18709 ZIP Code — Luzerne, PA

Luzerne County, Pennsylvania

ZIP code 18709 is located in Luzerne, Pennsylvania, within Luzerne County. It covers approximately 0.76 square miles and serves a population of 2,885 residents. This is a po box ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 570.

About ZIP code 18709

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 $103,700. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 58%.

Median household income is $39,183. Poverty affects 22% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 22% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 38% 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 17 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 12% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (22%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 18709 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

2,885

population

0.76

sq mi land

PO Box

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

18709 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 18709

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 18709. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Luzerne	Acceptable
Luzerne	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

18704 Kingston (0.5 mi) 18764 Wilkes Barre (2.6 mi) 18766 Wilkes Barre (2.9 mi) 18767 Wilkes Barre (2.9 mi) 18769 Wilkes Barre (2.9 mi) 18711 Wilkes Barre (3 mi) 18701 Wilkes Barre (3.1 mi) 18705 Wilkes Barre (3.1 mi) 18644 Wyoming (3.5 mi) 18765 Wilkes Barre (3.6 mi) 18762 Wilkes Barre (3.8 mi) 18708 Shavertown (4.1 mi)

Demographics updated 07/2026

Population
Total population	2,885
Population density	3,796 / sq mi
State FIPS	42
County FIPS	079

Geography
Land area	0.76 sq mi
Water area	0.00 sq mi
Latitude	41.2879
Longitude	-75.8954
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	570

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 07/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	61.9%	47.1%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	27.7%	31.4%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	9.4%	17.9%	22.4%
Over $200k	0.9%	3.5%	7.1%

Demographics & statistics

2,885

Population

3,796

People per sq mi

46.3

Median age

$39,183

Median household income

$28,584

Per capita income

$103,700

Median home value

$728

Median monthly rent

57.8%

Home ownership

22.3%

Poverty rate

6.7%

Unemployment

1,106

Housing units

12.2%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

122

Under 5

123

5–9

10–14

115

15–19

116

20–24

176

25–34

179

107

35–44

109

208

45–54

210

111

55–59

112

113

60–64

115

182

65–74

185

102

75–84

104

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	585	20.3%
18 and over	2,300	79.7%
65 and over	625	21.7%
Median age	46.3 years

Race & ethnicity

White 92.2%

Two or more races 3.7%

Black or African American 3.3%

Hispanic or Latino 0.8%

Group	Count	%
White	2,681	92.2%
Two or more races	109	3.7%
Black or African American	95	3.3%
Hispanic or Latino	22	0.8%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	61.9%	47.1%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	27.7%	31.4%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	9.4%	17.9%	22.4%
Over $200k	0.9%	3.5%	7.1%

Under $10k 10.8%

$10k–$15k 6.1%

$15k–$25k 9.5%

$25k–$35k 20.3%

$35k–$50k 13.9%

$50k–$75k 15.6%

$75k–$100k 6.4%

$100k–$150k 10.1%

$150k–$200k 4.3%

$200k+ 3.0%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	10.8%
$10k–$15k	6.1%
$15k–$25k	9.5%
$25k–$35k	20.3%
$35k–$50k	13.9%
$50k–$75k	15.6%
$75k–$100k	6.4%
$100k–$150k	10.1%
$150k–$200k	4.3%
$200k+	3.0%
Median income	$39,183

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 11.0%

$50k–$100k 34.8%

$100k–$150k 34.7%

$150k–$200k 15.2%

$200k–$300k 4.3%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$103,700
Median rent / month	$728
Owner occupied	57.8%
Renter occupied	42.2%
Vacant	15.6%
Single-family detached	66.3%
Large apartment buildings	6.6%
Mobile homes	0.0%
Median rooms	5.9
Avg household size (owned)	1.97

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	0.0%
2000–2009	0.0%
1990–1999	0.0%
1980–1989	1.7%
1970–1979	8.2%
1960–1969	8.1%
1950–1959	20.4%
1940–1949	12.9%
1939 or earlier	48.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.3%
1 bedroom	13.4%
2 bedrooms	28.2%
3 bedrooms	45.3%
4 bedrooms	7.7%
5+ bedrooms	3.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	17.4%
1 vehicle	47.3%
2 vehicles	22.7%
3 or more	12.5%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	74.5%
Electricity	19.8%
Propane / LP gas	3.0%
Fuel oil	2.7%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	371	25.6%
Cohabiting couple	67	4.6%
Male householder, no spouse	361	24.9%
Female householder, no spouse	652	44.9%
Households with children under 18	315	21.7%
Households with seniors (65+)	507	34.9%
Average household size	1.99

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	47.4%	24.0%
Married	34.4%	29.5%
Separated	0.5%	4.9%
Widowed	2.5%	26.1%
Divorced	15.3%	15.5%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.5%

Some HS, no diploma 8.4%

HS graduate 37.5%

Some college, no degree 20.8%

Associate's degree 19.5%

Bachelor's degree 9.9%

Graduate / professional 2.2%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	90.0%
Bachelor's or higher	12.2%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	15	3.4%
Kindergarten	65	14.8%
Elementary school	88	20.0%
High school	197	44.9%
College / grad school	74	16.9%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 21.1%

Arts, food & hospitality 14.7%

Retail trade 13.0%

Manufacturing 10.7%

Professional & management 8.6%

Public administration 6.6%

Wholesale trade 6.3%

Construction 5.7%

Other services 4.8%

Finance & real estate 3.6%

Transportation & utilities 3.4%

Information 1.6%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	35.7%
Service	20.8%
Sales & office	22.5%
Natural resources & construction	5.3%
Production & transportation	15.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	88.2%
Government	8.7%
Self-employed	3.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	81.8%
Carpool	4.3%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	4.7%
Work from home	8.1%
Other means	1.1%
Avg commute (minutes)	16.9

Poverty

All people 22.3%

Under 18 years 52.0%

18 and over 14.7%

Married-couple families 2.7%

Female-led households 27.5%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	38.2%
Retirement income	22.4%
Supplemental Security	5.5%
Cash public assistance	3.5%
Food stamps / SNAP	21.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	36.5%
High blood pressure	34.6%
High cholesterol	36.2%
Diabetes	12.3%
Heart disease	8.2%
Stroke	3.7%
Asthma	10.5%
Arthritis	32.8%
Kidney disease	3.4%
Pulmonary disease	9.5%
Cancer	7.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	22.1%
Binge drinking	18.4%
No physical activity	26.3%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	38.9%
Depression	23.6%
Fair or poor health	17.5%
Poor mental health	16.7%
Poor physical health	12.9%
No health insurance	11.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.9%
Visited dentist	61.3%
Cholesterol screening	88.7%
Teeth loss	18.2%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	158	6.9%

Disability	%
Any disability	18.3%
Under 18	8.7%
18–64 years	13.6%
65 and over	39.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	73.9%
Public insurance	51.7%
No insurance	1.0%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	2,640	91.5%
Spanish	12	0.5%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	12	0.5%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	2,860	99.1%
Born in same state	2,860	99.1%
Born in different state	2,552	88.5%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	25	0.9%
Not a US citizen	25	100.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	469	16.3%
Norwegian	312	10.8%
French	128	4.4%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	110	3.8%
Arab	12	0.4%
Irish	3	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	50.3%
Internet access	91.7%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 18709

What city is ZIP code 18709 in?

ZIP code 18709 is primarily assigned to Luzerne, Pennsylvania.

What county is ZIP code 18709 in?

ZIP code 18709 falls within Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 18709?

22% of residents in ZIP code 18709 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 18709?

12% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

Does ZIP code 18709 have a large retiree population?

38% of households in ZIP code 18709 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 18709?

The median home value in ZIP code 18709 is $103,700.

What timezone is ZIP code 18709 in?

ZIP code 18709 observes the EST timezone.