The Town Files

Silkworth, Pennsylvania

Community in Luzerne County · population 784 (2020 Census)

Map: where Silkworth is in PennsylvaniaSilkworth
Median home
$207,600
Household income
$66,500
Jan low / Jul high
16° / 80°
Snow a year
36 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
4
Median age
45.0

Silkworth is a community of 784 people in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $207,600, close to the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks easier by car than 89% of Pennsylvania towns, more upscale than 86% of Pennsylvania towns, better for retirees than 79% of Pennsylvania towns.

How Silkworth 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.

Silkworth lifestyle rankings vs other Pennsylvania townsRetirement79th pctFamilies77th pctQuiet72nd pctWalkability44th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals62nd pctVibrancy26th pctHip & trendy55th pctCollege town76th pctUpscale86th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit46th pctDriving89th 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 Silkworth is worth $207,600, close to the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 3.1 times the median household income of $66,500, which is more affordable than 39% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $777 a month. 75.0% of households own their home.

Silkworth vs Luzerne County vs typical Pennsylvania townSilkworthLuzerne CountyTypical Pennsylvania townHome value$207,600$174,100$214,250Household income$66,500$63,691$75,278Monthly rent$777$1,004$996
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Pennsylvania towns with 500+ people.
HousingSilkworthTypical Pennsylvania town
Median home value$207,600$214,250
Median rent$777$996
Median household income$66,500$75,278
Home value ÷ income3.1×2.8×
Homeownership75.0%81.5%
Median year built19791971
Seasonal / vacation homes25.7%—

Who lives in Silkworth

PeopleSilkworthTypical Pennsylvania town
Median age45.044.2
Age 65 and over16.4%21.1%
Under 1823.9%—
Bachelor's degree or higher26.9%23.8%
Below the poverty line7.0%8.5%
Veterans3.4%—
Born outside the U.S.0.1%—
Work from home17.2%10.6%
Average commute28.8 min25.9 min
Homes with broadband96.9%89.0%

Weather in Silkworth

July highs average 80.3°F and January lows 16.2°F. About 48.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 35.6 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 4 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 145 nights at or below freezing.

Silkworth monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing33°16°Jan36°18°Feb44°25°Mar58°35°Apr69°46°May76°55°Jun80°58°Jul78°57°Aug72°50°Sep60°39°Oct48°31°Nov38°22°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.210.72.510.23.46.04.40.84.74.54.54.54.94.80.23.41.13.66.6
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Benton 3 Ne station (14.3 mi away); snow from Shickshinny 3 N (7.5 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Silkworth since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on July 6, 1984 about 4.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 8, 2014.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Silkworth by decade01950s01960s01970s21980s01990s12000s12010s02020s
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 16 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 Silkworth itself the ACS puts it at 18.5%.

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 Silkworth

Silkworth questions

Is Silkworth, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Silkworth scores better for retirees than 79% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 72%. 16.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 45.0).

How much does a house cost in Silkworth?

The median owner-occupied home in Silkworth is valued at $207,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $66,500, so homes cost about 3.1 times income. Median rent is $777 a month.

What is the weather like in Silkworth?

July highs average 80.3°F and January lows 16.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 48.4 inches of precipitation a year and 35.6 inches of snow.

Does Silkworth get tornadoes?

4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Silkworth since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on July 6, 1984. The typical Pennsylvania town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Silkworth's Census boundary (GEOID 4270704). 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.