Population 2,667 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Luzerne
Household size in Luzerne
| Period | Luzerne | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.21 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.18 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 1.89 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.98 | 2.46 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.22 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
Luzerne is a place of small households, averaging 1.98 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has dropped from 2.21 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Luzerne
| Period | Luzerne | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.9 | 40.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.9 | 41.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 49.6 | 41.8 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 45.4 | 42.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.5 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 45.4, Luzerne is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Luzerne
| Period | Luzerne | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.6% | 10.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.9% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.4% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.6% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +7.0 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in seven households in Luzerne (14.6%), well above the national share of 11.6%.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Luzerne
Renters in Luzerne
| Period | Luzerne | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 46.3% | 29.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 45.3% | 30.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 43.6% | 31.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 39.9% | 30.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | −6.4 pts | +1.7 pts | +1.5 pts |
About four in ten households in Luzerne rent their homes (39.9%), a bit above the national share of 34.8%. Among owners, 44.6% have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Luzerne
| Period | Luzerne | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.1% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.2% | 10.5% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 15.8% | 10.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.3% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +8.2 pts | −1.2 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs high in Luzerne: 13.3% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Luzerne
| Period | Luzerne | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1942 | 1963 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1948 | 1964 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1948 | 1965 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1951 | 1967 | 1980 |
| Change | +9 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Luzerne is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1951, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Luzerne
| Period | Luzerne | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $566 | $829 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $671 | $923 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $657 | $1,039 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,070 | $1,323 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$505 | +$494 | +$606 |
Rent in Luzerne runs $1,070 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent takes 29.1% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Luzerne
Bachelor's degrees in Luzerne
| Period | Luzerne | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.3% | 27.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 17.6% | 28.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.5% | 31.8% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 17.5% | 35.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.3 pts | +8.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Luzerne: 17.5% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Luzerne
| Period | Luzerne | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 85.3% | 87.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 85.1% | 88.8% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 91.4% | 90.3% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 83.6% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | −1.8 pts | +4.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in six adults in Luzerne never finished high school, well above the national share: only 83.6% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Luzerne
| Period | Luzerne | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.0% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.3% | 8.8% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.0% | 5.5% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.5% | 5.4% | 5.4% |
| Change | −10.5 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.5%, unemployment in Luzerne is close to the national rate of 5.4%. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Luzerne compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luzerne | 1.98 | 45.4 | 14.6% | 39.9% | 13.3% | 1951 | $1,070 | 17.5% | 83.6% | 5.5% |
| Courtdale | 2.29 | 41.0 | 7.5% | 26.1% | 9.2% | 1958 | $971 | 26.5% | 94.6% | 1.9% |
| Pringle | 2.13 | 41.0 | 13.9% | 30.7% | 6.4% | 1939 | $1,044 | 21.7% | 93.5% | 1.0% |
| Forty Fort | 2.29 | 41.8 | 6.5% | 43.0% | 7.6% | 1945 | $1,084 | 28.7% | 95.8% | 8.0% |
| Swoyersville | 2.14 | 50.1 | 4.4% | 20.2% | 3.6% | 1957 | $739 | 25.6% | 92.7% | 4.5% |
| Kingston | 2.34 | 39.6 | 18.2% | 47.2% | 9.4% | 1953 | $1,070 | 30.9% | 89.4% | 6.5% |
| Edwardsville | 2.35 | 42.0 | 21.0% | 54.3% | 8.4% | 1961 | $1,031 | 11.6% | 95.7% | 11.8% |
| Plains | 2.30 | 44.0 | 11.1% | 29.0% | 7.6% | 1954 | $1,043 | 30.4% | 93.8% | 7.7% |
| Larksville | 2.49 | 47.3 | 9.6% | 23.9% | 12.9% | 1958 | $1,176 | 23.9% | 88.5% | 8.7% |
| Wilkes-Barre | 2.38 | 38.5 | 18.1% | 44.5% | 16.0% | 1952 | $1,004 | 20.7% | 86.0% | 7.6% |
| West Wyoming | 2.14 | 48.3 | 9.3% | 20.1% | 5.5% | 1957 | $1,033 | 25.9% | 94.7% | 5.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Empire, CA · Tenaha, TX · Spraberry, TX · Three Oaks, MI · Tioga, ND · South Zanesville, OH · Hanna City, IL · Greenville, VA · Grapeland, TX · Glenelg, MD
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Luzerne. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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