The Town Files

Exeter, Pennsylvania

Borough in Luzerne County · population 5,514 (2020 Census)

Map: where Exeter is in PennsylvaniaExeter
Median home
$146,800
Household income
$57,639
Jan low / Jul high
20° / 85°
Snow a year
45 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
15
Median age
51.5

Exeter is a borough of 5,514 people in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $146,800, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks hipper than 88% of Pennsylvania towns, more walkable than 78% of Pennsylvania towns, more vibrant than 77% of Pennsylvania towns.

How Exeter 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.

Exeter lifestyle rankings vs other Pennsylvania townsRetirement47th pctFamilies13th pctQuiet51st pctWalkability78th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals66th pctVibrancy77th pctHip & trendy88th pctCollege town18th pctUpscale51st pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving35th 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 Exeter is worth $146,800, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 2.5 times the median household income of $57,639, which is more affordable than 70% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $981 a month. 77.1% of households own their home.

Exeter vs Luzerne County vs typical Pennsylvania townExeterLuzerne CountyTypical Pennsylvania townHome value$146,800$174,100$214,250Household income$57,639$63,691$75,278Monthly rent$981$1,004$996
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Pennsylvania towns with 500+ people.
HousingExeterTypical Pennsylvania town
Median home value$146,800$214,250
Median rent$981$996
Median household income$57,639$75,278
Home value ÷ income2.5×2.8×
Homeownership77.1%81.5%
Median year built19681971
Seasonal / vacation homes1.9%—

Who lives in Exeter

PeopleExeterTypical Pennsylvania town
Median age51.544.2
Age 65 and over26.7%21.1%
Under 1819.1%—
Bachelor's degree or higher26.4%23.8%
Below the poverty line11.1%8.5%
Veterans7.8%—
Born outside the U.S.5.7%—
Work from home7.7%10.6%
Average commute23.4 min25.9 min
Homes with broadband80.4%89.0%

Weather in Exeter

July highs average 84.6°F and January lows 20.3°F. About 38.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 45.1 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 12 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 122 nights at or below freezing.

Exeter monthly temperatures and precipitation20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing36°20°Jan39°22°Feb48°29°Mar61°39°Apr72°50°May80°58°Jun85°63°Jul82°61°Aug75°54°Sep63°43°Oct51°34°Nov40°26°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.611.72.110.92.810.13.30.83.33.83.63.94.23.70.72.93.22.87.7
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Wilkes-Barre Intl Ap station (4.9 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

15 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Exeter 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 6.3 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 28, 2019.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Exeter by decade01950s11960s01970s11980s51990s12000s72010s02020s
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 39 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on February 25, 2017.

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 Exeter itself the ACS puts it at 6.1%.

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).

Public schools in Exeter

2 public schools with 1,101 students, about 14.5 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Wyoming Area Sec Ctr7-1295114.4
Wyoming Area Kindergarten CtrK-K15015.0

Towns near Exeter

Exeter questions

Is Exeter, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Exeter scores better for retirees than 47% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 51%. 26.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 51.5).

How much does a house cost in Exeter?

The median owner-occupied home in Exeter is valued at $146,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $57,639, so homes cost about 2.5 times income. Median rent is $981 a month.

What is the weather like in Exeter?

July highs average 84.6°F and January lows 20.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 38.7 inches of precipitation a year and 45.1 inches of snow.

Does Exeter get tornadoes?

15 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Exeter since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF2 on June 13, 2018. The typical Pennsylvania town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Exeter's Census boundary (GEOID 4224392). 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 2026-11-12.