Can A Truck Driver Afford Rent in Wilkes-Barre, PA?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 29% of gross income.

Wilkes-Barre rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Pennsylvania state estimate).

Wilkes-Barre median rent
$1,358/mo
Truck Driver salary (Pennsylvania)
$56,143/yr
Rent as % of income
29%
Gross monthly income works out to about $4,679, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,404/mo in rent. Wilkes-Barre's median rent of $1,358 leaves roughly $46/mo of headroom under that threshold. A truck driver works roughly 50.3 hours a month to cover that rent.

About rent and a truck driver salary

Truck driver pay covers comfortable rent in most lower- and mid-cost US metros and stretches thin in the highest-cost ones. Because many drivers can base anywhere along their route, the home-city rent decision has an outsized effect on take-home. At the national-average driver salary, the 30% rule supports about $1,418 a month in rent. The per-city pages show which markets keep rent within that range and which push it out of reach.

Cheaper rent nearby

These Pennsylvania cities have lower median rent than Wilkes-Barre, which improves the affordability math on a truck driver salary:

Hanover, PA
$1,356/mo (29% of income)
Harrisburg, PA
$1,355/mo (29% of income)
Munhall, PA
$1,353/mo (28.9% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Wilkes-Barre

View full rent data for Wilkes-Barre, PA

Frequently asked questions

Can a truck driver afford rent in Wilkes-Barre, PA?

Median rent in Wilkes-Barre is $1,358 a month. A typical truck driver in Pennsylvania earns about $56,143 a year, which makes that rent 29% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a truck driver afford in Wilkes-Barre?

Using the 30% rule, a truck driver salary in Pennsylvania (~$56,143/yr) supports up to $1,404 a month in rent. Wilkes-Barre's current median rent is $1,358/mo, which leaves a $46/mo buffer.

How many hours does a truck driver work to cover rent in Wilkes-Barre?

At an hourly equivalent of about $27 an hour, a truck driver in Pennsylvania works roughly 50.3 hours a month to cover Wilkes-Barre's median rent of $1,358.

Where is rent cheaper than Wilkes-Barre for a truck driver?

Nearby Pennsylvania cities with lower median rent include Hanover ($1,356/mo), Harrisburg ($1,355/mo), Munhall ($1,353/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a truck driver salary.

Methodology: Salary uses the BLS-derived Pennsylvania state estimate from OEWS May 2024. Rent is the most recent ZORI monthly value for Wilkes-Barre, PA. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.