Cost question
Is Wilkes-Barre, PA expensive to live in?
A direct, data-backed answer using cost-of-living exposure, housing cost signals, rent pressure, and income context where the public dataset supports it.
Cost-of-living risk
53
/ 100
V2 relative score
Higher scores indicate higher cost pressure relative to the selected geography scope.
Direct answer
It is near the middle for cost pressure.
Wilkes-Barre, PA has a cost-of-living risk score of 53, which sits near the middle of comparable city-level locations. That means local costs are not unusually low or unusually high in the current FinanceRiskIQ scoring model. This answer uses city-level data for Wilkes-Barre where the public dataset supports it.
Top drivers in this score
Rent as % of household income
30.7%
Risk pressure percentile: 74
Median gross rent
$946
Risk pressure percentile: 63
Median monthly housing costs
$900
Risk pressure percentile: 52
How this compares
Approximate percentile: 53 of 100
Coverage and confidence
Most core metrics are available at city level.
Cost signals
- Median gross rent$946
- Median home value$117,200
- Median monthly housing costs$900
- Rent as % of household income30.7%
- Rent growth (YoY)+0.7%
- Median household income$48,515
Scope: City-level (place) | Source: ACS 2023-2024 5-year | 2024
Why this matters
Cost of living affects financial risk because fixed costs can absorb income before households address debt, savings, transportation, healthcare, or emergency expenses. A higher score means local cost signals create more financial pressure relative to comparable places.
View full cost risk detail →Common follow-up questions
Is Wilkes-Barre, PA expensive to live in?
Wilkes-Barre, PA has a cost-of-living risk score of 53, which sits near the middle of comparable city-level locations. That means local costs are not unusually low or unusually high in the current FinanceRiskIQ scoring model. This answer uses city-level data for Wilkes-Barre where the public dataset supports it.
What cost data is used for Wilkes-Barre?
FinancialRiskIQ uses public indicators such as median gross rent, monthly housing costs, home value, rent-to-income ratio, and rent growth when available. The current answer uses city-level (place) data from ACS 2023-2024 5-year (2024).
Why can a city answer use county or state data?
Some public financial datasets are not complete at city level. When city-level metrics are missing, FinancialRiskIQ falls back to county or state baselines and labels that scope so users know exactly what geography is being used.