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City · 44,423 residents · Luzerne County, Pennsylvania

Wilkes-Barre , Pennsylvania

In Wilkes-Barre, a typical home is worth $117,200 and typical rent is $946 a month. Compared with all of Luzerne County, the typical home value is 33% lower, typical household income is 24% lower, and the share of households that own their home is 17 points lower.

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  • Typical home value

    $117,200

    33% below the county

    54% below Pennsylvania

    • Wilkes-Barre
    • Luzerne
    • Pennsylvania

  • Typical rent

    $946a month

    6% below the county

    22% below Pennsylvania

    • Wilkes-Barre
    • Luzerne
    • Pennsylvania

  • Typical household income

    $48,515a year

    24% below the county

    38% below Pennsylvania

    • Wilkes-Barre
    • Luzerne
    • Pennsylvania

  • Households that own their home

    51%

    17 points below the county

    18 points below Pennsylvania

    • Wilkes-Barre
    • Luzerne
    • Pennsylvania

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$185,887
2.3% more than 12 months ago
Typical rent
$1,311 a month
7.3% more than 12 months ago

From Zillow (ZHVI/ZORI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).

Wilkes-Barre is in Luzerne County. The FHA loan limit ($541,287 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Luzerne County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets Wilkes-Barre apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. 51% of households in Wilkes-Barre own their home, against 68% in Luzerne County.

  2. The typical home in Wilkes-Barre is worth $117,200, 33% less than in Luzerne County as a whole ($174,100).

  3. Nearby, in Swoyersville, the typical rent is $744: 21% less than in Wilkes-Barre ($946).

  4. Nearby, in Plymouth, the typical home value is $92,500: 21% less than in Wilkes-Barre ($117,200).

  5. The typical household income in Wilkes-Barre is $48,515, 24% less than in Luzerne County as a whole ($63,691).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).

The homes here

Housing in Wilkes-Barre

What homes there are in Wilkes-Barre, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

The detached house is still the most common home in Wilkes-Barre, but it weighs less than in Luzerne County: 51% against 64%.

Year built

The typical home in Wilkes-Barre was built in 1943, 17 years before the typical one in Luzerne County.

Homes in Wilkes-Barre are smaller: 59% have 3 bedrooms or more; in Luzerne County, 66%.

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes

With an FHA limit of $541,287, at least 98% of owner-occupied homes in Wilkes-Barre sit below it: they are worth less than $500,000.

Monthly rent with utilities

About 79% of rented homes in Wilkes-Barre cost less than HUD's 2-bedroom fair market rent for Luzerne County ($1,363).

With a mortgage

$1,272 a month

Luzerne County: $1,475 a month

Without a mortgage

$559 a month

Luzerne County: $623 a month

Owners with a mortgage

52%

Luzerne County: 54%

Owning costs less in Wilkes-Barre: with a mortgage, the typical cost is $1,272 a month; in Luzerne County, $1,475. Without one, $559.

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

Since 2015–2019, homes in Wilkes-Barre gained value faster than in Luzerne County: 56% against 37%.

Rents in Wilkes-Barre rose more slowly than in Luzerne County: 24% since 2015–2019, against 28%.

While home values in Wilkes-Barre changed +56% and rent +24%, the typical household income rose 28%.

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureWilkes-BarreLuzerne CountyPennsylvaniaUnited States
Rental vacancy 5.1%4.7%4.9%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimate1.0%0.8%0.9%
More than one person per room 3.4%1.6%1.6%3.4%
People per household 2.442.352.392.53
Drive alone 69%75%68%69%
Carpool 12%10%8%9%
Public transit 2%1%4%3%
Walk or bike 6%3%4%3%
Work from home 8%11%16%15%
Other means 2%1%1%2%
Typical commute 10 to 19 minutesUnreliable estimate20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

Open rentals in Wilkes-Barre look like those in Luzerne County: the rental vacancy rate is 5.1%.

More than one person per room: that is how 3.4% of households in Wilkes-Barre live, more than in Luzerne County (1.6%).

A household in Wilkes-Barre has 2.44 people on average, about the same as in Luzerne County (2.35).

Many here get to work on foot or by bike: 6%, more than in Luzerne County (3%).

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in Wilkes-Barre?

A typical home is within reach of the typical income

We start with a typical home in Wilkes-Barre, worth $117,200, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 26% of the typical household income in Wilkes-Barre, which is $48,515 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Luzerne County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Wilkes-Barre. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $4,102 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$1,054

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$115,077
Total interest
$165,569
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $1,979 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $1,132 a month

    Your payment · 26%

  • Tight

    $1,132 to $1,455 a month

  • Hard

    more than $1,455 a month

Compared with the typical household income in Wilkes-Barre ($48,515 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$1,054
Principal & interest$780
Property tax$174
Home insurance$49
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$52

You need at least $4,102 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

Wilkes-Barre and Luzerne County

Wilkes-Barre is in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

Wilkes-Barre's own numbers

Typical home value
$117,200
Typical monthly rent
$946
Typical yearly household income
$48,515
Households that own their home
51%
Effective property tax rate
1.78%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Luzerne County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,363
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+61%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
2.3%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Luzerne County.

Everything about Luzerne County

Buying

Buying a home in Wilkes-Barre

A typical home in Wilkes-Barre is worth $117,200: 33% below the county and 54% below Pennsylvania. With the typical household income in Wilkes-Barre ($48,515 a year), a typical home costs 2.4 times what the household earns in a year.

Years of income to pay for a typical home

The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.

  • Wilkes-Barre 2.4 years
  • Luzerne 2.7 years
  • Pennsylvania 3.3 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Luzerne County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Luzerne County rose 81% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Luzerne County.

Period County Pennsylvania U.S.
Last year (2025) +5.5% +4.7% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +61% +48% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +81% +77% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

Wilkes-Barre next to Luzerne County, Pennsylvania and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical home value
  • Wilkes-Barre $117,200
  • Luzerne $174,100
  • Pennsylvania $254,500
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Wilkes-Barre $946
  • Luzerne $1,004
  • Pennsylvania $1,209
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Wilkes-Barre $48,515
  • Luzerne $63,691
  • Pennsylvania $77,971
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Wilkes-Barre next to Luzerne County and Pennsylvania
Measure Wilkes-Barre Luzerne County Pennsylvania U.S.
Typical home value $117,200 $174,100 $254,500 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $946 $1,004 $1,209 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $48,515 $63,691 $77,971 $80,734
Households that own their home 51% 68% 69% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $2,083 $2,530 $3,311 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 1.78% 1.45% 1.3% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 51% 46% 48% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Luzerne County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in Wilkes-Barre

For a typical $117,200 home in Wilkes-Barre, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Wilkes-Barre's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $1,054a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $4,102
    Cash to close
    $7,618
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $52

  • Conventional, 5% down $1,033a month

    Down payment
    $5,860
    Cash to close
    $9,376
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $56

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $858a month

    Down payment
    $23,440
    Cash to close
    $26,956
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $966a month

    Down payment
    $17,580
    Cash to close
    $21,096
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.

  • Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
  • Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
  • The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for Wilkes-Barre and for Luzerne County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Wilkes-Barre

1.78%of the home’s value each year

$2,083 a year for the typical owner in Wilkes-Barre.

  • Wilkes-Barre 1.78%
  • Luzerne 1.45%
  • Pennsylvania 1.3%

What Pennsylvania publishes Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program (PTRR) (Pennsylvania Department of Revenue)

Exemptions and deadlines in Pennsylvania

Flood risk in Luzerne County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Luzerne County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
2.3%
2,670
Of those, with NFIP insurance
53%
County Pennsylvania U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 2.3% 2% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 53% 23% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Wilkes-Barre

Typical rent in Wilkes-Barre is $946 a month: 6% below the county. In Wilkes-Barre, 51% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Luzerne County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,363 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $26.21 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Luzerne County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $949 $18.25 $37,960
1 bedroom $1,106 $21.27 $44,240
2 bedrooms $1,363 $26.21 $54,520
3 bedrooms $1,786 $34.35 $71,440
4 bedrooms $1,962 $37.73 $78,480

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

Fair market rent by ZIP code in Wilkes-Barre

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Wilkes-Barre has 3 ZIP codes with their own.

For 2 bedrooms it runs from $1,130 in 18701 to $1,360 in 18705.

None is above the fair market rent for Luzerne County ($1,363).

  • 18701 $1,130$1,470
  • 18702 $1,360$1,780
  • 18705 $1,360$1,780

2 of these ZIP codes cross the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Wilkes-Barre when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Low-income apartments

Low-income apartments in Wilkes-Barre

HUD lists 14 buildings with rents for lower incomes in Wilkes-Barre. These are the largest.

  • Sherman Hills Apts 300 Parkview Cir, Wilkes Barre 18702 344 homes, 341 low-income · For families (570) 823-5124
  • Boulevard Townhomes 123 S Welles St, Wilkes Barre 18702 290 homes, 286 low-income · Run by Wilkes Barre Housing Authority · Average payment: $585 a month · Average wait: 17 months (570) 825-6657
  • Lincoln Plaza Wilkes-Barre 18702 200 low-income homes · Run by Wilkes Barre Housing Authority · Average payment: $372 a month · Average wait: 10 months (570) 825-6657
  • East End Towers - Southv 295 Scott St, Wilkes Barre 18702 200 homes, 190 low-income · Run by Wilkes Barre Housing Authority · Average payment: $390 a month · Average wait: 5 months (570) 825-6657
  • Valley View Terrace 215 High Blvd, Wilkes Barre 18702 203 homes, 180 low-income · Run by Wilkes Barre Housing Authority · Average payment: $389 a month · Average wait: 8 months (570) 825-6657

See all 52 buildings in Luzerne County Source: HUD, Retrieved November 6, 2026

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Wilkes-Barre

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

There are 2 HUD-approved agencies with an office in Luzerne County; 2 say they serve in Spanish.

A young woman and a young man point to a line in their notes beside a laptop in a library.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Wilkes-Barre

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Wilkes-Barre or Luzerne County. The ones below are statewide in Pennsylvania: they work in Wilkes-Barre the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in Pennsylvania

Housing counselors near Wilkes-Barre

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of Wilkes-Barre, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • Commission on Economic Opportunity of Luzerne County

    165 Amber Ln, Wilkes Barre · 1 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Mortgage delinquency workshops
    • and 2 more
    (570) 826-0510

  • Housing Development Corporation of Northeast

    163 Amber Ln, Wilkes Barre · 1 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and credit workshops
    • and 5 more
    (570) 824-4803

  • Neighborworks Northeastern Pa/NHS of Lackawanna County

    815 Smith St, Scranton · 14 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 6 more
    (570) 558-2490

Every agency in Luzerne County All counseling agencies in Pennsylvania

Help in Spanish near Wilkes-Barre

2 of the 3 agencies on this list say they serve in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of Wilkes-Barre

HUD’s record names them for Wilkes-Barre or Luzerne County. They run public housing or Section 8 vouchers. Ask whether their waiting list is open.

  • Wilkes Barre Housing Authority Public housing and Section 8 vouchers (570) 825-6657
  • Housing Authority of the County of Luzerne Public housing and Section 8 vouchers (570) 287-9661

3 other authorities have an office in Luzerne County: see the list Source: HUD

Cities

Other cities in Luzerne County

These cities are also in Luzerne County. They share its loan limits and fair market rents, but home values and rent change from one to the next.

Everything about Luzerne County Housing in Pennsylvania

Nearby cities

The cities closest to Wilkes-Barre, with the typical home value.

Neighboring counties

If Luzerne County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in Wilkes-Barre.

All guides
A couple spread mulch under the avocado trees of their family orchard, he on the tractor and she with a shovel.

Questions

Housing questions about Wilkes-Barre

Short answers with the numbers for Wilkes-Barre and all of Luzerne County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does a typical home cost in Wilkes-Barre?

The typical home value in Wilkes-Barre is $117,200, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Luzerne County it is $174,100.

How much does it cost to rent in Wilkes-Barre?

Typical rent in Wilkes-Barre is $946 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Luzerne County is $1,363.

What is the FHA loan limit in Wilkes-Barre?

Wilkes-Barre uses the FHA limit for all of Luzerne County (2026): $541,287 for a one-unit home and $1,041,125 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in Wilkes-Barre?

The typical homeowner in Wilkes-Barre pays $2,083 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 1.78% of the home’s value; in Luzerne County, the rate is 1.45%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Wilkes-Barre?

There are 2 HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Luzerne County. 2 say they serve in Spanish. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).