ZIP Code 18705 — Wilkes-Barre city, PA Demographics & Data

ZIP code 18705 covers Wilkes-Barre, PA in Luzerne County with a population of about 15,595.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 38.9 (near the U.S. median).

It sits in telephone area codes 272, 570; U.S. House district PA-8; the WILKES BARRE - SCRANTON media market.

Wilkes-Barre, PA sits in a university / college context (near king's college (2.4 mi)). Expect stronger interest in student housing, rentals, walkability, transit, and a younger adult age mix versus typical suburban ZIPs.

Median household income in ZIP 18705 is about $61,293 — about 18% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 18.8%; unemployment rate near 6.1%; 23.3% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 10.4 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Healthcare, Retail trade, and Manufacturing; about 8.2% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 7.0 points below the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 180.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $122,800 — about 65% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $725 (about 38% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 63.9% (about 1.6 points below the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 18705 in Wilkes-Barre, PA, a household would need roughly $34,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $789. That sits below the local median household income ($61,293), suggesting the typical household income is closer to a workable buy-in level under these assumptions. Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates natural-hazard risk for Wilkes-Barre city, PA as Relatively Moderate (composite score 91.6), which is among the highest nationally. The strongest component scores on US5 are flood (95.3) and hurricane (83.1). These scores are county-linked NRI values published for planning context — all ZIP codes in the same county share the same composite score on US5. Useful when comparing insurance and disaster exposure across areas, not a substitute for a parcel-level flood or fire determination.

Climate normals for Wilkes-Barre city, PA show little to no average snow and around 38.7 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 710 for ZIP 18705 (Wilkes-Barre city, PA) on US5’s published series — a signal of people/tax filers moving in relative to those leaving. Inflows often track job growth, housing demand, or lifestyle migration; treat the figure as a directional indicator rather than a precise headcount.