The Town FilesBear Creek, Pennsylvania
Township in Luzerne County · population 2,754 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $250,200
- Household income
- $88,333
- Jan low / Jul high
- 16° / 79°
- Snow a year
- 45 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 10
- Median age
- 49.3
Bear Creek is a township of 2,754 people in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $250,200, above the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks better for a vacation home than 93% of Pennsylvania towns, more upscale than 76% of Pennsylvania towns, more of a college town than 72% of Pennsylvania towns.
How Bear Creek ranks
Percentile among Pennsylvania towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Pennsylvania towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Bear Creek is worth $250,200, above the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 2.8 times the median household income of $88,333, which is more affordable than 53% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $816 a month. 93.7% of households own their home.
| Housing | Bear Creek | Typical Pennsylvania town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $250,200 | $214,250 |
| Median rent | $816 | $996 |
| Median household income | $88,333 | $75,278 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.8× | 2.8× |
| Homeownership | 93.7% | 81.5% |
| Median year built | 1975 | 1971 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 10.4% | — |
Who lives in Bear Creek
| People | Bear Creek | Typical Pennsylvania town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 49.3 | 44.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 22.7% | 21.1% |
| Under 18 | 15.8% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30.3% | 23.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 4.3% | 8.5% |
| Veterans | 8.6% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 5.0% | — |
| Work from home | 13.7% | 10.6% |
| Average commute | 29.8 min | 25.9 min |
| Homes with broadband | 85.9% | 89.0% |
Weather in Bear Creek
July highs average 78.6°F and January lows 15.6°F. About 48.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 45.1 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 4 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 164 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Bear Creek since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 4 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF2, struck on June 13, 2018 about 4.1 miles from the town center. The most recent was on October 2, 2018.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 19 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on February 25, 2017.
Severe weather in Luzerne County since 1996
Luzerne County has been included in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| September 10, 2021 | Hurricane | DR-4618: Remnants Of Hurricane Ida |
| March 30, 2020 | Biological | DR-4506: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3441: Covid-19 |
| October 29, 2012 | Hurricane | EM-3356: Hurricane Sandy |
| September 12, 2011 | Flood | DR-4030: Tropical Storm Lee |
Jobs and pay in Luzerne County
Luzerne County had 145,190 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $55,901 a year. Unemployment was 4.3% in 2023; in Bear Creek itself the ACS puts it at 8.8%.
Towns near Bear Creek
- Jenkins, PA5.8 mi · 4,283 people · home $213,700
- Plains, PA6.3 mi · 9,808 people · home $164,200
- Pittston, PA7.2 mi · 3,186 people · home $186,500
- Wilkes-Barre, PA7.4 mi · 3,213 people · home $115,700
- Fairview, PA7.7 mi · 4,703 people · home $293,400
- Plains, PA8.3 mi · 4,293 people · home $155,100
- Dupont, PA8.4 mi · 2,539 people · home $142,200
- Wilkes-Barre, PA8.4 mi · 44,328 people · home $117,200
Bear Creek questions
Is Bear Creek, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Bear Creek scores better for retirees than 67% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 64%. 22.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 49.3).
How much does a house cost in Bear Creek?
The median owner-occupied home in Bear Creek is valued at $250,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $88,333, so homes cost about 2.8 times income. Median rent is $816 a month.
What is the weather like in Bear Creek?
July highs average 78.6°F and January lows 15.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 48.8 inches of precipitation a year and 45.1 inches of snow.
Does Bear Creek get tornadoes?
10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Bear Creek since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF2 on June 13, 2018. The typical Pennsylvania town has had 10.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)