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CITY · 1990 CENSUS

Bethlehem

Pennsylvania · 71,428 residents · 19.1 sq mi
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The short version

Bethlehem is home to 71,428 people in Pennsylvania. The average commute runs 16 minutes. Median household income is $28,375, close to the national figure. Median home value sits at $89,800. 20% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Headcount has barely moved since 2000.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $30,130
Mid-age
median age 34.1
US median: 33.0
Average education
20% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
71,428
Unchangedvs 2000
vs 71,329 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
34.1
−6%vs 2000
vs 36.2 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Land area
19.1 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
71K73K75K77K79K19902000201020202024Bethlehem
202478K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 56.1%(4,344)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 96.1%(4,375)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 145.2%(3,690)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 198.1%(5,783)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 2410.3%(7,368)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3415.6%(11,170)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4413%(9,261)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 548.9%(6,384)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 649.5%(6,751)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 7410.5%(7,481)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 845.1%(3,627)
US avg: 4%
85 and over1.7%(1,194)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$28,375
+4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $35,815 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$13,684
−28%vs 2000
vs $18,987 in 2000
US average: $14,340
Poverty rate
13.0%
−2.1 ptsvs 2000
vs 15.0% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$89,800
+22%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $97,100 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$453
+7%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $559 in 2000
US average: $450
Owner-occupied
61.0%
+2.9 ptsvs 2000
vs 58.1% in 2000
39.0% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic74.9%(53,408)
Black3.1%(2,244)
Hispanic / Latino18.2%(13,002)
Asian2.2%(1,557)
Other0%
1990
White, non-Hispanic87.7%(62,647)
Black2.8%(2,017)
Hispanic / Latino12.8%(9,113)
Asian1.7%(1,204)
Other7.8%(5,560)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin
Puerto Rican19.2%(14,946)
Dominican3.2%(2,460)
Central American1.9%(1,450)
South American1.6%(1,226)
Mexican1.3%(1,039)
Guatemalan0.6%(502)
Colombian0.6%(430)
Honduran0.5%(351)
Nicaraguan0.4%(325)
Peruvian0.4%(279)
Ecuadorian0.3%(268)
Spaniard0.2%(194)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Salvadoran0.2%(137)
Cuban0.1%(107)
Uruguayan0.1%(106)
Costa Rican0.1%(104)
Chilean0.1%(67)
Venezuelan0.1%(44)
Argentine0%(25)
Asian origin
Chinese1.1%(844)
Asian Indian0.6%(469)
Filipino0.2%(188)
Korean0.2%(127)
Japanese0.1%(91)
Vietnamese0.1%(39)
Cambodian0%(14)
Taiwanese0%(13)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(1)
Ancestry
German15%(11,675)
Irish10.8%(8,440)
Italian8.3%(6,467)
American7.9%(6,187)
English5.2%(4,060)
Polish3.6%(2,793)
Hungarian2.1%(1,675)
West Indian2.1%(1,605)
Slovak1.7%(1,358)
French1.4%(1,061)
Scottish1.1%(877)
Russian1.1%(842)
+ 40 more ancestry groups with data
Dutch1%(796)
Jamaican1%(788)
Welsh1%(771)
Greek0.9%(688)
Portuguese0.7%(580)
Ukrainian0.7%(546)
Austrian0.5%(403)
Lithuanian0.5%(376)
Scotch-Irish0.4%(344)
Haitian0.4%(314)
Arab0.4%(312)
Norwegian0.3%(251)
British0.3%(246)
Swedish0.3%(228)
Brazilian0.2%(184)
Czech0.2%(163)
Slovene0.2%(137)
Swiss0.2%(121)
Croatian0.2%(119)
Lebanese0.1%(110)
Danish0.1%(86)
Finnish0.1%(84)
Syrian0.1%(83)
Belgian0.1%(68)
Moroccan0.1%(60)
Turkish0.1%(55)
Serbian0.1%(51)
Ethiopian0.1%(51)
Armenian0.1%(50)
Guyanese0.1%(45)
Canadian0.1%(44)
Israeli0.1%(43)
Iranian0%(30)
Nigerian0%(19)
Bulgarian0%(10)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
20.2%
−3.7 ptsvs 2000
vs 23.8% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
71.1%
−7.4 ptsvs 2000
vs 78.4% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
Graduate degree
8.4%
−1.3 ptsvs 2000
vs 9.6% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
16.3 min
+16%vs 2000
vs 14.0 min in 2000
US average: 21.9
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married50%(16,315)
Married39.1%(12,747)
Widowed2.9%(950)
Divorced8%(2,613)
Women 15+
Never married42.2%(14,419)
Married36.4%(12,450)
Widowed9.4%(3,224)
Divorced11.9%(4,072)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
6.6%
−4.3 ptssince 2013
from 10.9% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
54.0%
+1.1 ptssince 2020
from 52.9% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
14.7%
−1.0 ptssince 2020
from 15.7% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
19.1%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 18.7% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
25.2%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 24.3% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.6%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 1.7% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
66.4%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 66.3% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
40.3%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 39.4% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)16.4%(545)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)17.5%(583)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era32.1%(1,069)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War8.9%(295)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II2.7%(90)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 3,333 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania?

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania has about 71,428 residents according to the 1990 Census.

What is the median household income in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania?

The typical household in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania earns about $28,375 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Bethlehem, Pennsylvania expensive?

In Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, the median home is worth about $89,800, and the typical rent is about $453 a month.

How educated are people in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania?

About 20.2% of adults age 25 and over in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania?

About 13.0% of people in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania live below the federal poverty line.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →