Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA Metro Area
The Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA metro area is made up of 3 counties in Pennsylvania: Luzerne, Lackawanna, and Wyoming, largest first. About 574,418 people lived there on July 1, 2025 (Census estimate), 1.2% more than in April 2020.
- Population, July 2025
- 574,418 1.2% more than in April 2020
- Type
- Metropolitan statistical area
- Counties
- 3: 2 central, 1 outlying
- Land area
- 1,746 sq mi (4,522 km²)
- Time zone
- Eastern TimeUTC-05:00 in January; UTC-04:00 in July
- State
- Pennsylvania
- CBSA code
- 42540
Counties in the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA metro area, largest first
| County | Role | Population, July 2025 | Share of the area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luzerne County | Central | 332,126 | 57.8% |
| Lackawanna County | Central | 216,502 | 37.7% |
| Wyoming County | Outlying | 25,790 | 4.5% |
A central county holds the area’s core, an urban area of at least 50,000 people. An outlying county is in the area because of commuting: at least a quarter of its workers have jobs in the central counties, or at least a quarter of the people working there live in them. A county belongs to one metro or micro area at most, and it counts whole, countryside included.
Principal cities, largest first
- Scranton76,033 people
- Wilkes-Barre44,423 people
OMB names the area after its largest principal cities. A principal city is the area’s largest city, plus any other city that is very large or a big job center, and smaller ones with at least as many jobs as working residents (2020 Census and commuting figures). People counts are American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates.
Bordering metro and micro areas, nearest first
Areas with a county on this area’s edge. Distances are straight lines between the areas’ largest cities.
- East Stroudsburg, PA Micro Area38 mi southeast
- Bloomsburg-Berwick, PA Micro Area50 mi southwest
- Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ Metro Area57 mi south
- Pottsville, PA Micro Area57 mi southwest
- Sayre, PA Micro Area60 mi northwest
Before using this answer on a form
A metro or micro area is a statistical area that OMB draws for federal statistics. It is not a city, a local government or a mailing address, and it is not a measure of urban and rural: whole counties count, rural parts included. Programs that use metro areas, such as housing income limits or wage rates, can use their own version of these lists; check the program’s own list for an address.
Find the metro area where you are now, find your county, or see every metro and micro area by population.