Population 9,146 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in West Side
Household size in West Side
| Period | West Side | Scranton | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.33 | 2.35 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.33 | 2.48 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.40 | 2.37 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.46 | 2.37 | 2.46 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.13 | +0.02 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
The average household in West Side has 2.46 people, under the U.S. average of 2.65. Locally, though, the typical household here is bigger than in Scranton as a whole, where it has 2.37 people. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.33, even as the national average fell.
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 West Side
| Period | West Side | Scranton | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.1 | 39.6 | 40.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.5 | 39.4 | 41.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.9 | 38.8 | 41.8 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.1 | 38.9 | 42.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.0 | −0.7 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
The median resident of West Side is 38.1 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1. Scranton as a whole looks much the same. Residents skew youngest in the south and oldest in the northwest.
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 West Side
| Period | West Side | Scranton | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.2% | 12.8% | 10.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.2% | 12.9% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.8% | 14.0% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 20.6% | 15.1% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +3.5 pts | +2.3 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in five households in West Side (20.6%), well above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has risen 3.5 points since 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
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 West Side
Renters in West Side
| Period | West Side | Scranton | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 48.5% | 45.3% | 29.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 52.3% | 48.0% | 30.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 49.7% | 51.4% | 31.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 54.4% | 50.0% | 30.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +5.9 pts | +4.8 pts | +1.7 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in West Side: 54.4% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. Nearly six in ten owners (57.1%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the west; owners are most common in the northeast. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 5.9 points, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 West Side
| Period | West Side | Scranton | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.1% | 14.5% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 17.9% | 13.9% | 10.5% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 18.9% | 14.8% | 10.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 14.5% | 14.8% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.3 pts | +0.3 pts | −1.2 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 14.5% of the housing in West Side, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Vacancy is up 1.3 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
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 West Side
| Period | West Side | Scranton | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1939 | 1944 | 1963 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1939 | 1945 | 1964 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1938 | 1945 | 1965 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1939 | 1945 | 1967 | 1980 |
| Change | −0 | +2 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in West Side is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1939, 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 West Side
| Period | West Side | Scranton | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $675 | $637 | $829 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $726 | $737 | $923 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $770 | $818 | $1,039 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,126 | $1,071 | $1,323 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$452 | +$434 | +$494 | +$606 |
Rent in West Side runs $1,126 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Still, rents here are higher than in Scranton overall ($1,071). Rent has climbed $452 a month since 2006–10, up 67%, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 33.4% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 West Side
Bachelor's degrees in West Side
| Period | West Side | Scranton | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.5% | 19.1% | 27.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.7% | 21.2% | 28.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.7% | 21.8% | 31.8% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.7% | 23.3% | 35.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.2 pts | +4.2 pts | +8.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in West Side: 15.7% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 3.2 points, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the northeast and least in the south.
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 West Side
| Period | West Side | Scranton | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 81.5% | 82.7% | 87.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 86.1% | 85.4% | 88.8% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 85.9% | 85.3% | 90.3% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 83.6% | 86.7% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.1 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in six adults in West Side never finished high school, well above the national share: only 83.6% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 2.1 points, as it has 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 West Side
| Period | West Side | Scranton | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.0% | 6.6% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.5% | 9.5% | 8.8% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.0% | 5.2% | 5.5% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.4% | 5.5% | 5.4% | 5.4% |
| Change | +2.4 pts | −1.1 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in West Side: 9.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has risen 2.4 points, even as the national rate fell. 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).
West Side compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Side | 2.46 | 38.1 | 20.6% | 54.4% | 14.5% | 1939 | $1,126 | 15.7% | 83.6% | 9.4% |
| Downtown | 1.99 | 32.2 | 5.8% | 89.8% | 17.0% | 1952 | $988 | 33.3% | 91.2% | 5.8% |
| Providence | 2.50 | 41.0 | 18.5% | 44.2% | 17.7% | 1942 | $1,152 | 18.3% | 86.7% | 4.4% |
| South Side | 2.43 | 38.2 | 17.4% | 53.4% | 15.7% | 1941 | $1,059 | 16.5% | 79.5% | 7.3% |
| The Hill Section | 2.44 | 33.8 | 10.9% | 63.4% | 12.9% | 1941 | $1,199 | 29.4% | 82.7% | 3.7% |
| Green Ridge | 2.06 | 38.8 | 14.8% | 59.0% | 15.8% | 1942 | $1,185 | 24.1% | 91.0% | 4.1% |
| Petersburg | 2.40 | 36.9 | 11.4% | 50.4% | 15.3% | 1938 | $1,240 | 29.4% | 87.7% | 4.7% |
| The Plot | 2.30 | 37.8 | 13.4% | 45.4% | 18.4% | 1940 | $1,089 | 25.5% | 92.4% | 8.0% |
| Parsons | 2.63 | 34.1 | 17.8% | 38.0% | 10.6% | 1946 | $1,058 | 18.4% | 88.4% | 5.7% |
| North End | 3.04 | 29.3 | 29.1% | 47.4% | 19.6% | 1943 | $1,220 | 14.7% | 85.3% | 6.4% |
| Mayflower | 2.37 | 41.7 | 19.1% | 54.2% | 12.7% | 1957 | $955 | 17.0% | 87.2% | 14.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Cartwright, Phoenix, AZ · Santa Clara Street, Hayward, CA · Highland Park, Des Moines, IA · Alameda, Portland, OR · Hyde Park, Jacksonville, FL · Lakeshore at University Park, Miramar, FL · Mokapu, Kaneohe Station, HI · Northwest Los Angeles Heights, San Antonio, TX · Nubian Square, Boston, MA · Parker Lane, Austin, TX
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 West Side. 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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