Local costs · Pennsylvania
What it costs to own a home in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
The real property-tax rate, risk-adjusted insurance, and honest closing costs for Luzerne County — with the all-in monthly cost of a county-median-priced home and the income it takes to carry it comfortably.
The headline numbers
US Census, ACS 2024 5-year
Run these numbers with your income →
The “median home” here is the Luzerne County median owner-occupied value ($174,100, US Census ACS B25077, ACS 2024 5-year). The all-in monthly uses the real-life basis: loan payment $896, property tax $211, insurance $69, maintenance $145 (1%/yr rule of thumb), and utilities $275 (a placeholder, not yet sourced). With 20% down there is no mortgage insurance.
Local risk flags
From the FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025). Covered perils show up as insurance-premium pressure; flood and earthquake are called out because a standard policy excludes them.
Severe winter-storm risk in this county can push premiums above the state average.
Notable flood risk — standard policies don't cover flood; check the address's flood zone and consider a separate policy.
Closing costs, in detail
Total transfer/recording tax $3,482: buyer's customary share $1,741, seller's customary share $1,741. Pennsylvania realty transfer tax: $1,741 (split 50/50); Local realty transfer tax (typical): $1,741 (split 50/50, estimated). Includes a labeled estimate (rate not fully verified).
- Transfer & recording tax
- On the $174,100 median home, the buyer’s customary share is about $1,741, with roughly $1,741 customarily paid by the seller. Only the buyer’s share is counted in the closing-cost estimate above.
- Title insurance & settlement
- Pennsylvania uses competitive (filed) rates. Estimated $1,494–$2,021 on this home. Modeled title insurance + settlement (national declining-rate curve, ~1.01% of price at this level; PA cost factor 1.15 -- TIRBOP all-inclusive rate structure (premium includes search, exam, settlement)). Not a state-promulgated rate.
- Lender and origination
- $696–$1,393. Modeled as 0.5-1.0% of loan amount.
- Appraisal, inspection, and reports
- $900–$1,800. Flat buyer-paid diligence estimate.
- Prepaids and escrow
- $1,051–$1,611. Initial escrow deposit for taxes and insurance.
Frequently asked
- What is the property tax rate in Luzerne County, PA?
- The effective property tax rate in Luzerne County is 1.45% of home value per year (US Census, ACS 2024 5-year). That is higher than the Pennsylvania average of 1.26% and higher than the national average of 0.92%.
- How much is homeowners insurance in Luzerne County?
- A typical homeowners policy runs about $830 per year (range $540–$1,210) at the Luzerne County median home value of $174,100. This is a county-adjusted estimate scaled from the NAIC state average; a real quote depends on the home and coverage.
- What are typical closing costs on a $174,100 home in Luzerne County?
- Estimated buyer closing costs run about $5,982–$8,965 on a $174,100 home — lender fees, title and settlement, the buyer's customary share of transfer and recording taxes, and prepaid taxes and insurance.
- What income do you need to afford the median home in Luzerne County?
- A household income of about $83,235 per year makes the $174,100 median home here comfortable by our math — housing under about 28% of take-home pay with room left for everyday spending, assuming 20% down at this week's 6.67% 30-year rate.
- What is the all-in monthly cost of the median home in Luzerne County?
- About $1,596 per month for the $174,100 median home with 20% down at 6.67% — the loan payment, property tax, home insurance, maintenance, and an estimated utilities figure.
Run your own numbers
These figures use the area median and a 20%-down example. Put in your own price, down payment, income, and debts to see whether it’s comfortable for you.
Open the calculator for Luzerne CountyMore counties in Pennsylvania
Sources & vintages
- Property tax: US Census American Community Survey, county effective rate (ACS 2024 5-year).
- Home insurance: NAIC state average premium (2022 · FEMA NRI December 2025), scaled by FEMA National Risk Index covered-peril risk; range modeled.
- Median home value: US Census ACS B25077, Luzerne County median owner-occupied value (ACS 2024 5-year).
- Mortgage rate: Freddie Mac 30-year fixed weekly average via FRED, as of 2026-08-13.
- Transfer taxes & title: researched state/local schedules. The everyday-spending baseline ships from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey (2024), income-scaled; utilities is the one remaining labeled placeholder.
Estimates, not advice, and not a Loan Estimate. Every number is computed from public data or our own math — see the methodology for how, and where the honest gaps are.