Exeter is a riverside township in Northeast Pennsylvania
The Susquehanna River defines the character of Exeter Township, past and present. New Englanders who fought a Revolutionary War battle nearby in 1779 decided to stay and settle the riverfront, establishing homes and farms. More than 200 years later, Exeter’s development almost exclusively follows the long, curving riverbank. Homes and campsites dot the riverfront, and a boat ramp attracts people from surrounding townships to this rural slice of Wyoming County.
Riverfront homes and spacious estates
Houses are most common near the riverfront, where ranches, Colonial Revivals and bungalows stand on compact lots. Flood zones cover the northern and eastern riverbanks, where stilts hold some houses several feet off the ground. In Exeter’s inland southwest corner, houses and undeveloped lots sometimes come with 5-plus acres of land. Exeter’s median price of $160,000 is well below the national median.
The CAP Index Crime Score is 1 out of 10, less than the national average of 4.
Fishing, golfing and playing alongside the Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is Exeter’s primary natural feature, and the West Falls Boat Launch makes it easy for cars to haul vessels from motorboats to canoes to the water. Those without a boat can rent a kayak or canoe from a nearby outfitter. Some people park at the boat launch and fish from the shoreline. At George R. Hock Memorial Park, visitors can use the playgrounds, shoot hoops or relax on a bench, all within view of the river. Golfers can play near the Susquehanna at Emanon Country Club, an 18-hole course open to the public.
Kids zoned to Wyoming Area School District
Public schools are about 10 miles south of Exeter in Luzerne County. Children can start at Wyoming Kindergarten Center, graded a B by Niche, before advancing to C-plus-rated Wyoming Area Primary Center for first through third grade. C-rated Wyoming Area Intermediate Center teaches fourth through sixth grade, while Wyoming Area Secondary Center teaches all other grade levels, receiving a C-plus. The school district throws an annual parade for graduating seniors, who don their caps and gowns and wave from truck beds and trailers rolling down Wyoming Avenue.
Deli and greenhouse in Exeter, but other businesses are in Tunkhannock
Falls Bridge Deli makes hoagies and hot dogs inside a gas station that’s one of the township’s only businesses. Alongside the river, Hopkins Farm runs a greenhouse selling flowers, vegetable plants and even fresh eggs. For most shopping, locals need to go 10 miles away to Tunkhannock. The city has a Weis Markets grocery store and a Walmart. It’s also home to more than a dozen restaurants and Nimble Hill Winery & Brewery, where people plop down in leather couches and sip flights.
Route 92 crosses the Susquehanna River, connects to Tunkhannock
Residents can book shuttle rides around the county through the Susquehanna-Wyoming County Transportation service, but most locals get around by car. Pennsylvania Route 92 runs the length of Exeter, and it’s the only road in the community that takes drivers across the river so they can reach towns such as Tunkhannock and Clarks Summit. It’s about 20 miles to Scranton, the metro’s biggest city.
Written By
Alex Soderstrom
