Plymouth, Pennsylvania, c. 1860
Plymouth Township’s story
160 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1858.
- 1866Plymouth Township is settled
Plymouth TownshipPA
A town of 1,733, settled in 1866.
8 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Doug Kerr · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,733
2025 Census estimate · +1.1% since 2020
Median home value
$132K
Census ACS
Household income
$80K
median
Median age
44.8
years
Jobs based here
140
A commuter town
Is Plymouth Township a good place to live?
Plymouth Township’s best subject grades are an A− for cost of living and an A+ for the outdoors; its weakest is a D for hazard risk. Only 81 of Pennsylvania’s 1,751 towns score lower on hazard risk. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 86% of U.S. towns. 44% of the land in Plymouth Township is conserved, above both the Pennsylvania town median (8.2%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). The biggest place to walk is Pinchot State Forest, 3,645 acres with 15.9 miles of trail. On the outdoors, just 35 of Pennsylvania’s 1,751 towns do better. Plymouth Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Plymouth Township stand out
Where Plymouth Township beats most towns.
Get outside
62 miles of trails in Plymouth Township
44.3% of the town is conserved land, across 3 parks and preserves.
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
How Plymouth Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Plymouth Township is from typical.
Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 3.7 of 20; 4.7% of households have no car; 1.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →Cost of livingTypical home $132K, 2 years of the Scranton metro’s $65K median household incomeA−Open →SchoolsBehind 79% of Pennsylvania districts on tests and graduationC−Open →HealthGeisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center 7.8 miles awayCOpen →Jobs & income$80K median household incomeB−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 →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Plymouth Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Plymouth Township, and how to reach them.
PowerUGI Utilities19.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterPaw Ceasetown water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers90% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Plymouth Township’s trash rules yet
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 codes18651, 18634, 18621, 1870818651 47% · 18634 32% · 18621 17% · 18708 5%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 Plymouth Township.
OutdoorsA+
Trail density in Plymouth Township is higher than in most of Pennsylvania or the rest of the country
Plymouth Township’s trail density is 3.8 miles per square mile, above both Pennsylvania’s towns (0.4) and U.S. towns (0.4). 62 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves.
44.3%conserved
44.3%
conserved · 4,590 of 10,364 acres
62 mi
of trails · 3.8 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Moon Lake State Forest Recreation Area | 24 mi | 766 |
| 2. Pinchot State Forest | 15.9 mi | 3,645 |
| 3. State Game Lands Number 224 | 0.6 mi | 151 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Very high risk in Plymouth Township, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 80% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 353 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Plymouth Township.
80risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold waves
353
paid flood claims since 1979
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
With 0.2 jobs for every working resident, most of Plymouth Township’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Plymouth Township for work: only 1% work in town. Since 2013, Plymouth Township has added 40 jobs, to 140 in 2023. The top destinations are Wilkes-Barre (15%), Hanover Township (7%) and Plains Township (6%).
1%work in town
| Plymouth Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.3% | 6.3% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 10% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Plymouth Township1%
Wilkes-Barre15%
Hanover Township7%
Plains Township6%
Nanticoke4%
9 mi
median commute distance
140
jobs based in Plymouth Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 14% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthC
Residents of Plymouth Township are less healthy than 68% of U.S. towns
Plymouth Township beats the Pennsylvania average on 0 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 6. 19% of adults smoke cigarettes in Plymouth Township.
32%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Plymouth Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 38% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 35% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 14% | 14% |
26 measures vs. Pennsylvania
0 better20 too close to call6 worse
| What stands out | Plymouth Township | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 7.9% | 5.8% |
| More smokers | 19.4% | 15.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.3% | 7.7% |
Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center
7.8 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: dental
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
In Plymouth Township, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Plymouth Township has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Plymouth Township’s July high is 83°F.
36″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter20–36°
Spring36–58°
Summer58–80°
Fall41–61°
Oct 20
typical first frost
Apr 23
typical last frost
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Nearby attractions
All 54 attractions →Knoebels Amusement Resort and 18 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Plymouth Township. Close and well known come first.
35 mi Theme parkKnoebels Amusement Resort
14 mi State parkRicketts Glen State Park
22 mi National Historic SiteSteamtown National Historic Site61K visitors a year
23 mi State parkHickory Run State Park
38 mi Ski areaCamelback Mountain Resort37 runs · 804 ft vertical19 mi Theme parkRocky Glen Park
14 mi State parkRicketts Glen State Park22 mi National Historic SiteSteamtown National Historic Site61K visitors a year23 mi State parkHickory Run State Park38 mi Ski areaCamelback Mountain Resort37 runs · 804 ft vertical19 mi Theme parkRocky Glen ParkSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Ricketts Glen State Park: en:User:Msitler, Public domain · Steamtown National Historic Site: National Park Service, Public domain · 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 Plymouth Township
18pages on Plymouth Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
5 within 15 miles of the center of Plymouth Township
Luzerne County Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Nanticoke3.5 mi$6,600 in-state tuitionPennsylvania State University-Penn State Wilkes-BarreUniversity or college · Public · Dallas4.9 mi$14,280 in-state tuitionWilkes UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Wilkes-Barre7.3 mi$43,496 tuition
About 3 of every 100 Plymouth Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Plymouth Township for work
Where Plymouth Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
140jobs based in Plymouth Township
1%of working residents work in town
9 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Plymouth Township
Borough in Pennsylvania, US
Plymouth is a borough in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States, located 4 miles (6 km) west of Wilkes-Barre, along the Susquehanna River. The population was 5,763 as of the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1866
- Area
- 1.2 sq mi
- ZIP code
- 18651
- Area code
- 570
Plymouth Township’s neighbors
8 towns share a border with Plymouth Township.
Jackson TownshipPlymouthHanover TownshipLarksvilleNanticokeWest NanticokeLehman TownshipSilkworthPlymouth Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plymouth Township | — | — | A− | — | C− | C |
| Jackson Township | #207 | A | C | A+ | A− | B+ |
| Plymouth | #1025 | D | B | D | C | D |
| Hanover Township | #936 | C− | B− | B− | C− | C− |
| Larksville | #993 | D | C+ | — | C | B− |
| Nanticoke | #931 | C− | A− | C+ | C− | D |
| West Nanticoke | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Lehman Township | #633 | B | C+ | — | A− | B+ |
Plymouth Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Plymouth Township, Larksville and Lehman Township report no FBI crime data of their own. West Nanticoke isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Plymouth Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Plymouth Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Plymouth Township, PA expensive?
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 A−.