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COUNTY · 2000 CENSUS

Luzerne County

Pennsylvania · 319,250 residents · 890 sq mi
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The short version

Luzerne County is a county of 319,250 people in Pennsylvania. At a median age of 40.8, this is an older place than the country as a whole. 16% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Home values have risen by half since 1990, reaching $83,500. Households here earn about 16% less than in Pennsylvania as a whole. Renters pay $434 a month at the median.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $42,589
Older
median age 40.8
US median: 35.2
Less educated
16% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
319,250
−3%since 1990
from 328,149 in 1990
1990 – 2025
Median age
40.8
+7%since 1990
from 38.2 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Land area
890 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
310K315K320K325K330K19902000201020202024Luzerne County
2024328K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 55%(15,811)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 95.8%(18,549)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 146.4%(20,369)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 196.6%(20,946)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 245.4%(17,286)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3412.2%(39,000)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4415%(47,903)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5414%(44,756)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 6410%(31,890)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 749.4%(30,166)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 847.5%(24,093)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over2.7%(8,481)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$33,771
+9%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $23,600 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$18,228
+52%since 1990
from $12,002 in 1990
US average: $21,522
Poverty rate
11.1%
−0.2 ptssince 1990
from 11.2% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$83,500
+14%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $55,500 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$434
+3%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $319 in 1990
US average: $602
Owner-occupied
70.3%
+1.0 ptssince 1990
from 69.4% in 1990
29.7% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

1990
White, non-Hispanic98.1%(321,855)
Black1.2%(4,013)
Hispanic / Latino0.6%(1,834)
Asian0.4%(1,355)
2000
White, non-Hispanic96%(306,528)
Black1.6%(5,202)
Hispanic / Latino1.2%(3,713)
Asian0.6%(1,856)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin
Dominican8.1%(26,599)
Puerto Rican3.5%(11,440)
Mexican2.7%(8,740)
South American0.9%(2,909)
Central American0.8%(2,710)
Salvadoran0.5%(1,637)
Colombian0.3%(1,140)
Ecuadorian0.2%(732)
Spaniard0.2%(571)
Honduran0.1%(487)
Cuban0.1%(417)
Chilean0.1%(328)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Guatemalan0.1%(318)
Venezuelan0.1%(219)
Panamanian0.1%(217)
Peruvian0.1%(184)
Uruguayan0.1%(167)
Argentine0%(138)
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.5%(1,557)
Chinese0.2%(556)
Korean0.1%(401)
Filipino0.1%(374)
Hmong0.1%(245)
Pakistani0.1%(196)
Vietnamese0%(143)
Japanese0%(77)
Cambodian0%(72)
Kazakh0%(32)
Burmese0%(13)
+ 3 more asian origin groups with data
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(40)
Samoan0%(38)
Tongan0%(1)
Ancestry
Irish16%(52,537)
Polish15.8%(51,756)
Italian14%(45,907)
German13.7%(45,037)
English5.7%(18,628)
Slovak3.2%(10,629)
American2.9%(9,624)
Welsh2.9%(9,469)
Lithuanian2.1%(6,955)
Russian2.1%(6,864)
Dutch1.1%(3,536)
Ukrainian1%(3,126)
+ 50 more ancestry groups with data
French0.8%(2,604)
Scottish0.7%(2,439)
Arab0.7%(2,285)
West Indian0.6%(2,078)
Greek0.5%(1,582)
Hungarian0.4%(1,391)
Scotch-Irish0.4%(1,155)
Lebanese0.3%(1,039)
Swedish0.3%(1,016)
Czech0.3%(1,000)
Portuguese0.3%(915)
Austrian0.3%(888)
Norwegian0.3%(861)
Jamaican0.3%(837)
Syrian0.2%(722)
Haitian0.2%(685)
Swiss0.1%(422)
British0.1%(380)
Romanian0.1%(356)
Finnish0.1%(313)
Nigerian0.1%(278)
Serbian0.1%(266)
Croatian0.1%(216)
Ghanaian0.1%(204)
Egyptian0%(152)
Danish0%(129)
Iraqi0%(113)
Canadian0%(110)
Guyanese0%(100)
Brazilian0%(85)
Slovene0%(74)
Turkish0%(41)
Moroccan0%(35)
Iranian0%(32)
Armenian0%(29)
Israeli0%(28)
Belgian0%(27)
Kenyan0%(27)
Jordanian0%(16)
Ethiopian0%(14)
Somali0%(13)
Latvian0%(11)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
16.4%
+3.3 ptssince 1990
from 13.1% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
81.1%
+9.1 ptssince 1990
from 72.0% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
Graduate degree
6.0%
+1.1 ptssince 1990
from 4.8% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
13.6 min
−21%since 1990
from 17.2 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status
Men 15+
Never married30.5%(38,245)
Married57.5%(72,239)
Widowed4.3%(5,403)
Divorced7.7%(9,704)
Women 15+
Never married23.3%(32,417)
Married51.5%(71,502)
Widowed16.9%(23,512)
Divorced8.2%(11,428)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
6.6%
−3.0 ptssince 2013
from 9.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
52.6%
−2.9 ptssince 2020
from 55.5% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
14.3%
−1.3 ptssince 2020
from 15.6% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
21.8%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 22.0% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
26.8%
+3.3 ptssince 2020
from 23.5% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.4%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 2.5% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
64.7%
−4.4 ptssince 2020
from 69.1% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
45.3%
+3.0 ptssince 2020
from 42.3% 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)19.3%(3,295)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)18.3%(3,126)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era34.8%(5,932)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War7.2%(1,227)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.5%(87)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 17,059 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.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper

Places similar to Luzerne County

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Pop 333,834
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Pop 309,286
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Pop 297,260
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Pop 299,048
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Head to head

Compare Luzerne County to nearby counties

LUZERNE COUNTY VS
Carbon County
Income$67,554+100%
Home value$211,400+153%
Population65,868−80%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LUZERNE COUNTY VS
Columbia County
Income$64,644+91%
Home value$206,200+147%
Population66,193−80%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LUZERNE COUNTY VS
Wyoming County
Income$72,460+115%
Home value$215,400+158%
Population25,790−92%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LUZERNE COUNTY VS
Lackawanna County
Income$66,223+96%
Home value$201,800+142%
Population216,502−35%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania?

Luzerne County, Pennsylvania has about 319,250 residents according to the 2000 Census.

What is the median household income in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania?

The typical household in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania earns about $33,771 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Luzerne County, Pennsylvania expensive?

In Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, the median home is worth about $83,500, and the typical rent is about $434 a month.

How educated are people in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania?

About 16.4% of adults age 25 and over in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania?

About 11.1% of people in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania live below the federal poverty line.

Has Luzerne County, Pennsylvania grown since 1990?

Yes, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 8,899 residents, a change of about -3 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →