What it's like to live in Kingston
Kingston 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. Kingston deals with household incomes below the national average, a poverty rate above the national average, cold winters, and snowy winters.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- High poverty rate
- Cold winters
- Snowy winters — 45" per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Kingston compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Kingston
Based on Kingston's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,076
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $41,520 a year
- 37% of Kingston renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$34,580
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $17,290
- Homes cost 3.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 27% below US
$1,038/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $1,038 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 $172,900. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $172,900 · 37% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
5.3% county unemployment
Unemployment in Luzerne County is 5.3%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Luzerne County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 73% below US
90 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1435/100k · Kingston Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 16% below US
22 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 21.8 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 13% 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 & workforce▼ 12% below US
32% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 32% 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
3 public schools inside the boundary
There are 3 public schools inside the boundary and 6 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, close to 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 (15 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Kingston's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and a poverty rate above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,038/mo) equals 23% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, anyone prioritizing low crime, and people who want short commutes.
Other places near Kingston
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