18602 ZIP Code — Bear Creek, PA

Luzerne County, Pennsylvania

ZIP code 18602 is located in Bear Creek, Pennsylvania, within Luzerne County. It covers approximately 1.90 square miles and serves a population of 365 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 570/272.

About ZIP code 18602

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $326,900. Owner-occupancy is high at 96%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($122,083) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 39% 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 35 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is high — 71% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

22% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

Overall, ZIP code 18602 reflects a community defined by a highly educated population, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

365

population

1.90

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

18602 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 18602

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 18602. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Bear Creek	Acceptable

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	365
Population density	192 / sq mi
State FIPS	42
County FIPS	079

Geography
Land area	1.90 sq mi
Water area	0.10 sq mi
Latitude	41.1850
Longitude	-75.7544
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	570/272

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	24.4%	47.1%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	19.5%	31.4%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	37.4%	17.9%	22.4%
Over $200k	18.7%	3.5%	7.1%

Demographics & statistics

365

Population

192

People per sq mi

34.6

Median age

$122,083

Median household income

$69,002

Per capita income

$326,900

Median home value

$1,500

Median monthly rent

96.4%

Home ownership

8.8%

Poverty rate

1.2%

Unemployment

183

Housing units

70.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

35–44

45–54

55–59

60–64

65–74

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	130	35.6%
18 and over	235	64.4%
65 and over	76	20.8%
Median age	34.6 years

Race & ethnicity

White 64%

Hispanic or Latino 17.8%

Other race 17.8%

Asian 0.5%

Group	Count	%
White	284	64%
Hispanic or Latino	79	17.8%
Other race	79	17.8%
Asian	2	0.5%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	24.4%	47.1%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	19.5%	31.4%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	37.4%	17.9%	22.4%
Over $200k	18.7%	3.5%	7.1%

$10k–$15k 0.7%

$15k–$25k 5.8%

$25k–$35k 13.1%

$35k–$50k 4.4%

$50k–$75k 8.0%

$75k–$100k 5.1%

$100k–$150k 15.3%

$150k–$200k 8.0%

$200k+ 39.4%

Range	% of households
$10k–$15k	0.7%
$15k–$25k	5.8%
$25k–$35k	13.1%
$35k–$50k	4.4%
$50k–$75k	8.0%
$75k–$100k	5.1%
$100k–$150k	15.3%
$150k–$200k	8.0%
$200k+	39.4%
Median income	$122,083

Housing

Home values

$50k–$100k 0.8%

$100k–$150k 7.6%

$150k–$200k 3.0%

$200k–$300k 33.3%

$300k–$500k 44.7%

$500k–$1M 9.8%

$1M+ 0.8%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$326,900
Median rent / month	$1,500
Owner occupied	96.4%
Renter occupied	3.6%
Vacant	27.1%
Single-family detached	92.0%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	0.0%
Median rooms	6.0
Avg household size (owned)	2.64

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	9.0%
2000–2009	8.5%
1990–1999	4.8%
1980–1989	11.2%
1970–1979	26.1%
1960–1969	5.3%
1950–1959	4.3%
1940–1949	4.8%
1939 or earlier	26.1%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.1%
1 bedroom	4.8%
2 bedrooms	31.4%
3 bedrooms	33.5%
4 bedrooms	21.8%
5+ bedrooms	6.4%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	0.7%
1 vehicle	19.0%
2 vehicles	48.2%
3 or more	32.1%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	0.7%
Electricity	42.3%
Propane / LP gas	13.9%
Fuel oil	24.8%
No fuel used	1.5%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	93	67.9%
Cohabiting couple	1	0.7%
Male householder, no spouse	24	17.5%
Female householder, no spouse	19	13.9%
Households with children under 18	48	35.0%
Households with seniors (65+)	52	38.0%
Average household size	2.66

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	23.8%	12.0%
Married	71.5%	73.5%
Separated	0.8%	0.0%
Widowed	1.5%	9.4%
Divorced	2.3%	5.1%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.0%

Some HS, no diploma 0.4%

HS graduate 5.6%

Some college, no degree 13.9%

Associate's degree 9.5%

Bachelor's degree 28.1%

Graduate / professional 42.4%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	99.6%
Bachelor's or higher	70.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	2	1.8%
Kindergarten	0	0.0%
Elementary school	93	83.8%
High school	12	10.8%
College / grad school	4	3.6%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 33.7%

Manufacturing 14.1%

Other services 9.8%

Wholesale trade 8.0%

Retail trade 8.0%

Professional & management 8.0%

Public administration 6.1%

Arts, food & hospitality 4.3%

Construction 3.7%

Finance & real estate 2.5%

Transportation & utilities 1.2%

Information 0.6%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	44.2%
Service	6.7%
Sales & office	39.3%
Natural resources & construction	8.0%
Production & transportation	1.8%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	69.3%
Government	11.0%
Self-employed	19.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.6%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	73.4%
Carpool	6.3%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.6%
Work from home	19.6%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	34.8

Poverty

All people 8.8%

Under 18 years 14.6%

18 and over 5.5%

Married-couple families 4.3%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	38.7%
Retirement income	24.8%
Supplemental Security	2.9%
Cash public assistance	0.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	7.3%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	33.9%
High blood pressure	39.2%
High cholesterol	40.4%
Diabetes	13.5%
Heart disease	9.4%
Stroke	3.8%
Asthma	9.3%
Arthritis	37.5%
Kidney disease	3.6%
Pulmonary disease	8.8%
Cancer	10.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	16.1%
Binge drinking	15.4%
No physical activity	22.3%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	35.1%
Depression	20.2%
Fair or poor health	14.7%
Poor mental health	12.7%
Poor physical health	11.5%
No health insurance	7.7%
Visited doctor (checkup)	82.8%
Visited dentist	70.8%
Cholesterol screening	94.7%
Teeth loss	11.7%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	11	4.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	7.1%
Under 18	0.8%
18–64 years	5.7%
65 and over	21.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	61.4%
Public insurance	32.1%
No insurance	22.2%
Uninsured under 19	50.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	342	93.7%
Spanish	10	2.9%
Other Indo-European	10	2.9%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	348	95.3%
Born in same state	340	93.2%
Born in different state	253	69.3%
Foreign born	8	2.2%
Naturalized citizen	17	4.7%
Not a US citizen	5	29.4%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	35	9.6%
Arab	28	7.7%
French	20	5.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
Irish	3	0.8%
Norwegian	3	0.8%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	37.5%
Internet access	91.2%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 18602

What city is ZIP code 18602 in?

ZIP code 18602 is primarily assigned to Bear Creek, Pennsylvania.

What county is ZIP code 18602 in?

ZIP code 18602 falls within Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 18602?

71% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.

Is ZIP code 18602 family-oriented?

36% of residents in ZIP code 18602 are under 18, reflecting a younger, family-oriented community.

Is ZIP code 18602 mostly owner-occupied?

96% of occupied units in ZIP code 18602 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 18602 have a large retiree population?

39% of households in ZIP code 18602 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What timezone is ZIP code 18602 in?

ZIP code 18602 observes the EST timezone.