United States › Pennsylvania › Wilkes-Barre CITY
Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania · 44,523 residents (2025 est.) · 6.85 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 ACS 2010 ACS 2011 ACS 2012 ACS 2013 ACS 2014 ACS 2015 ACS 2016 ACS 2017 ACS 2018 ACS 2019 ACS 2020 ACS 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS
The short version
Wilkes-Barre is home to 44,423 people in Pennsylvania. 20% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. Home values have risen by half since 2000, reaching $117,200. Households here earn about 38% less than in Pennsylvania as a whole. Owners hold 51% of the housing stock. There are 6,487 people per square mile.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 34.7
US median: 38.9
Less educated
20% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 43,123 in 2000
44,523 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
6,487 / sq mi
+8%since 2009
from 5,999 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 38.8 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
40K 42K 44K 46K 48K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Wilkes-Barre Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $48,515
Unchangedinflation adjusted, since 2000
from $26,711 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $15,050 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 14.3% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 17.8% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.453 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Professional, scientific, technical 9.9%
Public administration 3.5%
Transportation & warehousing 2.4%
Arts, entertainment, food 1%
Education & health services 0.4%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 0.3%
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$117,200
−2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $65,500 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$946
+26%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $411 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 53.5% in 2000
48.8% rent
from 13.8% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
2.44 people
+12%since 2009
from 2.17 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 29.9% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 47.3% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 2.6 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 91.4%(39,433)
Hispanic / Latino 1.6%(683)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 50.5%(22,442)
Hispanic / Latino 33.8%(14,997)
from 42 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Hispanic origin
+ 5 more hispanic origin groups with data Ancestry
+ 35 more ancestry groups with data from 12.8% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 76.8% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 4.7% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 11.7 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 69.5% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 17.1% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 3.0% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 2.3% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 7.1% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 23.0% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 8.4% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 56.7% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 71.6% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 11.6% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 23.5% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 3.6% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 11.6% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 15.9% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 13.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 66.8% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 85.5% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 78.1% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 84.8% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 11.3% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 51.6%(9,240)
Women 15+
Never married 46.5%(8,704)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 13.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 46.6% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 11.4% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 17.2% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 35.0% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 1.9% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 56.7% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 49.2% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later) 17%(304)
Gulf War (1990s) 14.8%(265)
Share of the 1,786 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
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Drill deeper
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania? Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania has about 44,423 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania? The typical household in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania earns about $48,515 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania expensive? In Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, the median home is worth about $117,200, and the typical rent is about $946 a month.
How educated are people in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania? About 20.5% of adults age 25 and over in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania? About 23.1% of people in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania live below the federal poverty line.
Has Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania grown since 1990? Yes, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 3,100 residents, a change of about -7 percent over that period.
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