The Town Files

Black Creek, Pennsylvania

Township in Luzerne County · population 1,909 (2020 Census)

Map: where Black Creek is in PennsylvaniaBlack Creek
Median home
$195,500
Household income
$90,368
Jan low / Jul high
18° / 80°
Snow a year
43 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
10
Median age
52.6

Black Creek is a township of 1,909 people in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $195,500, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks quieter than 99% of Pennsylvania towns, better for a vacation home than 95% of Pennsylvania towns, better for retirees than 91% of Pennsylvania towns.

Black Creek in our rankings:

How Black 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.

Black Creek lifestyle rankings vs other Pennsylvania townsRetirement91st pctFamilies57th pctQuiet99th pctWalkability31st pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals5th pctVibrancy10th pctHip & trendy82nd pctCollege town28th pctUpscale58th pctVacation homes95th pctSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving15th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Black Creek is worth $195,500, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 2.2 times the median household income of $90,368, which is more affordable than 82% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $1,175 a month. 91.9% of households own their home.

Black Creek vs Luzerne County vs typical Pennsylvania townBlack CreekLuzerne CountyTypical Pennsylvania townHome value$195,500$174,100$214,250Household income$90,368$63,691$75,278Monthly rent$1,175$1,004$996
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Pennsylvania towns with 500+ people.
HousingBlack CreekTypical Pennsylvania town
Median home value$195,500$214,250
Median rent$1,175$996
Median household income$90,368$75,278
Home value ÷ income2.2×2.8×
Homeownership91.9%81.5%
Median year built19721971
Seasonal / vacation homes21.7%—

Who lives in Black Creek

PeopleBlack CreekTypical Pennsylvania town
Median age52.644.2
Age 65 and over32.5%21.1%
Under 1815.1%—
Bachelor's degree or higher27.5%23.8%
Below the poverty line2.3%8.5%
Veterans8.9%—
Born outside the U.S.1.3%—
Work from home13.7%10.6%
Average commute27.2 min25.9 min
Homes with broadband89.4%89.0%

Weather in Black Creek

July highs average 80.2°F and January lows 17.6°F. About 53.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 43.3 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 2 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 139 nights at or below freezing.

Black Creek monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing33°18°Jan35°18°Feb44°25°Mar57°37°Apr67°47°May76°56°Jun80°61°Jul78°58°Aug72°52°Sep60°41°Oct48°31°Nov37°23°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.912.23.011.34.28.84.41.84.75.15.24.75.24.80.34.11.84.37.2
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Mahanoy City 2 N station (9.6 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Black Creek since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on December 1, 2006 about 8.6 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 12, 2023.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Black Creek by decade01950s31960s01970s41980s11990s12000s02010s12020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 8 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on June 30, 1976.

Severe weather in Luzerne County since 1996

Storm events in Luzerne County since 1996 by typeHail76Flood29Drought5Tornado9High Wind19Lightning17Heavy Snow44Flash Flood125
NOAA Storm Events Database, Luzerne County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 7 deaths recorded.

Luzerne County has been included in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
September 10, 2021HurricaneDR-4618: Remnants Of Hurricane Ida
March 30, 2020BiologicalDR-4506: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3441: Covid-19
October 29, 2012HurricaneEM-3356: Hurricane Sandy
September 12, 2011FloodDR-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 Black Creek itself the ACS puts it at 3.1%.

Largest industries in Luzerne CountyHealth care & social assistan…23,720 jobs · $60,843Transportation & warehousing19,236 jobs · $52,955Manufacturing17,873 jobs · $66,010Retail15,873 jobs · $35,150Hotels & restaurants11,073 jobs · $22,247Administrative & support8,993 jobs · $41,064
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Luzerne County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023Luzerne 4.3%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Black Creek

Black Creek questions

Is Black Creek, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Black Creek scores better for retirees than 91% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 99%. 32.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 52.6).

How much does a house cost in Black Creek?

The median owner-occupied home in Black Creek is valued at $195,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $90,368, so homes cost about 2.2 times income. Median rent is $1,175 a month.

What is the weather like in Black Creek?

July highs average 80.2°F and January lows 17.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 53.6 inches of precipitation a year and 43.3 inches of snow.

Does Black Creek get tornadoes?

10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Black Creek since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on December 1, 2006. The typical Pennsylvania town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Black Creek's Census boundary (GEOID 4207906672). Comparisons use the median of Pennsylvania towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.