CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

41.30° N · 75.88° W · GEOID 4275832

Swoyersville

Luzerne County, Pennsylvania · part of the Scranton, PA metro

PennsylvaniaSwoyersville, PASwoyersvilleSwoyersville

The short answer

Swoyersville is home to 5,048 people. Median household income is $71,555 a year and median rent is $744 a month, 12.5% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $148,300, about 2.1x annual median household income.

Swoyersville stands out on value for money. Rent is light relative to pay, but the county has a FEMA natural hazard risk score of 92 out of 100. Budget for insurance before counting the savings. Also notable: The median rent takes 12.5% of the median household's income, a smaller share than in 94% of places its size.

81OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Strong

Swoyersville scores better than 81% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 68th of 271 in Pennsylvania.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%97
Economy 20%36
Safety 20%90
Amenities 15%28
Education 10%36
Commute 10%64
Growth 5%68
Median gross rent
$744
45% below the median place
Median household income
$71,555
11% below the median place
Median home value
$148,300
54% below the median place
Unemployment
5.8%
19% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Swoyersville

  • HousingThe median home costs 2.1 years of the median household's income, fewer than in 93% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track.
01

Moving to Swoyersville

Luzerne County gains about 2.5 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in10,861
Moved out10,200
Net+661

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Lackawanna County, PA1,0911,122−31
Kings County, NY524
Queens County, NY356

Within Pennsylvania, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within PennsylvaniaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$49K
Leavers$52K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Luzerne County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
0.0% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 0.0% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Luzerne County report $49,100 a year in income on average; those leaving, $52,300, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$29,800 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $744 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,159 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $148,300.
Getting to work
23 minutes each way on average; 6.9% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Chesterland, OH matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
0.0%
below the median place (median 5.7%)
Moved from another state1
0.0%
below the median place (median 2.0%)
Income of households moving in8
$49,050
31% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureSwoyersvilleAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year10.0%below (median 5.7%)
Moved from another state10.0%below (median 2.0%)
Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure2.5above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in8County figure$49,05031% below
Income of households moving out8County figure$52,32426% below
02

What it costs to live here

Rent is about 24% lower than we would expect for a place with these incomes, education levels, housing age and household types in the same metro area. That can mean good value, or drawbacks these figures do not capture, such as crime, schools or location.

Swoyersville12.5%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$29,760
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
12.5%
39% below the median place
Home price to income
2.1x
46% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
12%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$63,700
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Swoyersville, $744 a month, and local prices for everything else (99.0 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Swoyersville, but easier on the budget

Places that match Swoyersville on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Chesterland, OH759.3% vs 12.5%$37,700Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Swoyersville.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Swoyersville? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$1,159
38% below the median place
Median home value1
$148,300
54% below the median place
Median year built1
1957
1% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureSwoyersvilleAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$74445% below
Rent to income112.5%39% below
Property tax rate11.4%53% above
Home price to income12.1x46% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure93.67% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,36316% below
HUD area median income4County figure$92,40014% below
Property tax paid (median)1$2,06437% below
Median home value1$148,30054% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure5.5%74% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure60.7%18% above
Homeownership179.8%20% above
Renters paying 30%+1County figure46.4%8% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,15938% below
Vacant homes1County figure10.7%52% above
Median year built119571% below
03

Work and pay

Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Works from home1
6.9%
44% below the median place
Mean commute1
23 min
8% below the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureSwoyersvilleAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$71,55511% below
Income per person1$40,3221% above
Unemployment1County figure5.8%19% above
Average annual pay6County figure$58,25212% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure4.2%14% above
Jobs6County figure145,1094% below
Poverty rate1County figure15.3%42% above
Mean commute123 min8% below
Works from home16.9%44% below
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

The median resident is 53 years old, older than in 95% of the 2,479 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 3rd-highest of 271 Pennsylvania places we track.

Median age1
53.0
36% above the median place
Household size1
2.1
16% below the median place
Homes with broadband1
90.0%
3% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Bachelor's or higher25.8% −20%
No health insurance5.8% −9%
High school or higher92.7% +0%
All 9 people measures
MeasureSwoyersvilleAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population15,0486602nd largest
Population change since 202071.6%43% above
Median age153.036% above
Bachelor's or higher125.8%20% below
High school or higher192.7%0% above
Household size12.116% below
Born abroad1County figure9.6%9% above
No health insurance15.8%9% below
Homes with broadband190.0%3% below
05

Life in Swoyersville

The nearest National Park Service site is Steamtown National Historic Site, about 13 miles away.

Founded or incorporated in 1888. 38 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents15.8 +56%
Playgrounds per 10k15.8 +68%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k43.6 3.9×
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Steamtown National Historic Site 13 miles
  • Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River 49 miles
  • Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area 51 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars22.3 +7%
Shops34.6 +14%
Arts, recreation and fitness2.8 −32%
Doctors' offices and clinics21.6 +7%
Child care centers3.4 +48%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site11
13.2
57% below the median place
Child care centers per 10k9
3.4
48% above the median place
Public school students14
44,957
above the median place (median 4,897)
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureSwoyersvilleAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools14County figure63above (median 9)
Public school students14County figure44,957above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher14County figure16.36% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure22.37% above
Shops per 10k9County figure34.614% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure2.832% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure21.67% above
Child care centers per 10k9County figure3.448% above
Parks per 10k1015.856% above
Playgrounds per 10k1015.868% above
Grocery stores per 10k100.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k1043.6291% above
Libraries per 10k100.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails100.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi100.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1113.257% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles11350% above
National Register listings12County figure38192% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

Violent crime per 100k is 39, 80% below the median place.

Violent crime per 100k
39
80% below the median place
Property crime per 100k
469
61% below the median place
Months reported
12 of 12
by the city police department to the FBI

Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.

July average high15
81°F
7% below the median place
Average temperature15
48°F
13% below the median place
January average low15
17°F
33% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureSwoyersvilleAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high15County figure81°F7% below
January average low15County figure17°F33% below
Average temperature15County figure48°F13% below
Annual precipitation15County figure45.8 in5% above
Natural hazard risk16County figure91.61% below
Hurricane risk16County figure83.118% above
Tornado risk16County figure81.60% above
Wildfire risk16County figure53.712% below
Heat wave risk16County figure91.31% above
Median air quality index17Metro figure407% below
Good air days17Metro figure72.3%6% above
08

Swoyersville in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 12% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 12% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Swoyersville does better than 97% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 3%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$744/mo (2024)$940/mo$770 to $1,140/mo+4.0%
Median household income$71,555 (2024)$91,500$77,000 to $108,000+4.1%
Median home value$148,300 (2024)$203,000$147,000 to $279,000+5.4%
Population5,155 (2025)5,2405,020 to 5,460+0.3%

The median home would be worth 2.2 years of the median income in 2030, against 2.1 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Swoyersville

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
St. Marys, PA$762$67,167Compare
Chillicothe, IL$899$66,132Compare
Caribou, ME$757$53,709Compare
Exeter, PA$981$57,639Compare
Exeter, PACaribou, MEChillicothe, ILSt. Marys, PASwoyersville, PASwoyersvilleSt. MarysChillicotheCaribouExeterSwoyersvilleSt. MarysChillicotheCaribouExeter

Places built like Swoyersville

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Swoyersville performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Swoyersville, PA12.5%5.9%/yr1.6%
Exeter, PA20.4%2.6%/yr1.2%Compare
Blakely, PA22.8%0.6%/yr-0.4%Compare
Southport, NY21.7%4.8%/yrn/aCompare
Chillicothe, IL16.3%6.3%/yr-1.5%Compare
Jeannette, PA21.1%3.8%/yr-3.3%Compare
Villas, NJ25.5%7.9%/yrn/aCompare

Common questions

Is Swoyersville a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 81 out of 100, better than 81% of the places we rate and 68th of 271 in Pennsylvania. The median home costs 2.1 years of the median household's income, fewer than in 93% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Swoyersville expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 12.5% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $148,300.

What salary do you need to live in Swoyersville?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $29,760 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is Swoyersville safe?

There were 39 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to Swoyersville?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are St. Marys, PA, Chillicothe, IL, Caribou, ME and Exeter, PA.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  8. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  9. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  10. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  11. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  12. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  13. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  14. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  15. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  16. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  17. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Swoyersville with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Swoyersville itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/swoyersville-pennsylvania

Citytistics. “Swoyersville, Pennsylvania.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/swoyersville-pennsylvania/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.