Wilkes-Barre, PA Demographics

A map of Wilkes-Barre's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	22,442	24,312	50.5%	54.8%
Hispanic	14,997	11,060	33.8%	25.0%
Black	4,317	6,175	9.7%	13.9%
Multiracial	1,765	1,692	4.0%	3.8%
Asian	712	794	1.6%	1.8%
Native American/Other	190	295	0.4%	0.7%

Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania has an estimated population of 44,423, a less than 1% change from the 44,328 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 50.5% White, 33.8% Hispanic, 9.7% Black, 4.0% Multiracial, 1.6% Asian, and 0.4% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Wilkes-Barre, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Wilkes-Barre is about as racially diverse as it was in the 2020 Census. It is considerably more diverse than Pennsylvania overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Wilkes-Barre, that probability was 61.6% in 2020 and 62.0% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Wilkes-Barre is ranked the 12th most populous place in Pennsylvania, out of 2,002 places. This ranking is based on the Census definition of a place, which includes incorporated places like cities, towns, and villages, as well as unincorporated census-designated places (CDPs). Wilkes-Barre was ranked the 12th most populous place in the 2020 Census.

Wilkes-Barre's White Population

22,442 residents of Wilkes-Barre, or 50.5% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Wilkes-Barre is significantly lower than in Pennsylvania overall, where 73% of the population is White. Wilkes-Barre ranks 1817th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 2,002 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Wilkes-Barre's White population has declined by an estimated 7.7%. White residents' share of Wilkes-Barre's population has decreased from 54.8% to 50.5%.

Wilkes-Barre is less White than neighboring Georgetown CDP (Luzerne County) (83.6% White), Kingston (76.3% White), Edwardsville (66.2% White), Plains (86.3% White), and Forty Fort (79.5% White).

Wilkes-Barre's Black Population

4,317 residents of Wilkes-Barre, or 9.7% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Wilkes-Barre is comparable to the share in Pennsylvania overall, where 10.3% of the population is Black. Wilkes-Barre ranks 107th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 2,002 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Wilkes-Barre's Black population has declined by an estimated 30.1%. Black residents' share of Wilkes-Barre's population has decreased from 13.9% to 9.7%.

Wilkes-Barre is more Black than neighboring Plains (1.7% Black), and Forty Fort (1.5% Black). Wilkes-Barre is less Black than neighboring Georgetown CDP (Luzerne County) (9.8% Black), Kingston (11.3% Black), and Edwardsville (14.5% Black).

Wilkes-Barre's Asian Population

712 residents of Wilkes-Barre, or 1.6% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Wilkes-Barre is slightly lower than in Pennsylvania overall, where 3.8% of the population is Asian. Wilkes-Barre ranks 377th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 2,002 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Wilkes-Barre's Asian population has declined by an estimated 10.3%. Asian residents' share of Wilkes-Barre's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.6%.

Wilkes-Barre is more Asian than neighboring Georgetown CDP (Luzerne County) (0% Asian), Edwardsville (0% Asian), Plains (0.8% Asian), and Forty Fort (0.1% Asian).

Wilkes-Barre's Hispanic Population

14,997 residents of Wilkes-Barre, or 33.8% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Wilkes-Barre is significantly higher than in Pennsylvania overall, where 8.7% of the population is Hispanic. Wilkes-Barre ranks 39th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 2,002 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Wilkes-Barre's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 35.6%. Hispanic residents' share of Wilkes-Barre's population has increased from 25.0% to 33.8%.

Wilkes-Barre is more Hispanic than neighboring Georgetown CDP (Luzerne County) (3% Hispanic), Kingston (7.9% Hispanic), Edwardsville (13.7% Hispanic), Plains (7.6% Hispanic), and Forty Fort (16.3% Hispanic).

Wilkes-Barre's Native American/Other Population

190 residents of Wilkes-Barre, or 0.4% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Wilkes-Barre is comparable to the share in Pennsylvania overall, where 0.6% of the population is Native American/Other. Wilkes-Barre ranks 440th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 2,002 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Wilkes-Barre's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 35.6%. Native American/Other residents' share of Wilkes-Barre's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.4%.

Wilkes-Barre is more Native American/Other than neighboring Georgetown CDP (Luzerne County) (0% Native American/Other), Edwardsville (0% Native American/Other), and Forty Fort (0.1% Native American/Other). Wilkes-Barre is less Native American/Other than neighboring Kingston (0.7% Native American/Other), and Plains (0.8% Native American/Other).

Wilkes-Barre's Multiracial Population

1,765 residents of Wilkes-Barre, or 4.0% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Wilkes-Barre is comparable to the share in Pennsylvania overall, where 3.6% of the population is Multiracial. Wilkes-Barre ranks 685th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 2,002 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Wilkes-Barre's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 4.3%. Multiracial residents' share of Wilkes-Barre's population has remained roughly unchanged at 4.0%.

Wilkes-Barre is more Multiracial than neighboring Georgetown CDP (Luzerne County) (3.6% Multiracial), Kingston (2.2% Multiracial), Plains (2.9% Multiracial), and Forty Fort (2.4% Multiracial). Wilkes-Barre is less Multiracial than neighboring Edwardsville (5.6% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.