Pennsylvania · Northeast · 44k residents
Wilkes-Barre, PA: economy, jobs & business costs
The site-selection read on Wilkes-Barre: labor costs, talent, corporate tax, energy, and business activity, with the Pennsylvania median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.
Average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,429/wk. Pennsylvania's corporate income tax rate is 7.99%. Commercial electricity averages 11.0¢/kWh.
Compare Wilkes-Barre side by side
Avg. weekly wage
$1,429/wk
Corporate income tax
7.99%
Bachelor's degree or higher
20.5%
Commercial electricity
11.0¢/kWh
Economic momentum
How fast Wilkes-Barre's economy is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
84/100
Heating
Ranks Wilkes-Barre's residential building-permit growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. This is economic activity, not commercial lease rates or vacancy. Not investment or relocation advice.
| ACS median home value | $117,200 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $175 |
| Property tax rate | 1.5% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $753/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $973/mo |
| State & local income tax | 4.57% |
| Sales tax | 6.34% |
| Corporate income tax | 7.99% |
| Avg. weekly wage | $1,429/wk |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.5% |
| Commercial electricity | 11.0¢/kWh |
| Businesses per 1k residents | — |
| Wage: Software developer | $126,550 |
| Wage: Registered nurse | $96,430 |
| Wage: General manager | $103,130 |
| Wage: Customer service | $44,630 |
| Wage: Warehouse worker | $36,640 |
| Wage: Heavy truck driver | $58,580 |
| Wage: Electrician | $67,600 |
| Wage: Retail salesperson | $31,200 |
| Cost of living index | 79 |
| Groceries index | 100 |
| Utilities | $180/mo |
| Transit pass | $96/mo |
| Gas price | $3.45/gal |
| Healthcare index | 100 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,150/mo |
| Median household income | $48,515 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% |
| Population | 44k |
| Crime index | 40/100 |
| School rating | 6.3/10 |
| Walkability | 30/100 |
| Disaster risk | — |
| Avg. commute | 27 min |
| Sunny days / year | 180 days |
| July high | 85°F |
| January low | 20°F |
| Annual snowfall | 45 in |
| Home price YoY | +1.5% |
| Home price MoM | +0.4% |
| Rent YoY | +6.2% |
| Rent MoM | +0.3% |
| Employment (jobs) YoY | — |
| Building permits YoY | +66.7% |
| Ocean coast | 114 mi |
| Big lake | 127 mi |
| Mountains | 30 mi |
| Major airport | 97 mi |
| Ski resort | 30 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Scranton, PA · 76k
- Hazleton, PA · 30k
- Easton, PA · 30k
- Fullerton, PA · 17k
- Allentown, PA · 126k
Similar size
- York, PA · 45k
- Altoona, PA · 43k
- State College, PA · 41k
- Harrisburg, PA · 50k
- Levittown, PA · 51k
Real listings in Wilkes-Barre
LoopNet ↗Crexi ↗CommercialCafe ↗
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- Is Wilkes-Barre a good place to run a business?
- Pennsylvania's corporate income tax rate is 7.99%; average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,429/wk; commercial electricity averages 11.0¢/kWh. Weigh these against your own priorities in the business comparison tool.
- What is the cost of living in Wilkes-Barre, PA?
- Wilkes-Barre indexes at 79 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $973/mo and a acs median home value of $117,200.
- How much does a house cost in Wilkes-Barre?
- The acs median home value in Wilkes-Barre is $117,200 (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Wilkes-Barre?
- A two-bedroom in Wilkes-Barre rents for about $973/mo.