Luzerne County, PA
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 41.17, -75.98.
Assembled 2026-10-19. Read the brief.
- 48th pct · 1,583rd of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 48th pct · 35th of 67 Pennsylvania counties · median $231,558
- counties in the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 3 counties in the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 55th pct · 1,367th of 3,062 US counties · median +2.9%
- 48th pct · 35th of 67 Pennsylvania counties · median +3.3%
- counties in the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 3 counties in the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 32nd pct · 913th of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 50th pct · 25th of 49 Pennsylvania counties · median $1,322
- counties in the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 3 counties in the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 93rd pct · 225th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 83rd pct · 12th of 67 Pennsylvania counties · median 27,809
- counties in the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 3 counties in the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 69th pct · 972nd of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 60th pct · 27th of 67 Pennsylvania counties · median $1,102
- counties in the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 3 counties in the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 41st pct · 1,799th of 3,063 US counties · median 4.2
- 51st pct · 33rd of 67 Pennsylvania counties · median 3.7
- counties in the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 3 counties in the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
Typical home value divided by the average annual wage of one covered job.
A percentile here is a min-max scaling of average rank: the smallest published value in the cohort is 0 and the largest is 100, and tied values share the average of the ranks they span. It is not the share of entities below the value, so 0 means smallest, not none below. Entities that did not publish the metric are outside the cohort entirely and are counted in neither the rank nor its denominator.
Home values #
Typical home $227,445 (Sep 2026), +3.3% over one year, +31.4% over five
- 48th pct · 1,583rd of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 48th pct · 35th of 67 Pennsylvania counties · median $231,558
- counties in the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 3 counties in the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Luzerne County, PA | $227,445 · +3.3% 1-yr |
Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), typical value of homes in the 35th to 65th percentile, smoothed and seasonally adjusted; a model estimate of value, not a sale price. Data through Zillow Research.
Rents #
Typical rent $1,322/mo (Sep 2026), +5.5% over one year; price-to-rent 14.3
- 32nd pct · 913th of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 50th pct · 25th of 49 Pennsylvania counties · median $1,322
- counties in the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 3 counties in the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Luzerne County, PA | $1,322/mo · +5.5% 1-yr |
Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), smoothed, all homes and multifamily; price-to-rent = typical home / (typical rent × 12).
What the typical home costs to carry #
Principal and interest of $1,260 a month on $227,445 at 7.40%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,970 a month: 25.3% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $227,445 × 80% = $181,956, r = 7.40%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-15), n = 360 → $1,260/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,147 × 52 / 12 = $4,970) = 25% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $227,445 / ($1,147 × 52) = 3.8
- price-to-rent = $227,445 / ($1,322 × 12) = 14.3
The wage is one covered job’s average, not a household’s income, so this is the share of a single paycheque and not a mortgage underwriting ratio.
Estimate. Principal and interest on the typical home with 20% down over 30 years at this week's Freddie Mac average rate; compared with the average weekly wage of all jobs covered by unemployment insurance in the area (BLS QCEW), which is pay per job, not household income.
Jobs & wages #
144,145 jobs at 7,564 employers (2026 Q1); +0.3% jobs and +2.2% average weekly wage over the year
- 93rd pct · 225th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 83rd pct · 12th of 67 Pennsylvania counties · median 27,809
- counties in the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 3 counties in the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Luzerne County, PA | 144,145 jobs · $1,147/wk · +0.3% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 24,779 | $1,236 | 1.14 | +3.5% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 18,942 | $1,054 | 3.12 | -0.5% |
| Manufacturing | 17,508 | $1,339 | 1.51 | -1.9% |
| Retail trade | 14,773 | $694 | 1.05 | -1.7% |
| Accommodation and food services | 10,751 | $440 | 0.83 | +0.9% |
| Administrative and waste services | 8,401 | $868 | 1.03 | +4.5% |
| Construction | 5,006 | $1,355 | 0.66 | +3.3% |
| Wholesale trade | 4,765 | $1,462 | 0.86 | -0.1% |
| Professional and technical services | 4,160 | $1,530 | 0.42 | +1.6% |
| Finance and insurance | 4,140 | $1,750 | 0.70 | -3.7% |
| Other services | 3,940 | $775 | 0.91 | +2.2% |
| Educational services | 3,231 | $879 | 1.04 | +0.3% |
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, all ownerships, total covered employment in the quarter's third month; over-the-year changes as published. Suppressed cells stay blank.
Drought #
No drought class at this point (USDM covers the United States only)
Sites found: 5, searched within 0 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 0 km away are not.
US Drought Monitor current week; the highest class of any polygon containing the point.
Reservoirs #
11 USGS reservoir gauges, no capacity figures to weight
Sites found: 11, searched within 150 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 150 km away are not.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Francis E. Walter Reservoir near White Haven, PA | 1,305 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 22 km |
| Beltzville Lake near Parryville, PA | 628.1 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 46 km |
| USGS-01534490 | 1,108 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 54 km |
| USGS-01534180 | 1,574 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 71 km |
| Prompton Reservoir at Prompton, PA | 1,125 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 71 km |
| General Edgar Jadwin Reservoir near Honesdale, PA | 990.0 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 77 km |
| USGS-01470870 | 288.1 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 88 km |
| USGS-01517900 | 1,081 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 126 km |
Σ(capacity × percent full) / Σ capacity over TWDB reservoirs within 150 km. Texas only; elsewhere USGS reservoir elevation/storage is listed without a capacity to normalise by.
Stream gauges #
68 gauges · 0 flooding · 12 with quality panels averaging 100 % · 14 stale
Sites found: 68, searched within 75 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 75 km away are not.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| USGS-01537524 | flow 1.60 ft³/s · STALE | 2 km |
| USGS-01537535 | flow 22.0 ft³/s · STALE | 4 km |
| USGS-01537544 | flow 51.0 ft³/s · STALE | 4 km |
| USGS-01537560 | flow 0.90 ft³/s · STALE | 5 km |
| USGS-01536500 | flow 4,750 ft³/s | 12 km |
| Susquehanna River at Wilkes Barre | no flooding | 12 km |
| USGS-01537000 | flow 19.0 ft³/s · STALE | 14 km |
| USGS-01538000 | flow 37.5 ft³/s | 16 km |
| USGS-01538510 | flow 54.5 ft³/s | 19 km |
| Lehigh R bl Francis E Walter Res nr White Haven PA | flow 576.0 ft³/s · quality 100 % (1) · no flooding | 22 km |
USGS latest readings screened against EPA freshwater criteria (DO ≥ 5 mg/L, pH 6.5–9, conductance, turbidity, temperature); NWS flood categories where a NWPS gauge is co-located.
Groundwater #
34 wells in 0 named aquifers:
Sites found: 34, searched within 75 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 75 km away are not.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| USGS-411757075505801 | depth 15.9 ft · 1975-12-18 | 18 km |
| USGS-410420076090701 | depth 62.6 ft · 1981-11-17 | 18 km |
| USGS-410332076115302 | depth 20.3 ft · 1982-08-23 | 22 km |
| USGS-410332076115301 | depth 25.6 ft · 1982-08-23 | 22 km |
| USGS-410123075425401 | depth 53.5 ft · 2026-10-18 | 27 km |
| USGS-411800076162501 | depth 54.2 ft · 1994-07-14 | 29 km |
| USGS-410236076161701 | depth 36.5 ft · 1981-11-17 | 29 km |
| USGS-411756076162701 | depth 34.4 ft · 2026-10-18 | 29 km |
USGS latest daily water levels. A single latest reading says where the table is, not which way it is moving; select a well for its 365-day trace.
Water stress #
low (0.00)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.00 + 0.2×0.00 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$8.1 bn in deposits at 84 offices of 18 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 1,097, moderately concentrated. $2.7 bn federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $2.0 bn, contracts $643.5 m), $18,802 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| PNC Bank, National Association | $1.7 bn · 20.5% share · 9 offices | |
| Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company | $1.4 bn · 17.3% share · 9 offices | |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $625.0 m · 7.7% share · 4 offices | |
| Luzerne, PA | $2.7 bn FY2026 · $18,802/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $1.9 bn · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| PNC Bank, National Association | $1,656,894,000 | 20.5% | 9 |
| Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company | $1,399,506,000 | 17.3% | 9 |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $624,973,000 | 7.7% | 4 |
| Peoples Security Bank and Trust Company | $601,310,000 | 7.4% | 9 |
| The Fidelity Deposit and Discount Bank | $599,523,000 | 7.4% | 7 |
| Citizens Bank, National Association | $592,848,000 | 7.3% | 5 |
| Community Bank, National Association | $587,401,000 | 7.3% | 7 |
| First Keystone Community Bank | $438,101,000 | 5.4% | 8 |
| Northwest Bank | $419,602,000 | 5.2% | 8 |
| Truist Bank | $372,992,000 | 4.6% | 4 |
Deposit concentration is 1,097 across 18 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls moderately concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 18 banks with deposits in the county = 20.5² + 17.3² + 7.7² + … (15 more) = 1,097
FDIC Summary of Deposits: deposits at every insured office as of June 30, annual; HHI is the sum of squared county deposit shares (DOJ 1995 bank merger screen: 1000 / 1800). USAspending: obligations by place of performance for the latest complete federal fiscal year (Oct 1 to Sep 30), what agencies committed, not what they paid out; recipients are legal entities. Per-job divides obligations by BLS QCEW covered employment.
Federal obligations #
USAspending place-of-performance obligations for FY2026, by awarding agency.
| Awarding agency | Obligations |
|---|---|
| Social Security Administration | $1,721,362,611 |
| Department of Defense | $549,173,990 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $230,251,562 |
| Department of Transportation | $79,518,457 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $55,942,187 |
| Department of Labor | $31,394,934 |
| Department of Education | $25,922,221 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $5,552,638 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $5,398,668 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $2,660,634 |
| General Services Administration | $1,540,797 |
| Department of Agriculture | $1,240,539 |
That is $18,802 per covered job, against 144,145 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $2.7 bn / 144,145 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $18,802
USAspending obligations are recorded where the work is performed, so a prime award performed here is counted here even when the recipient is headquartered elsewhere. Recipients are legal entities, never people.
National context, not this county #
These are United States, single-gauge, single-state and port series. None of them is keyed to this county.
| Series | Latest | As of | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi River at Memphis, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Mississippi River at St. Louis, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Ohio River at Louisville, stage · ft | 17.95 | 2026-10-18 | -2.6% |
| Missouri River at St. Joseph, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Colorado River below Hoover Dam, flow (Hoover releases) · ft³/s | 5,170.00 | 2026-02-05 | -25.3% |
| Texas reservoirs, statewide percent full · % | 72.20 | 2026-10-19 | +0.0% |
| Laredo truck crossings, monthly · trucks | 258,700.00 | 2026-08-01 | -0.4% |
| Los Angeles + Long Beach container volume, annual · TEU | 10,513,167.00 | 2023-01-01 | -13.5% |
| Containerships waiting for a berth, all US ports · ships | 7.00 | 2026-10-13 | +133.3% |
| Shanghai to Los Angeles container rate · $ per 40 ft box | 7,848.00 | 2026-09-01 | +14.9% |
| US diesel retail price · $ per gallon | unavailable | not published | |
| WTI crude oil, spot · $ per barrel | 101.91 | 2026-10-14 | +1.0% |
| 30-year fixed mortgage rate · % | 7.40 | 2026-10-15 | +0.0% |
| Housing starts, annual rate · thousands of units | 1,275.00 | 2026-08-01 | -2.6% |
| Building permits, annual rate · thousands of units | 1,403.00 | 2026-08-01 | -2.1% |
| Case-Shiller US home price index · index, Jan 2000 = 100 | 337.31 | 2026-07-01 | +0.1% |
| Unemployment rate · % | 4.20 | 2026-09-01 | +2.4% |
| US goods and services trade balance, monthly · $ millions | -105,572.00 | 2026-08-01 | -13.7% |
| Retail sales excluding food services, monthly · $ millions | 652,115.00 | 2026-09-01 | +0.7% |
The indicator registry has no county-keyed series and no geographic selection: every entry is national, a named gauge, a single state or a port. They are here as the backdrop the county's own numbers move against, and they are never this county's readings.
What changed #
Luzerne County, PA: 8 findings, 8 noted
noteLuzerne County, PA's average weekly wage was 2.2% higher than the same quarter a year earlier in 2026 Q1, on BLS QCEW's published over-the-year change.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- +2.2 % = BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change for 2026 Q1, as published
- the newest QCEW file carries no year-earlier level, so no move from one level to another is printed
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published
noteLuzerne County, PA's typical asking rent rose 0.5% from $1,316 in August 2026 to $1,322 in September 2026, on Zillow ZORI.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- +0.5% = (1322.3718434343434 - 1315.966413224605) / 1315.966413224605 × 100
- 1322.3718434343434 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-09
- 1315.966413224605 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-08
noteLuzerne County, PA's typical home value rose 0.4% from $226,555 in August 2026 to $227,445 in September 2026, on Zillow ZHVI.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- +0.4% = (227444.53332841618 - 226554.56299209033) / 226554.56299209033 × 100
- 227444.53332841618 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-09
- 226554.56299209033 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-08
noteLuzerne County, PA's covered employment was 0.3% higher than the same quarter a year earlier in 2026 Q1, on BLS QCEW's published over-the-year change.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- +0.3 % = BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change for 2026 Q1, as published
- the newest QCEW file carries no year-earlier level, so no move from one level to another is printed
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published
noteLuzerne County, PA's covered employment of 144,145 ranks 225th of 3,221 US counties, against a median of 8,232.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- 93 on the 0-to-100 scale across 3221 US counties that published jobs.emp
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
Read all 8 findings in the full brief
Every finding is produced by a fixed rule table and a fixed sentence for each rule. Nothing here is generated prose.