The Town Files

Waverly, Pennsylvania

Community in Lackawanna County · population 643 (2020 Census)

Map: where Waverly is in PennsylvaniaWaverly
Median home
$405,200
Household income
$124,167
Jan low / Jul high
20° / 85°
Snow a year
58 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
9
Median age
42.5

Waverly is a community of 643 people in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $405,200, above the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks better for families than 99% of Pennsylvania towns, more upscale than 96% of Pennsylvania towns, more of a college town than 95% of Pennsylvania towns.

How Waverly 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.

Waverly lifestyle rankings vs other Pennsylvania townsRetirement92nd pctFamilies99th pctQuiet28th pctWalkability63rd pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals70th pctVibrancy58th pctHip & trendy69th pctCollege town95th pctUpscale96th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving44th 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 Waverly is worth $405,200, above the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 3.3 times the median household income of $124,167, which is more affordable than 29% of Pennsylvania towns. 92.2% of households own their home.

Waverly vs Lackawanna County vs typical Pennsylvania townWaverlyLackawanna CountyTypical Pennsylvania townHome value$405,200$201,800$214,250Household income$124,167$66,223$75,278
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Pennsylvania towns with 500+ people.
HousingWaverlyTypical Pennsylvania town
Median home value$405,200$214,250
Median rent—$996
Median household income$124,167$75,278
Home value ÷ income3.3×2.8×
Homeownership92.2%81.5%
Median year built19511971
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Waverly

PeopleWaverlyTypical Pennsylvania town
Median age42.544.2
Age 65 and over24.0%21.1%
Under 1820.5%—
Bachelor's degree or higher68.3%23.8%
Below the poverty line3.2%8.5%
Veterans5.0%—
Born outside the U.S.10.3%—
Work from home20.7%10.6%
Average commute24.5 min25.9 min
Homes with broadband96.3%89.0%

Weather in Waverly

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 58.1 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.

Waverly 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 blue2.614.82.113.62.812.43.31.63.33.83.63.94.23.70.62.94.42.810.8
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 (13.5 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 3 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

9 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Waverly since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on June 2, 1998 about 5.8 miles from the town center and killed 2. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 2 deaths and 16 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on July 2, 2023.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Waverly by decade01950s01960s01970s01980s31990s02000s52010s12020s
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 31 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on May 28, 2019.

Severe weather in Lackawanna County since 1996

Storm events in Lackawanna County since 1996 by typeHail62Flood14Drought5Tornado10High Wind18Lightning16Heavy Snow50Flash Flood85
NOAA Storm Events Database, Lackawanna County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 3 deaths recorded.

Lackawanna County has been included in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
March 30, 2020BiologicalDR-4506: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3441: Covid-19
November 27, 2018Severe StormDR-4408: Severe Storms And Flooding
October 29, 2012HurricaneEM-3356: Hurricane Sandy
September 12, 2011FloodDR-4030: Tropical Storm Lee

Jobs and pay in Lackawanna County

Lackawanna County had 98,108 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $53,720 a year. Unemployment was 3.7% in 2023; in Waverly itself the ACS puts it at 4.3%.

Largest industries in Lackawanna CountyHealth care & social assistan…20,267 jobs · $56,517Retail11,259 jobs · $34,443Manufacturing10,209 jobs · $64,929Hotels & restaurants8,148 jobs · $21,721Transportation & warehousing7,189 jobs · $49,052Administrative & support4,633 jobs · $43,065
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Lackawanna County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Lackawanna 3.7%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Waverly

Waverly questions

Is Waverly, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Waverly scores better for retirees than 92% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 28%. 24.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 42.5).

How much does a house cost in Waverly?

The median owner-occupied home in Waverly is valued at $405,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $124,167, so homes cost about 3.3 times income. Median rent is — a month.

What is the weather like in Waverly?

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 58.1 inches of snow.

Does Waverly get tornadoes?

9 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Waverly since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on June 2, 1998. The typical Pennsylvania town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Waverly's Census boundary (GEOID 4281664). 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.