Housing data for Bear Creek Township, PA
Bear Creek Township, PA has an estimated 2,776 residents and 1,281 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a township in Luzerne County.
6.3% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $816 a month.
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 2,776 (±22)
- Housing units
- 1,281 (±110)
- Households that rent
- 6.3%
- Median gross rent
- $816
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +0.9%
What stands out in Bear Creek Township
Households that rent: 6.3% (±3.8 points) in Bear Creek Township, lower than in Luzerne County (32.2%).
Homes heated by fuel oil: 30.1% (±7.2 points) in Bear Creek Township, higher than in Luzerne County (15.8%).
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 0.0% (±4.3 points) in Bear Creek Township, lower than in Luzerne County (8.1%).
Median real estate taxes: $3,813 (±$519) in Bear Creek Township, higher than in Luzerne County ($2,530).
- Heating fuel in Bear Creek Township
- Types of homes in Bear Creek Township
- Property taxes in Bear Creek Township
Housing in Bear Creek Township at a glance
- Median rent: $816 median gross rent a month (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Rent burden: 70.1% of renters pay 30% or more of income (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Renters and owners: 6.3% of households rent (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Income and affordability: $88,333 median household income
- Home values: $250,200 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,695 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $3,813 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 0.0% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 82.3% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 63.0% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 0.0% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 32.1% heat with electricity
- Commute and cars: 29.8 minutes average trip to work
- Growth: +0.9% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 6.3% moved in since 2020 (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Crowding and facilities: 0.0% of homes have more than 1 person per room (Small sample: wide margin of error)
Bear Creek Township against Luzerne County, its state and the nation
| Bear Creek Township | Luzerne County | Pennsylvania | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 2,776 (±22) | 327,675 (exact) | 13,018,639 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 1,281 (±110) | 151,287 (±105) | 5,806,452 (±672) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 6.3% (±3.8 points) | 32.2% (±0.9 points) | 30.7% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $816 (±$335) | $1,004 (±$25) | $1,209 (±$5) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $88,333 (±$21,713) | $63,691 (±$1,684) | $77,971 (±$342) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $250,200 (±$26,028) | $174,100 (±$3,161) | $254,500 (±$767) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $3,813 (±$519) | $2,530 (±$47) | $3,311 (±$12) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 63.0% (±10.3 points) | 74.4% (±1.5 points) | 67.3% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 29.8 minutes (±4.8) | 23.5 minutes (±0.5) | 26.3 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 85.9% (±5.8 points) | 87.8% (±0.7 points) | 89.7% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 49.3 years (±4.0) | 42.0 years (±0.2) | 40.9 years (±0.2) | 38.9 years |
Bear Creek Township covers 67.1 square miles of land, about 41 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Bear Creek Township has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 2,752 (±23) | 2,776 (±22) | +0.9% | Not a measurable change |
| Housing units | 1,413 (±98) | 1,281 (±110) | −9.3% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $1,092 (±$239) | $816 (±$335) | −25.3% | Down after inflation |
| Median home value | $172,100 (±$6,910) | $250,200 (±$26,028) | +45.4% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $70,250 (±$10,615) | $88,333 (±$21,713) | +25.7% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,479 (±$139) | $1,695 (±$251) | +14.6% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $3,574 (±$223) | $3,813 (±$519) | +6.7% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 10.7% (±4.2 points) | 6.3% (±3.8 points) | −4.4 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 9.6% (±13.9 points) | 0.0% (±34.8 points) | −9.6 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Luzerne County
Bear Creek Township has no police department of its own in the FBI’s figures, so this is the figure for Luzerne County as a whole.
In 2024, the police departments that report for Luzerne County recorded 185 violent and 1,007 property crimes per 100,000 residents.
A county-wide figure describes the whole county, not this place; crime varies from one community to the next.
ZIP codes in Bear Creek Township
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18702 | 74% | 41,970 | $1,011 | $131,900 | $56,378 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near Bear Creek Township
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear Creek Village | 1.9 mi | — | $412,700 | 0.9% |
| Buck Township | 4.1 mi | — | $302,500 | 11.9% |
| Jenkins Township | 5.8 mi | $1,338 | $213,700 | 39.7% |
| Thornhurst Township | 5.8 mi | $1,611 | $210,200 | 9.2% |
| Plains Township | 6.3 mi | $1,118 | $164,200 | 33.5% |
| Laurel Run | 6.4 mi | — | $58,000 | 5.6% |
| Penn Lake Park | 6.6 mi | $1,875 | $243,800 | 6.2% |
| Laflin | 7.0 mi | $1,710 | $244,900 | 9.7% |
Places in Pennsylvania most like Bear Creek Township
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turbett Township | $760 | $222,600 | $87,132 | 8.1% |
| South Buffalo Township | $858 | $246,000 | $93,241 | 7.2% |
| Washington Township (Northumberland County) | $792 | $242,900 | $81,458 | 9.9% |
| Howard Township | $773 | $238,800 | $90,781 | 8.1% |
| Elk Creek Township | $693 | $230,500 | $86,250 | 7.2% |
| Franklin Township (Lycoming County) | $938 | $247,100 | $88,125 | 14.2% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Pennsylvania.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Bear Creek Township, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $949 | $1,106 | $1,363 | $1,786 | $1,962 |
HUD income limits for Bear Creek Township, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $19,350 | $32,200 | $51,550 |
| 2 people | $22,100 | $36,800 | $58,900 |
| 3 people | $27,320 | $41,400 | $66,250 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $46,000 | $73,600 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $49,700 | $79,500 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $53,400 | $85,400 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $57,050 | $91,300 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $60,750 | $97,200 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $92,400.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Bear Creek Township
What is the median household income in Bear Creek Township?
The median household income in Bear Creek Township is $88,333 (±$21,713) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Bear Creek Township, PA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $250,200 (±$26,028) for owner-occupied homes in Bear Creek Township (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average mortgage payment in Bear Creek Township?
The Census Bureau publishes total owner costs rather than the mortgage alone: the median for owners with a mortgage in Bear Creek Township, PA is $1,695 (±$251) a month, including taxes, insurance and utilities.
How much are property taxes in Bear Creek Township?
The median real estate tax paid by homeowners in Bear Creek Township, PA is $3,813 (±$519) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many homes are in Bear Creek Township?
Bear Creek Township, PA has an estimated 1,281 (±110) housing units, occupied and vacant (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the most common home size in Bear Creek Township?
The most common size is 3 bedrooms, 53.9% of homes in Bear Creek Township, PA.
Is Bear Creek Township growing?
In Bear Creek Township, the number of residents went from 2,752 in 2015–2019 to 2,776 in 2020–2024 (+0.9%), not a measurable change.
What ZIP codes are in Bear Creek Township?
The ZIP code that covers Bear Creek Township is 18702.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 18702?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 18702 is $1,011 (±$52) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Bear Creek township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Bear Creek township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Bear Creek township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Bear Creek township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Bear Creek township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Bear Creek township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Bear Creek township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Bear Creek township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania (county subdivision:04592, in state:42 county:079).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .