Scranton, PA

Census Place

Add Comparison

2024 Population

76,033

US Senator

John Fetterman

Democratic Party

US Senator

Dave McCormick

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

37.2

1.33% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

23%

4.58% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$50,739

2.44% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$158,100

11.6% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

32,628

3.13% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Scranton, PA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

92.9% of the residents in Scranton, PA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Scranton, PA are University of Scranton (1,376 degrees awarded in 2024), Lackawanna College (475 degrees), and Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (224 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Scranton, PA was $158,100, and the homeownership rate was 49.9%.

Most people in Scranton, PA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 19.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Scranton, PA was 2 cars per household.

Photo by Doug Kerr

United States Pennsylvania Lackawanna County, PA Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA Lackawanna County--Scranton City, Dunmore, Old Forge, Taylor & Moosic Boroughs PUMA, PA Lackawanna (Outside Greater Scranton City) & Wyoming Counties PUMA, PA

Population & Diversity

Scranton, PA is home to a population of 76k people, from which 92.9% are citizens. As of 2024, 11.3% of Scranton, PA residents were born outside of the country (8.63k people).

In 2024, there were 8.69 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (49.3k people) in Scranton, PA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 5.68k Other (Hispanic) and 5.18k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

92.9%

2024 Citizenship

94.5%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 92.9% of Scranton, PA residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Scranton, PA was 94.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Scranton, PA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Scranton, PA

White (Non-Hispanic)
49.3k ± 1.1k
Other (Hispanic)
5.68k ± 800
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
5.18k ± 882

17.9%

Hispanic Population

13.6k people

17.9% of the people in Scranton, PA are hispanic (13.6k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Scranton, PA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Pennsylvania.

Most Common Origin

Dominican Republic
103,235 ± 7,857 people
India
102,082 ± 7,813 people
China
73,024 ± 6,616 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Pennsylvania was Dominican Republic, the natal country of 103,235 Pennsylvania residents, followed by India with 102,082 and China with 73,024.

Foreign-Born Population

11.3%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

8.63k people

9.55%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

7.27k people

As of 2024, 11.3% of Scranton, PA residents (8.63k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Scranton, PA was 9.55%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Scranton, PA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
929 ± 164
Gulf War (2001-)
636 ± 236
Gulf War (1990s)
437 ± 128

Scranton, PA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.46 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Scranton, PA.

Health

92.3% of the population of Scranton, PA has health coverage, with 39.1% on employee plans, 30.4% on Medicaid, 13% on Medicare, 8.67% on non-group plans, and 1.14% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Pennsylvania see 1,265 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,265 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1400 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 345 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49% were men and 51% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.7% under 18 years, 23.7% between 18 and 34 years, 34.8% between 35 and 64 years, and 17.8% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49% were men and 51% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

7.7%

Uninsured

39.1%

Employer Coverage

30.4%

Medicaid

13%

Medicare

8.67%

Non-Group

1.14%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Scranton, PA grew by 12.4% from 6.85% to 7.7%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Scranton, PA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Economy

The economy of Scranton, PA employs 32.6k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Scranton, PA were Health Care & Social Assistance (6,114 people), Retail Trade (4,483 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (3,098 people), and the highest paying industries were Public Administration ($67,821), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($61,005), and Utilities ($59,886).

Employment

Occupations

32.6k

2024 Value

± 1,391

−3.13%

1 Year decline

± 6.2%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Scranton, PA declined at a rate of −3.13%, from 33.7k employees to 32.6k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Scranton, PA, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (3,233 people), Sales & Related Occupations (2,779 people), and Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (2,673 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Scranton, PA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Pennsylvania.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Pennsylvania (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

32.6k

2024 Value

± 1,391

−3.13%

1 Year decline

± 6.2%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Scranton, PA declined at a rate of −3.13%, from 33.7k employees to 32.6k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Scranton, PA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (6,114 people), Retail Trade (4,483 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (3,098 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Scranton, PA, though some of these residents may live in Scranton, PA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$43,125

Median earning men ± $2,643

$35,325

Median earning women ± $1,633

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($75,000), Public Administration ($74,049), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($55,944).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($55,583), Information ($51,553), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($47,724).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Pennsylvania.

Y-Axis

2.78%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 6.03M people employed in Pennsylvania. This represents a 2.78% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 18.1%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Pennsylvania.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Pennsylvania went to Donald J. Trump with 50.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (48.7%), followed by Jill Stein (0.491%).

John Fetterman and Dave McCormick are the senators currently representing the state of Pennsylvania. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Pennsylvania is currently represented by 17 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Scranton, PA. Showing the available data for Pennsylvania.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (50.4%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (48.7%)
Democratic Party
Jill Stein (0.491%)
Green Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Pennsylvania went to Donald J. Trump with 50.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (48.7%), followed by Jill Stein (0.491%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Pennsylvania for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Pennsylvania

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Pennsylvania.

John Fetterman

Senator from Pennsylvania

Assumed office on January 3, 2023

Dave McCormick

Senator from Pennsylvania

Assumed office on January 3, 2025

John Fetterman and Dave McCormick are the senators currently representing Pennsylvania.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Pennsylvania over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2024, universities in Scranton, PA awarded 2,378 degrees. The student population of Scranton, PA in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 3,849 male students and 4,948 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Scranton, PA are White (1,624 and 71%), Hispanic or Latino (226 and 9.88%), Black or African American (141 and 6.16%), and Asian (117 and 5.11%).

The largest universities in Scranton, PA by number of degrees awarded are University of Scranton (1,376 and 57.9%), Lackawanna College (475 and 20%), and Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (224 and 9.42%).

The most popular majors in Scranton, PA are Registered Nursing (134 and 5.63%), General Business Administration & Management (131 and 5.51%), and Accounting (123 and 5.17%).

The median tuition cost for private four year colleges is $14,418.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2024 in Scranton, PA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 82%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 13.8%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 8,797 (43.8% men and 56.2% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2024 there were 8,797 students enrolled in Scranton, PA, 43.8% men and 56.2% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 5,589 records, of which 56.9% were women and 43.1% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Registered Nursing
82 degrees awarded
Accounting
70 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
70 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Scranton, PA was Registered Nursing with 82 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Scranton, PA according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

University of Scranton
1,376 degrees awarded
Lackawanna College
475 degrees awarded
Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine
224 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Scranton with 1,376 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2024, 1,012 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Scranton, PA, which is 0.741 times less than the 1,366 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 1,624 degrees mean that there were 7.19 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 226 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 2-year ($18,900) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Private not-for-profit, 2-year ($2,325) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Private not-for-profit, 2-year ($1,500) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Scranton, PA was $158,100 in 2024, which is 0.475 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $141,700 to $158,100, a 11.6% increase. The homeownership rate in Scranton, PA is 49.9%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Scranton, PA have an average commute time of 19.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Scranton, PA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$158,100

Median Property Value 2024

±$3,935

$15,083

Median Property Taxes

±$934

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Scranton, PA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Scranton, PA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

49.9%

Homeownership

2024

58%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 49.9% of the housing units in Scranton, PA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 50.7%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Scranton, PA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$50,739

Median Household Income

± $2,359

30.2k

Number of Households

± 1,238

In 2024, the median household income of the 30.2k households in Scranton, PA grew to $50,739 from the previous year's value of $49,531.

The following chart displays the households in Scranton, PA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Scranton, PA is from Pennsylvania.

0.463

2024 Wage GINI in Pennsylvania

0.463

2023 Wage GINI in Pennsylvania

In 2024, the income inequality in Pennsylvania was 0.463 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0903% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Pennsylvania was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Pennsylvania in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Pennsylvania across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (70.6%)
Carpooled (12.7%)
Worked At Home (9.04%)

In 2024, 70.6% of workers in Scranton, PA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (12.7%) and those who worked at home (9.04%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

19.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Scranton, PA have a shorter commute time (19.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.59% of the workforce in Scranton, PA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Scranton, PA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Scranton, PA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Scranton, PA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

23% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Scranton, PA (16.2k out of 70.6k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 6 - 11.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Scranton, PA is White, followed by Hispanic and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.