18702 ZIP Code — Wilkes Barre, PA

Luzerne County, Pennsylvania

ZIP code 18702 is located in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, within Luzerne County. It covers approximately 78.08 square miles and serves a population of 42,768 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 570/272.

About ZIP code 18702

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $107,200. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 57%.

Median household income is $53,294. Poverty affects 19% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 25% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 33% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 21 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 23% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (23%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 18702 reflects a community defined by economic challenges above the national average, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

42,768

population

78.08

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

18702 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 18702

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 18702. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Wilkes Barre	Acceptable
Wilkes Barre	Acceptable
Wilkes Barre	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

18705 Wilkes Barre (4.1 mi) 18764 Wilkes Barre (4.6 mi) 18711 Wilkes Barre (4.8 mi) 18767 Wilkes Barre (4.8 mi) 18766 Wilkes Barre (5 mi) 18701 Wilkes Barre (5.2 mi) 18769 Wilkes Barre (5.3 mi) 18640 Pittston (5.6 mi) 18762 Wilkes Barre (5.9 mi) 18765 Wilkes Barre (6.3 mi) 18706 Wilkes Barre (6.3 mi) 18704 Kingston (7 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	42,768
Population density	548 / sq mi
State FIPS	42
County FIPS	079

Geography
Land area	78.08 sq mi
Water area	2.37 sq mi
Latitude	41.2262
Longitude	-75.7881
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	570/272

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	52.2%	47.1%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	32.6%	31.4%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	13.2%	17.9%	22.4%
Over $200k	2.1%	3.5%	7.1%

Demographics & statistics

42,768

Population

548

People per sq mi

38.2

Median age

$53,294

Median household income

$29,308

Per capita income

$107,200

Median home value

$945

Median monthly rent

56.7%

Home ownership

19.2%

Poverty rate

8.0%

Unemployment

12,549

Housing units

22.5%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

1,211

Under 5

1,273

1,226

5–9

1,287

1,169

10–14

1,227

1,438

15–19

1,511

1,393

20–24

1,464

3,074

25–34

3,229

2,928

35–44

3,076

2,542

45–54

2,670

1,327

55–59

1,394

1,091

60–64

1,145

1,843

65–74

1,935

1,145

75–84

1,202

472

85+

496

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	9,370	21.9%
18 and over	33,398	78.1%
65 and over	7,093	16.6%
Median age	38.2 years

Race & ethnicity

White 53.8%

Hispanic or Latino 15.5%

Black or African American 10.2%

Two or more races 9.2%

Other race 9%

Asian 1.9%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	27,214	53.8%
Hispanic or Latino	7,837	15.5%
Black or African American	5,185	10.2%
Two or more races	4,633	9.2%
Other race	4,544	9%
Asian	969	1.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	170	0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	53	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	52.2%	47.1%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	32.6%	31.4%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	13.2%	17.9%	22.4%
Over $200k	2.1%	3.5%	7.1%

Under $10k 9.4%

$10k–$15k 5.4%

$15k–$25k 9.2%

$25k–$35k 9.7%

$35k–$50k 12.8%

$50k–$75k 16.7%

$75k–$100k 15.5%

$100k–$150k 12.0%

$150k–$200k 4.9%

$200k+ 4.2%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	9.4%
$10k–$15k	5.4%
$15k–$25k	9.2%
$25k–$35k	9.7%
$35k–$50k	12.8%
$50k–$75k	16.7%
$75k–$100k	15.5%
$100k–$150k	12.0%
$150k–$200k	4.9%
$200k+	4.2%
Median income	$53,294

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 13.1%

$50k–$100k 33.2%

$100k–$150k 20.9%

$150k–$200k 11.7%

$200k–$300k 13.2%

$300k–$500k 6.4%

$500k–$1M 1.2%

$1M+ 0.2%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$107,200
Median rent / month	$945
Owner occupied	56.7%
Renter occupied	43.3%
Vacant	14.5%
Single-family detached	54.8%
Large apartment buildings	8.2%
Mobile homes	2.8%
Median rooms	5.8
Avg household size (owned)	2.52

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.1%
2010–2019	0.9%
2000–2009	4.0%
1990–1999	7.6%
1980–1989	7.4%
1970–1979	17.5%
1960–1969	6.7%
1950–1959	7.6%
1940–1949	8.6%
1939 or earlier	39.6%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	4.4%
1 bedroom	11.7%
2 bedrooms	22.3%
3 bedrooms	46.6%
4 bedrooms	11.1%
5+ bedrooms	4.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	16.4%
1 vehicle	39.9%
2 vehicles	31.4%
3 or more	12.4%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	64.9%
Electricity	21.4%
Propane / LP gas	3.6%
Fuel oil	8.0%
Wood	0.2%
No fuel used	0.7%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	6,066	35.6%
Cohabiting couple	1,619	9.5%
Male householder, no spouse	3,709	21.8%
Female householder, no spouse	5,627	33.1%
Households with children under 18	4,982	29.3%
Households with seniors (65+)	4,951	29.1%
Average household size	2.41

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	47.7%	38.6%
Married	38.6%	36.4%
Separated	1.5%	3.3%
Widowed	3.4%	10.1%
Divorced	8.9%	11.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 5.0%

Some HS, no diploma 8.0%

HS graduate 37.9%

Some college, no degree 17.0%

Associate's degree 9.7%

Bachelor's degree 14.2%

Graduate / professional 8.3%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	87.1%
Bachelor's or higher	22.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	422	4.7%
Kindergarten	408	4.5%
Elementary school	3,752	41.8%
High school	2,061	23.0%
College / grad school	2,332	26.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 24.1%

Retail trade 12.3%

Manufacturing 10.9%

Transportation & utilities 10.0%

Arts, food & hospitality 8.7%

Professional & management 8.1%

Finance & real estate 6.2%

Other services 5.2%

Public administration 5.1%

Construction 4.9%

Wholesale trade 2.6%

Information 1.6%

Agriculture & mining 0.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	31.9%
Service	18.9%
Sales & office	21.4%
Natural resources & construction	6.5%
Production & transportation	21.4%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	83.8%
Government	13.1%
Self-employed	2.9%
Unpaid family workers	0.2%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	75.2%
Carpool	9.4%
Public transit	1.5%
Walk	4.4%
Work from home	7.5%
Other means	2.1%
Avg commute (minutes)	20.5

Poverty

All people 19.2%

Under 18 years 33.2%

18 and over 15.2%

Married-couple families 6.0%

Female-led households 31.5%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	32.7%
Retirement income	21.1%
Supplemental Security	6.3%
Cash public assistance	5.2%
Food stamps / SNAP	24.6%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	37.9%
High blood pressure	35.0%
High cholesterol	34.2%
Diabetes	13.3%
Heart disease	8.4%
Stroke	4.0%
Asthma	11.0%
Arthritis	31.8%
Kidney disease	3.6%
Pulmonary disease	10.0%
Cancer	7.0%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	23.1%
Binge drinking	17.9%
No physical activity	29.0%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	40.2%
Depression	23.4%
Fair or poor health	20.2%
Poor mental health	17.4%
Poor physical health	13.8%
No health insurance	13.9%
Visited doctor (checkup)	79.0%
Visited dentist	56.9%
Cholesterol screening	87.1%
Teeth loss	21.1%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	2,332	7.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	15.6%
Under 18	7.5%
18–64 years	14.3%
65 and over	32.4%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	61.0%
Public insurance	45.7%
No insurance	8.0%
Uninsured under 19	7.7%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	40,284	94.2%
Spanish	3,954	9.8%
Other Indo-European	3,587	8.9%
Asian & Pacific Islander	169	0.4%
Other languages	187	0.5%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	37,505	87.7%
Born in same state	36,236	84.7%
Born in different state	25,760	60.2%
Foreign born	1,269	3.0%
Naturalized citizen	5,263	12.3%
Not a US citizen	2,201	41.8%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	6,499	15.2%
French	1,661	3.9%
Norwegian	980	2.3%
Arab	856	2%
Irish	192	0.4%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	100	0.2%
German	79	0.2%
Polish	20	0%
Dutch	10	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	39.8%
Internet access	90.3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 18702

What city is ZIP code 18702 in?

ZIP code 18702 is primarily assigned to Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania.

What county is ZIP code 18702 in?

ZIP code 18702 falls within Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 18702?

19% of residents in ZIP code 18702 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 18702?

The median home value in ZIP code 18702 is $107,200.

What is the population of ZIP code 18702?

ZIP code 18702 has an estimated population of 42,768 residents, with a density of 548 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 18702?

The median household income in ZIP code 18702 is $53,294, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 18702 in?

ZIP code 18702 observes the EST timezone.