Bethlehem receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Bethlehem
Allentown
Opportunity
67 · Top 27%
vs50 · Bottom 36%
Growth
56 · Top 40%
vs63 · Top 27%
Climate
64 · Bottom 33%
vs64 · Bottom 33%
Physical resilience
72 · Top 33%
vs81 · Top 22%
Housing affordability
77 · Bottom 45%
vs68 · Bottom 31%
Schools
52 · Top 49%
vs37 · Bottom 31%
Access
72 · Bottom 14%
vs73 · Bottom 15%
Economic stability
51 · Bottom 34%
vs46 · Bottom 25%
Measured values
| Metric | Bethlehem | Allentown | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 77,956 | 125,976 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $68,879 | $55,494 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $41,031 | $26,892 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,078/sq mi | 7,172/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $260,400 | $206,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,382 | $1,317 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 49.9% | 43.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% | 5.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 3.3% | 3.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 36.0% | 19.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 15.7% | 21.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 164 | 135 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.1 | 1.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -1.8% | 58.8% | 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 | 53 mi | 51 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.6 min | 26.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.1 | 33.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 23 | 34 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.95 | 15.33 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 25.4% | 17.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 51.5% | 49.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 61.2% | 82.1% | 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: Bethlehem, PA · Allentown, PA · How this is calculated: methodology