Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
Among the top 11% of US counties for lifestyle & connectivity.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade C, better than 44% of US counties
WeatherWeather: grade C, better than 35% of US counties
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade C, better than 47% of US counties
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade B+, better than 73% of US counties
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade A, better than 89% of US counties
- top 3% for park & nature access
- top 17% for walkability
- bottom 8% for natural disaster risk
Luzerne County is a county in Pennsylvania with about 325,000 residents. It grades A for lifestyle & connectivity and C for weather. Standout strengths include park & nature access, walkability, and school quality. It rates lower on property tax rate and natural disaster risk.
Official websiteluzernecounty.org (opens in new tab)
Climate
Warm summers · Cold winters · Moderate rain · Heavy snow
very cold
cold
cool
comf.
warm
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cool
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v.cold
71%43%clearovercast
Precipitation 4.4 in3.0 in
humid 93%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$61k51st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$43kbetter than 79% of US counties
Home Value$152k46th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$904better than 34% of US counties
Monthly Owner Costs$1kbetter than 41% of US counties
Property Tax Rate1.60%better than 11% of US counties
Income Tax3.87%better than 75% of US counties
State 3.10% + Local 0.77%
Sales Tax6.34%better than 76% of US counties
Estimated total tax burden9.97%better than 40% of US counties
Unemployment5.9%better than 29% of US counties
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)27°F28th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)72°F21st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation46.5 in59th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall41.3 inbetter than 19% of US counties
Sunny Days204 daysbetter than 19% of US counties
Summer Humidity61°Fbetter than 71% of US counties
Comfortable Days88 daysbetter than 73% of US counties
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk91.6better than 8% of US counties
School Quality77.9better than 81% of US counties
Violent Crime621/100kbetter than 61% of US counties
Property Crime1067/100kbetter than 42% of US counties
Community
Population325,39693rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age42.258th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.3459th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9946th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningR+1526th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)77.2%44th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)3.9%61st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)15.1%80th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)1.1%70th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)2.7%32nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time24 minbetter than 54% of US counties
Walkability7.6/20better than 83% of US counties
Airport Distance97 mibetter than 51% of US counties
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access84.8%better than 59% of US counties
Amenities Nearby4.03better than 62% of US counties
Park & Nature AccessExcellentbetter than 97% of US counties
Frequently asked questions
- Is Luzerne County an affordable place to live?
- Luzerne County is relatively affordable. Its cost-of-living index is $43k, better than 79% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Luzerne County?
- The median home value in Luzerne County is $152k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Luzerne County?
- Median household income in Luzerne County is $61k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Luzerne County?
- Median gross rent in Luzerne County is $904 a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Luzerne County safe?
- Luzerne County is safer than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 621/100k (better than 61%). Property crime is 1067/100k.
- What is the weather like in Luzerne County?
- Luzerne County averages 72°F in July and 27°F in January, with 46.5 in of annual precipitation and about 204 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Luzerne County?
- Public-school quality in Luzerne County is above average, scoring better than 81% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Luzerne County?
- The average one-way commute in Luzerne County is 24 min.
Other counties in Pennsylvania
Explore Pennsylvania
Data sources
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)