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METRO AREA

Allentown Metro

Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ · 4 counties · 887,615 residents (2025 est.) · 1,453 sq mi
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The short version

Allentown is a metro area of 873,603 people. Few US metro areas rank higher on income. The population is up 18% since 2000. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $302,579. Density works out to 601 people per square mile. 34% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

At a glance
Average income
median household income $85,100, near the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 41.5
US median: 38.9
Average education
34% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 41%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Allentown

What changed most since 1990

  • Median home value (2024 dollars)$247,946 → $302,579 (+22%)US over the same years: +67%
  • White share92.8% → 67.9% (−24.9 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
  • Hispanic share4.1% → 19.9% (+15.8 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts

Among the 36 metro and micro areas based in Pennsylvania

  • 3rd in household income$85,100
  • 5th in share with a bachelor's degree33.5%
  • 3rd in home value$302,579
  • 4th in diversity score60.1
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
873,603
+18%since 2000
from 740,395 in 2000
887,615 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
601 / sq mi
+18%since 2000
from 510 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
41.5
+8%since 2000
from 38.5 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
1,453 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
668K724K780K836K892K19902000201020202024Allentown
2024874K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.1%(44,303)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.4%(47,544)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.2%(53,843)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.7%(58,512)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.4%(55,562)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3412.3%(107,116)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4412.6%(109,850)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5412.4%(107,892)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6413.8%(120,763)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7411.2%(97,610)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 845.6%(49,193)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.5%(21,415)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$85,100
+3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $45,181 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$44,264
+102%since 2000
from $21,864 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
55.1%
+19.3 ptssince 2009
from 35.8% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
10.2%
+1.9 ptssince 2000
from 8.3% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.447
+6%since 2010
from 0.423 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade13%
US avg: 9.9%
Information11.5%
US avg: 10.8%
Finance & insurance8%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical7%
US avg: 5.1%
Wholesale trade6.1%
US avg: 6.9%
Other services5%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration3.9%
US avg: 4.8%
Transportation & warehousing2.9%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.7%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services1%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.6%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.5%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$302,579
+41%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $118,176 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,362
+27%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $586 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
69.6%
−2.1 ptssince 2000
from 71.7% in 2000
30.4% rent
Vacancy rate
5.8%
−1.3 ptssince 2009
from 7.1% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.50 people
−1%since 2009
from 2.53 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
22.0%
−8.5 ptssince 2009
from 30.5% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
48.3%
+3.6 ptssince 2009
from 44.7% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.6
−3%since 2009
from 3.7 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
40
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic87.4%(646,834)
Black2.5%(18,855)
Hispanic / Latino7.3%(54,358)
Asian1.6%(11,516)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic67.9%(593,398)
Black5.5%(47,905)
Hispanic / Latino19.9%(174,129)
Asian3.1%(26,699)
Other3.6%(31,472)
Diversity Score
60
+54%since 2009
from 39 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
41
−7%since 2020
from 45 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Puerto Rican8.9%(77,863)
Dominican4.8%(41,857)
South American2%(17,813)
Mexican1.4%(12,268)
Central American1.1%(9,751)
Colombian0.7%(6,378)
Ecuadorian0.6%(5,391)
Cuban0.4%(3,372)
Peruvian0.4%(3,213)
Guatemalan0.4%(3,101)
Honduran0.3%(3,039)
Spaniard0.2%(1,721)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Salvadoran0.2%(1,583)
Venezuelan0.1%(949)
Costa Rican0.1%(788)
Chilean0.1%(672)
Panamanian0.1%(631)
Nicaraguan0.1%(607)
Argentine0.1%(547)
Uruguayan0%(408)
Bolivian0%(76)
Asian origin
Asian Indian1.2%(10,188)
Chinese0.6%(5,294)
Filipino0.3%(2,729)
Pakistani0.3%(2,364)
Vietnamese0.2%(2,022)
Korean0.1%(1,193)
Japanese0%(435)
Cambodian0%(245)
Taiwanese0%(229)
Thai0%(220)
Kazakh0%(178)
+ 10 more asian origin groups with data
Nepalese0%(89)
Laotian0%(28)
Burmese0%(27)
Uzbek0%(14)
Hmong0%(10)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(94)
Fijian0.1%(75)
Chamorro0%(24)
Guamanian0%(12)
Ancestry
German21.4%(187,147)
Irish11.9%(103,678)
Italian10.7%(93,375)
English6.5%(57,136)
American6.3%(54,622)
Polish4.2%(37,125)
Hungarian1.8%(15,879)
Slovak1.6%(14,037)
Dutch1.3%(11,303)
Arab1.3%(11,036)
French1.1%(9,977)
West Indian1.1%(9,499)
+ 49 more ancestry groups with data
Scottish1%(8,832)
Ukrainian1%(8,769)
Welsh1%(8,578)
Russian0.8%(7,337)
Austrian0.8%(7,147)
Syrian0.6%(5,147)
Swedish0.5%(4,679)
Greek0.5%(4,427)
Portuguese0.5%(4,107)
Scotch-Irish0.5%(4,011)
Jamaican0.4%(3,816)
Lithuanian0.4%(3,551)
Norwegian0.4%(3,544)
Lebanese0.4%(3,068)
Haitian0.4%(3,067)
British0.3%(2,499)
Czech0.3%(2,405)
Egyptian0.2%(1,788)
Swiss0.2%(1,784)
French Canadian0.2%(1,697)
Brazilian0.2%(1,340)
Romanian0.2%(1,330)
Danish0.1%(1,136)
Croatian0.1%(1,020)
Canadian0.1%(931)
Nigerian0.1%(721)
Guyanese0.1%(711)
Turkish0.1%(517)
Finnish0.1%(486)
Ghanaian0.1%(479)
Slovene0.1%(474)
Belgian0.1%(461)
Serbian0%(420)
Armenian0%(349)
Kenyan0%(343)
Iranian0%(329)
Bulgarian0%(321)
Moroccan0%(278)
Ethiopian0%(244)
Latvian0%(233)
Australian0%(200)
Israeli0%(164)
Jordanian0%(131)
Barbadian0%(86)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
33.5%
+11.8 ptssince 2000
from 21.7% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
91.8%
+10.5 ptssince 2000
from 81.3% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
12.7%
+4.9 ptssince 2000
from 7.8% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
27.4 min
+55%since 2000
from 17.7 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
74.2%
−7.7 ptssince 2009
from 81.9% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
7.3%
−2.0 ptssince 2009
from 9.2% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
1.2%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 1.7% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
13.7%
+10.1 ptssince 2009
from 3.6% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
2.0%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 2.8% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.1%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
7.2%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 7.6% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.4%
−2.7 ptssince 2011
from 8.1% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
64.2%
−0.8 ptssince 2011
from 65.0% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
77.4%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 76.5% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
11.7%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 11.8% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
39.7%
+5.6 ptssince 2009
from 34.2% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.5%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 48.9% in 2009
Female
50.5%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 51.1% in 2009
Foreign born
11.0%
+4.0 ptssince 2009
from 7.0% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
6.0%
−4.9 ptssince 2009
from 10.9% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
13.0%
+0.3 ptssince 2012
from 12.7% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
5.4%
−4.6 ptssince 2013
from 10.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
90.5%
+11.4 ptssince 2017
from 79.1% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
94.6%
+4.0 ptssince 2020
from 90.6% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
90.2%
+2.5 ptssince 2020
from 87.7% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
80.7%
−2.8 ptssince 2016
from 83.5% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
13.2%
+2.7 ptssince 2016
from 10.5% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married36.4%(130,199)
Married52.2%(186,659)
Widowed2.9%(10,267)
Divorced8.5%(30,379)
Women 15+
Never married30.7%(113,776)
Married49.1%(181,950)
Widowed9.3%(34,517)
Divorced10.8%(40,166)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
5.4%
−4.6 ptssince 2013
from 10.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
60.4%
−0.7 ptssince 2020
from 61.0% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
13.7%
−0.8 ptssince 2020
from 14.4% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
20.3%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 19.6% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
19.8%
+1.2 ptssince 2020
from 18.6% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.4%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 1.5% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
71.7%
−1.5 ptssince 2020
from 73.2% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
37.2%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 35.6% 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)17.4%(7,280)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)17.7%(7,415)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era38.6%(16,136)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War6.2%(2,598)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.8%(338)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 41,821 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
Over time

Allentown, decade by decade

Allentown population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
1990686,688$79,281$247,94617.7%17.0
2000740,395$82,304$215,27621.7%28.8
2010821,173$82,477$314,07226.0%45.3
2020861,889$85,159$266,60630.7%60.1
2024873,603$85,100$302,57933.5%60.1

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

In this metro

Largest cities

AllentownCENTRAL126,044BethlehemCENTRAL79,644Easton30,402Fullerton16,724Phillipsburg15,456Emmaus12,514Northampton10,570Hackettstown10,185Wilson8,159Ancient Oaks7,777Breinigsville7,769Middletown7,628Washington7,326Wescosville7,148Chestnut Hill7,086Catasauqua6,590Hellertown6,138Nazareth6,091Palmerton5,615Lehighton5,232Dorneyville5,211Bangor5,118Beattystown4,917Fountain Hill4,835Panther Valley4,553Jim Thorpe4,531Slatington4,296Lansford4,123Schnecksville3,922Indian Mountain Lake3,889

The 30 most populous of 116 cities and towns in this metro. CENTRAL marks the metro's principal cities.

What's inside

4 component counties

Lehigh CountyCENTRAL384,383Northampton CountyCENTRAL324,411Warren CountyCENTRAL112,953Carbon County65,868
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Allentown

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Pop 889,263
Boise City
Pop 864,243
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Pop 915,835
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Pop 1,009,836
Places similar to Allentown
Head to head

Compare Allentown side by side

ALLENTOWN VS
Charleston
Income$85,207same
Home value$404,179+34%
Population889,263same
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ALLENTOWN VS
Boise City
Income$85,629+1%
Home value$469,641+55%
Population864,243−3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ALLENTOWN VS
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Income$88,339+4%
Home value$288,584−5%
Population915,835+3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ALLENTOWN VS
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Income$85,433same
Home value$267,787−11%
Population1,009,836+14%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ?

Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ has about 873,603 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ?

The typical household in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ earns about $85,100 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ expensive?

In Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ, the median home is worth about $302,579, and the typical rent is about $1,362 a month.

How educated are people in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ?

About 33.5% of adults age 25 and over in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ?

About 10.2% of people in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ live below the federal poverty line.

Has Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ grown since 1990?

Yes, Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ has grown since 1990. The population has added about 186,915 residents, a change of about 27 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →

Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ: population, income & housing data · CensusEasy