The Town Files

Jackson, Pennsylvania

Township in Luzerne County · population 4,631 (2020 Census)

Map: where Jackson is in PennsylvaniaJackson
Median home
$322,500
Household income
$122,344
Jan low / Jul high
20° / 85°
Snow a year
40 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
6
Median age
45.1

Jackson is a township of 4,631 people in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $322,500, above the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks better for retirees than 95% of Pennsylvania towns, better for young professionals than 93% of Pennsylvania towns, more of a college town than 87% of Pennsylvania towns.

Jackson in our rankings:

How Jackson 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.

Jackson lifestyle rankings vs other Pennsylvania townsRetirement95th pctFamilies50th pctQuiet39th pctWalkability52nd pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals93rd pctVibrancy26th pctHip & trendy53rd pctCollege town87th pctUpscale85th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving23rd 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 Jackson is worth $322,500, above the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 2.6 times the median household income of $122,344, which is more affordable than 64% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $917 a month. 95.9% of households own their home.

Jackson vs Luzerne County vs typical Pennsylvania townJacksonLuzerne CountyTypical Pennsylvania townHome value$322,500$174,100$214,250Household income$122,344$63,691$75,278Monthly rent$917$1,004$996
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Pennsylvania towns with 500+ people.
HousingJacksonTypical Pennsylvania town
Median home value$322,500$214,250
Median rent$917$996
Median household income$122,344$75,278
Home value ÷ income2.6×2.8×
Homeownership95.9%81.5%
Median year built19811971
Seasonal / vacation homes0.6%—

Who lives in Jackson

PeopleJacksonTypical Pennsylvania town
Median age45.144.2
Age 65 and over15.9%21.1%
Under 1811.3%—
Bachelor's degree or higher24.4%23.8%
Below the poverty line4.0%8.5%
Veterans9.8%—
Born outside the U.S.3.4%—
Work from home12.2%10.6%
Average commute26.5 min25.9 min
Homes with broadband87.1%89.0%

Weather in Jackson

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 40.4 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.

Jackson 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 blue2.611.32.110.92.87.83.30.93.33.83.63.94.23.70.42.92.02.87.2
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 (13.7 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 3 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

6 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Jackson since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF2, struck on June 13, 2018 about 7.4 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 13, 2018.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Jackson by decade01950s01960s01970s31980s11990s12000s12010s02020s
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 29 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on June 24, 1985.

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 Jackson itself the ACS puts it at 1.7%.

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 Jackson

Jackson questions

Is Jackson, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Jackson scores better for retirees than 95% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 39%. 15.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 45.1).

How much does a house cost in Jackson?

The median owner-occupied home in Jackson is valued at $322,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $122,344, so homes cost about 2.6 times income. Median rent is $917 a month.

What is the weather like in Jackson?

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 40.4 inches of snow.

Does Jackson get tornadoes?

6 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Jackson 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 Jackson's Census boundary (GEOID 4207937400). 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.