What it's like to live in Dunmore
Dunmore is a small city in Pennsylvania with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, crime rates well below the national average, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Dunmore deals with cold winters, snowy winters, fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Cold winters
- Snowy winters — 45" per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Dunmore compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Dunmore
Based on Dunmore's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,856
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $37,120 a year
- 41% of Dunmore renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$39,220
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $19,610
- Homes cost 2.8× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 34% below US
$928/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $928 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $196,100. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $196,100 · 41% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.7% county unemployment
Unemployment in Lackawanna County is 4.7%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Lackawanna County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 81% below US
63 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 468/100k · Dunmore Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 33% below US
18 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 17.5 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 9% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 82°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 23°F and snow a regular occurrence.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforceNear US average
37% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 37% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
2 public schools inside the boundary
There are 2 public schools inside the boundary and 6 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Steamtown National Historic Site (3 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Dunmore's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are cold winters and snowy winters. A year of median rent ($928/mo) equals 16% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, anyone prioritizing low crime, and people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Dunmore
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