Laflin

Borough in Pennsylvania, US

Official town website ↗

Laflin is a borough in the Greater Pittston area of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,443 at the time of the 2020 census.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Established
1889
Area
1.4 sq mi
Area code
570

Questions about Laflin

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Laflin, PA expensive?

Yes. That is 4.5 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−.