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Pennsylvania market guide
DSCR loans in Wilkes-Barre, PA
Rental financing for Wilkes-Barre investors, qualified on the property's rent.
In Wilkes-Barre, PA, rental investors qualify on the property's rent instead of personal income. The market data behind that: $946 median rent, $117,200 median home value and 49% of households renting.
Wilkes-Barre by the Census numbers
A DSCR lender in Wilkes-Barre is comparing a rent against a payment, and the citywide benchmarks are a median gross rent of $946 and a median home value of $117,200. The rent figure is about 22% below the Pennsylvania median of $1,209. Put the two medians together and Wilkes-Barre shows a gross yield of 9.7%, a comparatively strong gross ratio for a metro area. Because the rent number covers apartments as well as houses, expect single-family rentals to land above or below it.
| Indicator | Pennsylvania | Wilkes-Barre | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Persons per household | 2.39 | 2.44 | |
| Share of homes detached | 56.6% | 51.4% | -9% |
| Long commuters, 45 min plus | 16.4% | 9.1% | -45% |
| Workers on their own account | 8.2% | 4.1% | -50% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income | 48.2% | 51.3% | +6% |
| Units sitting vacant | 9.2% | 15.9% | +73% |
| Typical construction year | 1965 | 1943 | |
| Annual rent divided by value | 5.7% | 9.7% | +70% |
| Households that rent | 30.7% | 48.8% | +59% |
| Tax as a share of home value | 1.30% | 1.78% | +37% |
| Annual property tax bill, median | $3,311 | $2,083 | -37% |
| Household income, median | $77,971 | $48,515 | -38% |
| Typical owner-occupied value | $254,500 | $117,200 | -54% |
| Typical monthly rent | $1,209 | $946 | -22% |
| Residents (Census estimate) | 13,018,639 | 44,423 |
About 48.8% of occupied homes in Wilkes-Barre are renter-occupied, well above the Pennsylvania median of 31%, a balanced mix of owners and tenants. Median household income is $48,515, well below the Pennsylvania median of $77,971, and 51% of renter households pay 30 percent or more of income on rent.
Property types and condition in Wilkes-Barre
Wilkes-Barre has a deep multifamily layer: roughly 36% of units sit in buildings of two or more, with 18% in duplexes through fourplexes. Housing here skews old (median year built 1943), so condition and the age of major systems matter as much as the rent.
The Census counts 16% of Wilkes-Barre housing units as vacant, with a rental vacancy figure of 5.2%.
What stands out in Wilkes-Barre
A 9.7% ratio in Wilkes-Barre gives buyers cushion to absorb insurance and association costs, though higher-yield areas sometimes come with higher turnover. Age is the main physical risk here: median year built 1943 points to deferred maintenance in a share of listings. A 49% renter share is large enough to keep units leased, so location relative to jobs and schools drives rent more than the market as a whole.
Carrying costs in Wilkes-Barre
The Census reports median real estate taxes paid of $2,083 in Wilkes-Barre, well below the Pennsylvania median of $3,311. Against the median value that is an effective rate of roughly 1.78%, compared with 1.30% for Pennsylvania as a whole. That is about 18% of a year of median rent gone to taxes before the loan is even counted.
For hazards, FEMA's National Risk Index puts Luzerne County at a relatively moderate overall rating, and its top-ranked hazards are winter weather (very high), lightning (relatively high) and riverine flooding (relatively high).
| Hazard in Luzerne County, FEMA index | Level |
|---|---|
| Cold waves exposure | Relatively High |
| Riverine flooding exposure | Relatively High |
| Lightning exposure | Relatively High |
| Winter weather exposure | Very High |
| Social vulnerability score | Relatively High |
| Annualized loss estimate | Relatively Moderate |
| Composite risk | Relatively Moderate |
In Luzerne County, as anywhere, the premium is part of PITIA, which means a quote with the roof, age and flood zone of the actual Wilkes-Barre address belongs in your file early.
Working the Wilkes-Barre rent math
The quick test for Wilkes-Barre: rent of $946 divided by a 1.25 ratio allows a total payment of $757, and subtracting $174 in monthly taxes leaves $583 for the loan, insurance and dues. At 1.00 the allowance is the full $772.
Landlord and short-term rental rules in Wilkes-Barre
Rental registration, inspection and nightly-stay rules differ by city, and we have not verified Wilkes-Barre's from a municipal source. A short call to the city and Luzerne County before you make an offer is cheap insurance. Guests who book by the night in Wilkes-Barre are taxed under state law as follows. Pennsylvania applies its state hotel occupancy tax to short-term rentals of under 30 days, and platforms such as Airbnb collect and remit it, while counties and cities can add their own room taxes.
Before you set the Wilkes-Barre rent, know that Pennsylvania caps the security deposit this way: 2 months' rent in the first year; 1 month's rent from the second year on (68 P.S. §§ 250.511a, 250.511b, 250.512). Pennsylvania gives a landlord 30 days after the tenancy ends to return a deposit, an easy deadline to miss without a checklist. Entry rules: No statute; follow the lease.
Neighbors of Wilkes-Barre by the numbers
Prices in the comparison range from $158,100 in Scranton to $260,400 in Bethlehem, with Wilkes-Barre at $117,200.
| Market | Renter share | Tax bill | Home value | Residents | Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethlehem | 50% | $4,268 | $260,400 | 77,956 | $1,382 |
| Allentown | 57% | $3,829 | $206,600 | 125,976 | $1,317 |
| Stroudsburg | 58% | $4,742 | $229,800 | 5,894 | |
| Scranton | 50% | $3,224 | $158,100 | 76,033 | $1,048 |
| Wilkes-Barre | 49% | $2,083 | $117,200 | 44,423 | $946 |
Who rents in Wilkes-Barre
The self-employed share of the workforce is 4.1%, and those owners tend to be exactly the buyers DSCR financing was built for. Around the edges, government workers are about 11% of employment, 20% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher and 9% of commuters travel 45 minutes or more.
Luzerne County Community College and Wilkes University are the named colleges for the Wilkes-Barre area, a source of steady tenants but also of a lease cycle that follows the academic calendar. Wilkes-Barre offers interstate access via I-81 and I-80 and air service through Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport and Wilkes-Barre Wyoming Valley Airport, details that affect commute times and how easily a distant investor can inspect a property.
Putting a Wilkes-Barre file together
A good Wilkes-Barre file has four pieces: rent evidence, a tax estimate, an insurance quote and cash. Preview the ratio in the calculator, then apply or talk to us.
More Pennsylvania markets
- All Pennsylvania DSCR loans
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- DSCR loans in Allentown, PA
- DSCR loans in Bethlehem, PA
- Every market we cover
Where we checked
- National Risk Index entry, Luzerne County
- Encyclopedia entry for Wilkes-Barre
- 68 P.S. §§ 250.511a, 250.511b, 250.512, the Pennsylvania deposit law
- Pennsylvania tax source: Pennsylvania Department of Revenue, home-sharing
- ACS 2020 to 2024 estimates for Wilkes-Barre
We took the Wilkes-Barre data from Census ACS five-year tables for 2020 to 2024, estimates with margins of error. The Pennsylvania legal summaries are from the RedFlagLease dataset, licensed CC BY 4.0, with statute links. Verified October 2026. Ordinances and statutes change, so confirm before acting.
Quick file checklist
For a Wilkes-Barre rental, request the current lease, the last tax bill and the insurance declarations page early, and confirm which utilities the tenant pays, because each one changes the monthly figure a lender compares with the rent.
DSCR loan availability varies by property and lender program and is not an offer to lend. See our disclosures.
Frequently asked questions
What rent do DSCR lenders use for a Wilkes-Barre rental?
On most files the lender uses the lower of the signed lease rent and the appraiser's market rent for the address in Wilkes-Barre. For orientation, the Census median gross rent here is $946 a month.
How much payment fits the median Wilkes-Barre rent?
Every piece of PITIA is in the denominator. With $946 in rent, a 1.25 lender allows about $757, leaving $583 after median taxes of $174 a month.
What tax bill should I expect on a Wilkes-Barre rental?
The Census reports a median of $2,083 a year for Wilkes-Barre owners, about 1.78% of median value against 1.30% for Pennsylvania. The county reassesses after a sale, so ask the tax office for an estimate on your purchase price.
Will a lender count nightly rental income at a Wilkes-Barre property?
Often, with conditions: legal use under city and association rules, documented income and an insurance policy that covers guests. Wilkes-Barre owners should check all three first.
What does Pennsylvania law say about deposits at a Wilkes-Barre rental?
Start with 68 P.S. §§ 250.511a, 250.511b, 250.512. The limit: 2 months' rent in the first year; 1 month's rent from the second year on. Return window: 30 days. Talk to a Pennsylvania attorney for a lease form that matches.
What does FEMA say about hazard risk near Wilkes-Barre?
Overall risk is rated relatively moderate for the county. Because the rating covers a whole county, look up the specific property on FEMA's flood map before you offer.
Can a company be the borrower on a Wilkes-Barre purchase?
It is optional. Lenders will close in a properly formed LLC and generally want the members to guarantee. Ask your accountant how a PA entity would be taxed.