250–300anash families
About 1,000 people, roughly half of them children (U.S. Department of Justice, February 2026). Up from about 10 families in 2014 and 70 in 2020.
Moving to Kingston
A young, fast-growing anash community, two and a half to three hours from Crown Heights, where a family can still afford a house.
Kingston is a quiet borough on the west bank of the Susquehanna, across the river from Wilkes-Barre in northeastern Pennsylvania. In about ten years it has grown from a handful of Lubavitcher families into a community with its own cheder, mesivta, shuls, mikvah, eiruv and kosher grocery. Most families who move here bring remote work or their own business, buy a house for a fraction of New York prices, and keep Crown Heights within an easy drive. Every figure below says where it came from and when; things change quickly here, so check before you plan around them.
At a glance
700+cheder students
Cheder Menachem opened the 2026–27 year with over 700 students (COLlive, September 2026), up from about 180 in 2020.
~$247Kmedian home price
Kingston borough, three months ending September 2026 (Redfin). Homes typically sell in under two weeks.
~$1,5503-bedroom rent a month
Median for a 3-bedroom apartment, August 2026 (Rentometer); most fall between about $1,400 and $1,600.
Community life
People describe Kingston as warm and heimish, and as a community still being built: much of daily life runs through WhatsApp groups, from meal trains and postpartum help to women's events, and new families are made welcome. Over 1,000 people came to the first community-wide Yud Tes Kislev in 2025 (COLlive). N'shei Chabad of Kingston, a summer day camp and Chaverim for roadside and lockout help round it out. Rabbi Tzvi Perlman, the senior shliach, came to the area in 1977, and his son Rabbi Uri Perlman founded the Bais Menachem yeshiva in 1999, which first drew anash families here.
Housing
Smaller homes start at around $150,000, and 4–5 bedroom family homes near the shuls run roughly $250,000–$400,000 (estimated from Anash.org's 2020 ranges and the 2026 median). The market is competitive, so expect to move quickly. A 2026 federal consent order with the borough allows shuls and religious schools in commercial districts, and in residential ones by special permit. See what's available now on the Homes page, which updates every morning, and check with your rav that a street is inside the eiruv before you commit.
Schools
Cheder Menachem: a Lubavitcher preschool, elementary and high school with more than 700 students. The boys elementary is at 715 Schuyler Ave in Kingston; the preschool (from infancy) and girls elementary are at 80 N Washington St in Wilkes-Barre, about ten minutes away; and a renovated girls middle and high school campus was dedicated in October 2026 (chedermenachem.org). Busing is provided. Tuition was about $7,000 per child in 2020 with partial vouchers (Anash.org); the cheder doesn't publish current rates, and they are likely higher now. Pennsylvania's EITC/OSTC tax-credit scholarships are generally available to private schools; ask the cheder whether they apply.
High school: boys can stay home for Kingston Mesivta (Mesivta Tzvi Yosef). For girls, see Lubavitch Girls of Kingston and Bnos Yisroel in Scranton on the Schools page; Ohr Chana in the Poconos is a small boarding program for 11th and 12th grade.
Shuls, mikvah and eiruv
Anash live within walking distance of Bais Tzvi Yosef (17 2nd Ave) and Bais Moshe (also called Bais Moshe Noach, 425 Tioga Ave, opened in 2021). Cheider Sheini (445 Wyoming Ave), the Deli Minyan, Bais Dov and the yeshiva minyanim add more, and Ohav Zedek, in the area since the 1890s, is the historic Orthodox shul. The women's mikvah is at 143 3rd Ave and the men's mikvah is at Bais Moshe. Kingston has a community eiruv; its boundary map is on the Shuls page, and you should check each week that it's up. Davening times and contacts for each shul are on the same page.
Kosher food
Kingston's kosher grocery, Kingston Kosher, was listed as closed in November 2026; ask in the community where families buy meat and groceries now. Bagel Bar (378 Pierce St) is a cholov Yisroel, pas Yisroel café under the Star-K. In Scranton, about 30 minutes away, the Yeshiva Co-op (all CY/PY) and National Bakery are under the Scranton Orthodox Rabbinate. Weis, ShopRite and Market 32 carry packaged kosher goods, and many families still stock up in Monsey or Crown Heights. No local Lubavitch shechita has been confirmed; ask your rav. Full listings are on the Kosher Food page.
Work, cost of living and travel
There's no specific job market for anash families. Most bring remote work or an online business, or line up a job in their field before moving; there are positions at the cheder, mesivta and yeshivos, and the wider Wilkes-Barre/Scranton economy is modest. The cost of living is well below the U.S. average, and housing is among the cheapest of any American anash community. Crown Heights is two and a half to three hours by car and Monsey about two; the nearest airport is Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AVP), with fuller service from Newark or JFK. Winters are cold and snowy and summers warm and humid; levees now protect the valley from the Susquehanna's historic floods. See current openings on the Jobs page.
Weighing it up
What families love
Affordable houses and rents A young, growing community of 250–300 families A large cheder with busing, and a mesivta so boys can stay home Several anash shuls with farbrengens and kids' programs A kosher grocery, a CY bagel café, Chaverim and active WhatsApp support About three hours to Crown Heights, two to Monsey
What to plan for
Few local jobs: most families need remote work or their own business A young community, so much still runs informally Very little kosher dining out Limited girls' high school options close by Cold, snowy winters
Where to start
Questions about moving here: send us a message. For schools, contact Cheder Menachem directly. Coming to look around for Shabbos? Ask for a Shabbos meal.
Sources
U.S. Department of Justice, complaint, United States v. Borough of Kingston (Feb 2026) and settlement · COLlive, 700 students return to Kingston cheder (Sep 2026) and Kingston unites for Yud Tes Kislev (Dec 2025) · Anash.org, Kingston, PA: young, friendly and heimish (Jul 2020) · Redfin housing market (Sep 2026) · Rentometer (Aug 2026) · Kingston Borough consent-order notice (2026) · Lubavitch.com · Star-K listings · Chabad Relocator community profile (Oct 2026).