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Lackawanna County, PA · Google Ads Management
Google Ads Management as Lackawanna County Construction Cools
Building in Lackawanna County is cooling this year. GetPhound builds and manages Google Ads campaigns for Lackawanna County businesses for a flat monthly fee and no contract. Below is what public data says about the field you would be bidding in.
The market in numbers
Lackawanna County at a Glance: Competition, Growth and Demand
Ad Competition Index
63/ 100
Sitting at rank 431 of 1,822 counties with 20,000+ residents and also 180 of the 400 markets we cover. Higher means more local businesses competing for the same searches. How the index is built
We grade every U.S. county-equivalent with 20,000 or more residents on how many ad-heavy local businesses (including lawyers, dentists, contractors, agents and similar) are chasing the same residents. Lackawanna County scores 63, which is near the middle of the pack.
Two things stand out: Lackawanna County is a county where new home permits are slowing this year, and it is also a county with an unusually high share of bigger (20+ employee) businesses in ad-heavy categories. Eight measures below show where it stands among all counties.
- Population change since the 2020 Census +0.1% Slower growth than 61% of counties
- Median household earnings (2023 est.) $57,570 Smaller than 75% of counties
- Local advertisers' business locations per 10,000 residents 42 Denser than 75% of counties
- Growth in those businesses, 2017 to 2022 +2.8% Growing slower than 58% of counties
- Portion with 20+ employees 5.2% More of them than 79% of counties
- 2025 housing permits per 10,000 residents 12.7 Less construction than 75% of counties
- Permits this year against the same months a year ago -21.4% Softer than 77% of counties
- People living outside city and town limits 22% Fewer of them than 87% of counties
Every bar compares Lackawanna County among all 1,822 U.S. counties with 20,000 or more residents. Sources: Census Bureau population estimates, County Business Patterns (2017 and 2022), Census income estimates and the Building Permits Survey.
Where people live
Lackawanna County by Place: Where the Customers Are
The Census Bureau's latest estimates, by place. A place is not a service area, but it shows where the largest pools of customers sit.
| Place | People (2023 est.) | Slice of the county |
|---|---|---|
| Scranton | 75,805 | 35% |
| Dunmore | 14,186 | 7% |
| Carbondale | 8,796 | 4% |
| Old Forge | 8,612 | 4% |
| Archbald | 7,457 | 3% |
| Blakely | 6,653 | 3% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates. Places here means cities, towns and census-designated places; where a city extends into a neighboring county, we count only the part that lies in Lackawanna County.
Local context
Why This Year's Building Slowdown in Lackawanna County Matters
Building in Lackawanna County is slowing. Permits for 151 housing units were issued from January through August, against 192 in the same months last year (−21.4%), a weaker turn than 77% of counties. If your business depends on new construction, expect leads to come harder and make sure each one counts.
Lackawanna County has 216,123 residents, which ranks 323rd of 3,143 U.S. counties, with population change of +0.1% since the 2020 Census.
The biggest places in Lackawanna County are Scranton (75,805), Dunmore (14,186), Carbondale (8,796), Old Forge (8,612) and Archbald (7,457). Targeting can follow cities, ZIP codes or a radius around your location, so a business on one side of the county is not paying for clicks from the other.
47,921 people, or 22% of residents, live outside any incorporated place. Radius and ZIP targeting reach them where city-only targeting would not.
New construction
Lackawanna County Construction: Steady, Not Spiking
Housing units authorized by building permits. Source: U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (annual county files, with the year-to-date bars covering the same months in each year). Keep in mind that permits are approvals, not completed homes.
Permits in Lackawanna County have held within a narrow range, 275 units in 2025 against 254 in 2021, or 12.7 per 10,000 residents, less than in 75% of counties. For January through August, permits are running at 151 against 192 a year earlier (−21.4%).
In Lackawanna County, the construction-linked categories already busiest are residential remodelers (1.2x typical) and plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors (1.1x typical). Every new household needs contractors, insurers, agents and providers, so the categories closest to construction notice a change in permits before the rest. If you work in that space, a change in permits is a cue to revisit your budget ahead of the busy stretch.
Your competition
Which Lackawanna County Categories Are Most Crowded, and Which Have Room
Category by category, this table sets Lackawanna County against the typical U.S. county: how many locations there are per 10,000 residents, how that count has moved, and how many are larger operations.
Line of businessLocationsCompared with a typical countyChange from 2017 to 2022Locations with 20+ employees
Law officesMost crowded 151 -6.8% 4
Physicians officesLargest operators 164 +10.8% 28
Dentists 89 -17.6% 4
Accounting and CPA firms 35 -10.3% 0
General automotive repair 72 -1.4% 0
Residential remodelersQuickest growth 81 +24.6% 3
Roofing contractors 14 +7.7% 0
Plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors 73 +0% 5
Electrical contractors 49 +8.9% 3
Insurance agencies and brokerages 77 -7.2% 0
Landscaping servicesLeast crowded 67 +21.8% 0
Real estate agents and brokers 36 +89.5% 0
Crowding compares employer locations per 10,000 residents with the median U.S. county of 20,000+ residents (1.0x is typical; the dark tick marks it). The counts are establishments in County Business Patterns (2017, 2022), not active advertisers. See the method
The most crowded category in Lackawanna County is law offices: 151 locations, 2.4x what a typical county has per resident, and down 6.8% since 2017. Physicians offices (164 locations, 1.9x) and dentists (89 locations, 1.5x) also sit above a normal county. Landscaping services is the least crowded category here at 0.9x typical (67 locations), so a campaign in that category is less likely to be drowned out.
Residential remodelers grew fastest, up 24.6% since 2017 to 81 locations. Dentists went the other way, down 17.6% to 89 locations. The biggest operators sit in physicians offices: 28 of 164 locations have 20 or more employees.
One caution: these are counts of local businesses, not click prices. Auctions set click prices, and they also depend on your keywords, ads, landing page and the exact search, so a crowded category is a reason to plan carefully, not a price.
Comparable counties
Six Counties That Resemble Lackawanna County
The six counties below are the closest matches to Lackawanna County among our 400 markets, measured on size, income, growth, construction and ad-business density combined.
| Place | Index | Population | Change since 2020 | Ad-business change since 2017 | Permits per 10k, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lackawanna County, PA (you are here) | 63 | 216,123 | +0.1% | +2.8% | 12.7 |
| Winnebago County, IL | 63 | 280,922 | -1.5% | +2.1% | 11 |
| St. Louis County, MN | 58.5 | 200,514 | +0.1% | +5% | 20.9 |
| Peoria County, IL | 63.2 | 177,513 | -2.4% | -1.3% | 4.5 |
| Vanderburgh County, IN | 65.9 | 179,810 | -0.2% | +2.6% | 24.4 |
| Jefferson County, TX | 49.9 | 251,496 | -2% | -9.4% | 13.6 |
| Sangamon County, IL | 60.4 | 193,491 | -1.5% | -3.2% | 11.4 |
These are the six markets among our 400 that match this one most closely on size, income, growth, construction and ad-business density. Same sources as above.
Winnebago County, IL is the closest match, scoring 63 against Lackawanna County's 63. Jefferson County, TX is the furthest from it, scoring 49.9. Jefferson County, TX's ad-heavy business base changed −9.4% over the period against +2.8% in Lackawanna County. Already advertising in one of these places? The comparison shows how similar the competition is; it does not predict your results.
The process
Our Google Ads Process in Lackawanna County
Build it right
We set up your campaign from a strong base: pages built to turn clicks into calls, keywords, ads, ad extensions and conversion tracking.
Launch, then learn
With the campaign live, we check in and adjust often, filtering out irrelevant searches with negative keywords, refining bids and raising lead quality.
Scale what works
We lean into the ad groups that are working and test broader keywords to bring in more calls than before.
Never stop tuning
We never stop tuning, and we bring down your monthly management fee as your account grows, so your return keeps rising.
More than Google
One Plan for Google, Facebook, Instagram and Bing Ads
Facebook & Instagram Ads
Social ads on Facebook and Instagram, built in Meta's platform, that put you in front of Lackawanna County people before they go looking.
Bing Ads
Bing, Microsoft Edge and Microsoft's partner network give you a second search audience.
PPC, paid search, paid social
People say Google Ads, PPC, paid ads, Facebook ads or Instagram ads; all of them mean paying per click, and we manage that for Lackawanna County businesses on one flat plan.
Start with the platform your customers use most. Many Lackawanna County businesses begin with Google Ads and later add Facebook and Instagram to stay in front of people who have not searched yet. We manage Google, Bing and Meta (Facebook and Instagram) together under one account manager.
Pricing
Flat-Rate Google Ads Management in Lackawanna County
A flat management fee, no long-term contracts, set by the number of platforms we manage. Ad spend is separate and goes straight to the ad platform. Over $10K a month in ad budget? Reach out.
Do the math
A Break-Even Calculator for Lackawanna County Advertisers
Whether ads are worth it in Lackawanna County comes down to your figures, not an average. Enter your own figures below to find the most you can spend per lead without losing money.
FAQ
Lackawanna County Google Ads Management: Your Questions Answered
How much does Google Ads management cost in Lackawanna County?
Our management fee is flat: $895 a month for one platform, $1,595 for two and $2,295 for three, with nothing long-term to sign. Your ad spend is separate and goes straight to Google (or Bing or Meta).
How do I decide on an ad budget in Lackawanna County?
Work from your own figures instead of a rule of thumb: the calculator above takes your profit per new customer and close rate and returns the most you can pay per lead. In Lackawanna County, law offices (2.4x) and physicians offices (1.9x) are denser than a typical county, so if you are in one of those categories plan for a busier auction. We size the budget with you before launch and scale as results come in.
Is Lackawanna County a competitive market for Google Ads?
About average. Lackawanna County scores 63 on our Ad Competition Index, ranking 431st of 1,822 counties with 20,000+ residents and 180th of the 400 markets we cover. Law offices leads on density, at 2.4 times the typical county. That calls for consistency: a steady campaign can hold ground that a bigger market would contest.
What kinds of local businesses advertise most in Lackawanna County?
Across the twelve ad-heavy categories we track, the largest by employer locations in Lackawanna County are physicians offices (164), law offices (151) and dentists (89). Measured against a typical county, the most crowded are law offices (2.4x) and physicians offices (1.9x). A big or crowded category does not decide whether ads work for you; it shows how many other businesses may be bidding on the same searches.
How fast will Google Ads send leads to my Lackawanna County business?
Certain campaigns start producing calls the day they launch. Others take two to four weeks to settle in, particularly in busy categories like law offices. We review search terms and add negative keywords in the first weeks so your budget goes to the right clicks.
Is Lackawanna County growing, and does that matter for Google Ads?
Lackawanna County has 216,123 residents, +0.1% since the 2020 Census, and 275 housing units were permitted in 2025 (12.7 per 10,000 residents). With the population close to flat, most new customers are people who already have a provider and have to be given a reason to switch. In both cases, ads reach whoever is searching right now, so we keep an eye on these trends when we set budgets.
Can you target only the parts of Lackawanna County I serve?
Yes. We can target by city (Scranton, Dunmore, Carbondale, Old Forge and others), by ZIP code or by a radius around your location. Around 22% of residents live outside any incorporated place, which is where radius targeting helps.
Can you manage Meta ads (Facebook and Instagram) along with Google?
Absolutely. We manage Google Ads, Bing (Microsoft Advertising) and Meta, which is the company behind Facebook and Instagram. Most Lackawanna County clients start on Google, where people are actively searching, and add Facebook and Instagram ads to reach people who are not searching yet. Pricing steps up by the number of platforms, not by the size of your ad budget.
Am I locked into a contract, and how do I see results?
No contract: month to month, cancel anytime. A dedicated account manager runs your account, and every month you see the calls, form fills and sales your Lackawanna County campaign generated.
Next door
Counties Near Lackawanna County
Customers beyond Lackawanna County? These are the nearest counties, measured from county center to county center:
- Wyoming County, PA: around 22 miles away, 25,902 people, competition index 52.3
- Wayne County, PA: around 22 miles from here, 51,262 people, competition index 61.4
- Luzerne County, PA: roughly 26 miles from here, 327,388 people, index score 54.4
- Susquehanna County, PA: about 28 miles out, 38,109 residents, competition index 30.8
- Monroe County, PA: around 30 miles away, 166,053 residents, Ad Competition Index 55.7
- Pike County, PA: around 31 miles from here, 61,247 people, competition index 38.7
Behind the figures
Where the Lackawanna County Numbers Come From
The numbers on this page are drawn from public U.S. Census Bureau data, calculated the same way across every county, which lets you compare Lackawanna County with any other market. We do not use client account data or publish performance numbers for GetPhound campaigns, because results differ by business.
- UpdatedOctober 16, 2026
- Data sourcesCensus population estimates (2023), County Business Patterns (2017, 2022), income estimates from the Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates program (2023), the Building Permits Survey (2021 to 2026 year to date), Gazetteer files.
- MethodThe Ad Competition Index and every derived figure are defined on the method page. Compare all markets in the index.
- Found an error?Spot an error? Email hello@getphound.com and we will check it against the Census source.
Talk to Us
Ready to Grow Your Lackawanna County Business With Google Ads?
Tell us what you sell and which parts of Lackawanna County you serve. You will see what a Google Ads plan looks like at your budget. Call 610-825-4363 or email hello@getphound.com to set up a strategy session with our CEO.