Nescopeck is home to a tight-knit community of longtime residents
Community pride runs deep in Nescopeck. This rural Luzerne County borough rests against its namesake creek and the Susquehanna River, with the ridge of Nescopeck Mountain rising over the southern horizon. “It’s truly small-town America,” says Pamela McGovern , a Realtor with Classic Properties – Mountaintop, who’s lived in Northeastern Pennsylvania for decades. “People want to live in Nescopeck because they’re from Nescopeck. A lot of those houses don’t hit the market because they get transferred between families,” McGovern says. Around 1,400 people live in the borough, enjoying a slower pace of life, small annual events and proximity to larger communities such as Berwick, Bloomsburg and Hazelton. Nescopeck, sliced down the middle by railroad tracks, is mostly residential, with some industry and farmland.
Victorian and midcentury homes for less than the national median
Most single-family homes in Nescopeck sit side by side along wide, gridded streets. Sidewalks frame small front yards individually landscaped with shrubs and lawn ornaments. Architecture is diverse, with ornate, century-old Victorian and Gothic Revival-style farmhouses dwarfing low-lying ranch-style homes, Craftsman bungalows and Cape Cods. Properties along West Second Street, Mifflin Avenue and Riverside Boulevard back up to the Susquehanna River, while farmhouses in the countryside offer acreage. The median price for a single-family home is around $270,000, significantly below the national median. Most homes fall between $160,000 and $225,000.
Families say goodbye to Nescopeck Elementary
The Berwick Area School District earns a B-minus overall rating from Niche. For generations, Nescopeck students started their education at Nescopeck Elementary, but the district closed the school in 2024 due to costly repairs. Now, students cross the Susquehanna River to attend the B-rated East Berwick Elementary, before moving on to the B-minus-rated Berwick Middle and then the B-minus-rated Berwick High.
Alternatively, several private schools are in the region, including the C-rated Bloomsburg Christian and the C-plus-rated Columbia County Christian.
Nescopeck Community Days is one of several annual events
Nescopeck has a few annual events. The Nescopeck Town-Wide Yard Sale, organized by Wesley United Methodist Church, has a more than 20-year history and is held on a Saturday in mid-May. Then, in late August, Nescopeck Community Days is a three-day festival with live music and a big parade celebrating borough pride. Ahead of Halloween, the Nescopeck Borough Police Department hosts a Trunk-or-Treat at Nescopeck Community Park along Raber Avenue.
Nescopeck is about 5 miles away from Briggs Farm, which has hosted the popular Briggs Farm Blues Festival each July since 1998. Thousands of music lovers descend on the farm for three days of blues, food and community. Many attendees camp on the more than 400-acre property so as not to miss a single act. “I have friends who go. They bring their campers and stay for the weekend,” McGovern says.
Outdoor activities from the Susquehanna River to Nescopeck State Park
Nescopeck’s sole public park, Nescopeck Community Park, features a playground, basketball court and tennis court. The green space is often used for community events and youth sports programs. More parks are nearby in Berwick , including Test Track Park, which has a public boat ramp on the Susquehanna River and a mile-long multi-use trail. Nescopeck State Park, popular for hiking and fishing, is about 20 miles from Nescopeck. State Game Lands No. 58, one of several state game lands within reach, offers mountainous hunting grounds. More than a dozen golf clubs dot the region. One of the closest to Nescopeck is Berwick Golf Club, which features a private 18-hole course.
Shopping and dining options in Berwick and beyond
Nescopeck has an ice cream shop and two restaurants: Fratello's Pizzeria and Italian Kitchen, known for its family-friendly atmosphere, and New York Deli & Pizzeria, where the menu features a fusion of Italian fare and Salvadorian cuisine. The borough also has a few stores, including Nescopeck Agway, which sells home, garden and pet supplies. More shopping and dining options are in nearby communities. Berwick features a historic downtown stretch of boutiques and restaurants, and offers several grocery stores, including Boyer’s Food Markets and Weis Markets. National retailers surround the Columbia Mall outside Bloomsburg . This retail corridor off Interstate 80 is a little over 15 miles away. Laurel Mall, a regional destination for name-brand shopping with more than 60 stores, is about 14 miles away in Hazle Township.
Nescopeck is a car-dependent community
Due to the lack of public transportation in the area, Nescopeck is a heavily car-dependent community. Two-lane highways parallel the Susquehanna River, connecting Nescopeck to other small communities. Residents can cross the Berwick-Nescopeck Veterans Memorial Bridge to reach the larger borough of Berwick, about a mile away. The town of Bloomsburg, home to Geisinger Bloomsburg Hospital and a Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania campus, is about a 15-mile drive. Interstate 80 is nearby and connects with Interstate 81 for commutes across Northeastern Pennsylvania. Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport offers the closest commercial flights, about 40 miles away.
