Allentown and Easton receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Allentown
Easton
Opportunity
50 · Bottom 36%
vs65 · Top 32%
Growth
63 · Top 27%
vs36 · Bottom 26%
Climate
64 · Bottom 33%
vs64 · Bottom 33%
Physical resilience
81 · Top 22%
vs65 · Top 43%
Housing affordability
68 · Bottom 31%
vs89 · Top 35%
Schools
37 · Bottom 31%
vs42 · Bottom 38%
Access
73 · Bottom 15%
vs71 · Bottom 13%
Economic stability
46 · Bottom 25%
vs48 · Bottom 28%
Measured values
| Metric | Allentown | Easton | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 125,976 | 29,739 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $55,494 | $69,348 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $26,892 | $29,811 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 7,172/sq mi | 6,976/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $206,600 | $196,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,317 | $1,325 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 43.2% | 44.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.8% | 4.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 3.3% | 3.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.1% | 28.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 21.0% | 16.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 135 | 1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.1 | 0.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 58.8% | -50.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 86°F | 86°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 22°F | 22°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 47.4" | 47.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 51 mi | 55 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.2 min | 28.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.1 | 31.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 34 | 9 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.33 | 12.74 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 17.3% | 21.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 49.2% | 42.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 82.1% | 71.7% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Full profiles: Allentown, PA · Easton, PA · How this is calculated: methodology