Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Luzerne gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $185K, 2.8 years of the Scranton metro’s $65K median household income. It grades C overall, ranked 916th of 1032 in Pennsylvania. The low prices come with trade-offs. Residents are less healthy than 87% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates, and the median household income is $42K, and 20% of residents live below the poverty line. On the plus side, it is more walkable than 86% of U.S. towns. 20% of residents live below the poverty line in Luzerne, where Pennsylvania’s towns sit at 7.6% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Luzerne's schools rank behind 75% of the state's.
Where Luzerne beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Luzerne is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 2,398 in 1890, a peak of 7,082 in 1940, 2,711 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 1828 and 5 maps from 1893 on.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Luzerne. Close and well known come first.
14 mi National Historic SiteSteamtown National Historic Site61K visitors a year
35 mi LakeLake Wallenpaupack
19 mi State parkRicketts Glen State Park
21 mi State parkHickory Run State Park11 mi Theme parkRocky Glen Park
33 mi Ski areaCamelback Mountain Resort37 runs · 804 ft verticalSteamtown 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 · Camelback Mountain Resort: Calzarette at en.wikipedia, Public domain
Who provides power, water and the rest in Luzerne, 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 Luzerne.
Luzerne is healthier than towns with similar incomes and trades workers with Wilkes-Barre and other neighbors, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Pennsylvania (mostly inland flooding).
Against the 3,085 U.S. towns with household incomes like Luzerne’s, it is healthier than 52%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income.
22% of adults smoke cigarettes in Luzerne. Luzerne beats the Pennsylvania average on 0 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 12. 18% of adults report frequent physical distress in Luzerne.
| Luzerne | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 16% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 19% | 19% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 24% | 25% |
| What stands out | Luzerne | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 11.5% | 7.7% |
| More uninsured adults | 8.3% | 5.8% |
| More smokers | 22.1% | 15.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Values fell 2% in the past year while the Pennsylvania typical home rose 2.2%.
59% of Luzerne households own their home. The typical Luzerne home is worth about $185,000, 36% below the Pennsylvania typical home. The median rent in Luzerne is $797 a month.
| Luzerne | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 59% | 78% | 73% |
| Median rent | $797 a month | $1,116 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Luzerne has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 18° and about 45 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Luzerne has about as many jobs (1,033) as working residents, but only 55 people both live and work here.
Luzerne’s average trip to work is 20 minutes. Most working residents leave Luzerne for work: only 5% work in town. Jobs based in Luzerne grew to 1,033 in 2023, 76 more than in 2013.
| Luzerne | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $42,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.7% | 6.3% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 85% of Pennsylvania towns, with expected losses of about $296 per resident a year; that rating is what its C for hazard risk is built on.
Since 1979, 27 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Luzerne.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Pennsylvania has less reported crime than most states, so among its own towns Luzerne sits closer to the middle.
| Luzerne | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 9 per 1,000 residents | 5.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.4 per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
0.2 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
| Luzerne | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.9% | 8.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Charles Street Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
8 within 15 miles of the center of Luzerne
About 1 of every 100 Luzerne residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
3 notable people were born in Luzerne.
Borough in Pennsylvania, US
Luzerne is a borough located 5 miles (8 km) north of Wilkes Barre in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,703 at the time of the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Luzerne.
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luzerne | #916 | C | B+ | B− | C | D |
| Kingston Township | #507 | B+ | C | — | A− | B+ |
| Pringle | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Courtdale | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Kingston Township reports no FBI crime data of its own. Pringle and Courtdale aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Luzerne with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Luzerne grades C overall, better than 26% of U.S. towns and #916 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 Luzerne sits nearer the middle.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.
3 notable people were born here, including Chink Crossin and Mickey Witek.
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