18705 ZIP Code — Wilkes Barre, PA

Luzerne County, Pennsylvania

ZIP code 18705 is located in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, within Luzerne County. It covers approximately 4.96 square miles and serves a population of 15,387 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 570/272.

About ZIP code 18705

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 $114,900. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 64%.

Median household income is $57,152. SNAP benefit usage at 18% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 35% 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 22% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (20%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 18705 reflects a community defined by a significant Social Security-dependent population and elevated reliance on food assistance.

15,387

population

4.96

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

18705 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 18705

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 18705. 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

18764 Wilkes Barre (1.7 mi) 18767 Wilkes Barre (2.4 mi) 18711 Wilkes Barre (2.5 mi) 18766 Wilkes Barre (2.6 mi) 18769 Wilkes Barre (3 mi) 18701 Wilkes Barre (3 mi) 18709 Luzerne (3.1 mi) 18704 Kingston (3.2 mi) 18702 Wilkes Barre (4.1 mi) 18762 Wilkes Barre (4.1 mi) 18765 Wilkes Barre (4.2 mi) 18644 Wyoming (4.8 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	15,387
Population density	3,102 / sq mi
State FIPS	42
County FIPS	079

Geography
Land area	4.96 sq mi
Water area	0.04 sq mi
Latitude	41.2705
Longitude	-75.8398
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	47.6%	47.1%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	34.3%	31.4%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	15.6%	17.9%	22.4%
Over $200k	2.5%	3.5%	7.1%

Demographics & statistics

15,387

Population

3,102

People per sq mi

38.8

Median age

$57,152

Median household income

$29,344

Per capita income

$114,900

Median home value

$923

Median monthly rent

64.0%

Home ownership

16.9%

Poverty rate

6.1%

Unemployment

5,139

Housing units

21.7%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

593

Under 5

574

452

5–9

437

378

10–14

365

15–19

354

398

20–24

385

1,228

25–34

1,189

1,135

35–44

1,099

895

45–54

866

465

55–59

451

479

60–64

463

798

65–74

773

409

75–84

395

224

85+

217

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	3,286	21.4%
18 and over	12,101	78.6%
65 and over	2,816	18.3%
Median age	38.8 years

Race & ethnicity

White 63.3%

Hispanic or Latino 14.7%

Other race 9.9%

Two or more races 7%

Black or African American 4.5%

Asian 0.4%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	11,415	63.3%
Hispanic or Latino	2,657	14.7%
Other race	1,788	9.9%
Two or more races	1,269	7%
Black or African American	813	4.5%
Asian	79	0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	23	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	47.6%	47.1%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	34.3%	31.4%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	15.6%	17.9%	22.4%
Over $200k	2.5%	3.5%	7.1%

Under $10k 4.7%

$10k–$15k 3.3%

$15k–$25k 10.4%

$25k–$35k 8.7%

$35k–$50k 16.0%

$50k–$75k 21.7%

$75k–$100k 14.8%

$100k–$150k 14.1%

$150k–$200k 3.6%

$200k+ 2.8%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.7%
$10k–$15k	3.3%
$15k–$25k	10.4%
$25k–$35k	8.7%
$35k–$50k	16.0%
$50k–$75k	21.7%
$75k–$100k	14.8%
$100k–$150k	14.1%
$150k–$200k	3.6%
$200k+	2.8%
Median income	$57,152

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 4.8%

$50k–$100k 33.4%

$100k–$150k 28.1%

$150k–$200k 19.9%

$200k–$300k 10.9%

$300k–$500k 1.6%

$500k–$1M 1.4%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$114,900
Median rent / month	$923
Owner occupied	64.0%
Renter occupied	36.0%
Vacant	13.6%
Single-family detached	64.2%
Large apartment buildings	0.7%
Mobile homes	0.1%
Median rooms	5.9
Avg household size (owned)	2.36

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.1%
2010–2019	0.2%
2000–2009	3.3%
1990–1999	2.7%
1980–1989	5.3%
1970–1979	8.4%
1960–1969	9.0%
1950–1959	10.5%
1940–1949	11.7%
1939 or earlier	48.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.4%
1 bedroom	9.3%
2 bedrooms	24.6%
3 bedrooms	52.8%
4 bedrooms	11.0%
5+ bedrooms	1.9%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	9.0%
1 vehicle	40.8%
2 vehicles	38.9%
3 or more	11.3%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	72.2%
Electricity	16.8%
Propane / LP gas	2.6%
Fuel oil	7.5%
Wood	0.1%
No fuel used	0.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,450	38.0%
Cohabiting couple	794	12.3%
Male householder, no spouse	1,338	20.8%
Female householder, no spouse	1,864	28.9%
Households with children under 18	1,636	25.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,062	32.0%
Average household size	2.38

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	46.2%	29.6%
Married	40.1%	40.6%
Separated	1.4%	2.2%
Widowed	2.8%	13.7%
Divorced	9.5%	13.9%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.4%

Some HS, no diploma 6.8%

HS graduate 37.2%

Some college, no degree 17.5%

Associate's degree 13.5%

Bachelor's degree 15.9%

Graduate / professional 5.8%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	89.9%
Bachelor's or higher	21.7%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	230	7.2%
Kindergarten	212	6.7%
Elementary school	1,318	41.4%
High school	539	16.9%
College / grad school	882	27.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 21.4%

Retail trade 13.7%

Manufacturing 12.1%

Arts, food & hospitality 10.4%

Transportation & utilities 9.4%

Public administration 6.9%

Professional & management 6.6%

Construction 5.4%

Other services 4.5%

Finance & real estate 3.6%

Wholesale trade 2.9%

Information 2.7%

Agriculture & mining 0.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	27.2%
Service	23.2%
Sales & office	22.3%
Natural resources & construction	6.3%
Production & transportation	21.0%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	80.0%
Government	15.3%
Self-employed	4.5%
Unpaid family workers	0.2%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	72.0%
Carpool	16.1%
Public transit	1.8%
Walk	3.1%
Work from home	6.7%
Other means	0.4%
Avg commute (minutes)	20.8

Poverty

All people 16.9%

Under 18 years 26.5%

18 and over 14.3%

Married-couple families 5.2%

Female-led households 24.7%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	34.6%
Retirement income	25.0%
Supplemental Security	7.9%
Cash public assistance	2.3%
Food stamps / SNAP	17.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	35.3%
High blood pressure	34.3%
High cholesterol	35.6%
Diabetes	12.1%
Heart disease	8.2%
Stroke	3.7%
Asthma	10.2%
Arthritis	32.6%
Kidney disease	3.4%
Pulmonary disease	9.0%
Cancer	7.9%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	20.3%
Binge drinking	18.2%
No physical activity	25.5%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	38.0%
Depression	22.8%
Fair or poor health	16.9%
Poor mental health	16.0%
Poor physical health	12.3%
No health insurance	11.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	79.3%
Visited dentist	63.0%
Cholesterol screening	89.3%
Teeth loss	16.8%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	800	6.6%

Disability	%
Any disability	15.9%
Under 18	7.3%
18–64 years	11.8%
65 and over	39.2%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	63.6%
Public insurance	45.8%
No insurance	5.9%
Uninsured under 19	5.6%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	14,220	92.4%
Spanish	915	6.4%
Other Indo-European	753	5.3%
Asian & Pacific Islander	119	0.8%
Other languages	43	0.3%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	13,835	89.9%
Born in same state	13,368	86.9%
Born in different state	10,964	71.3%
Foreign born	467	3.0%
Naturalized citizen	1,552	10.1%
Not a US citizen	601	38.7%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	2,672	17.4%
French	552	3.6%
Norwegian	277	1.8%
Arab	183	1.2%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	93	0.6%
German	41	0.3%
Irish	30	0.2%
Polish	20	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	41.9%
Internet access	88.0%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 18705

What city is ZIP code 18705 in?

ZIP code 18705 is primarily assigned to Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania.

What county is ZIP code 18705 in?

ZIP code 18705 falls within Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 18705?

17% of residents in ZIP code 18705 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 18705?

The median home value in ZIP code 18705 is $114,900.

What is the population of ZIP code 18705?

ZIP code 18705 has an estimated population of 15,387 residents, with a density of 3,105 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 18705?

The median household income in ZIP code 18705 is $57,152, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 18705 in?

ZIP code 18705 observes the EST timezone.