CensusEasy
METRO AREA · 1990 CENSUS

Allentown Metro

Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ · 4 counties · 686,688 residents · 1,453.025 sq mi
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The short version

Allentown has roughly average household income, with a median household income of $33,033. Population has declined 7% since 2000. Median home value is $103,308.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $30,130
Older
median age 35.4
US median: 33.0
Average education
18% 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
686,688
−7%vs 2000
vs 740,395 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
473 / sq mi
−7%vs 2000
vs 510 / sq mi in 2000
Median age
35.4
−8%vs 2000
vs 38.5 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Population, 1990 – 2024
668K724K780K836K892K1990201020202024Allentown
2024874K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 56.7%(46,205)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 96.6%(45,534)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 146.2%(42,300)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 196.5%(44,604)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 246.9%(47,639)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3416.5%(112,968)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4415.3%(104,848)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 5410.4%(71,120)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 649.8%(67,051)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 749%(61,947)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 844.8%(32,935)
US avg: 4%
85 and over1.4%(9,537)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$33,033
−4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $45,181 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$14,995
−31%vs 2000
vs $21,864 in 2000
US average: $14,340
Poverty rate
7.2%
−1.1 ptsvs 2000
vs 8.3% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$103,308
+15%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $118,176 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$459
+3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $586 in 2000
US average: $450
Owner-occupied
71.6%
−0.1 ptsvs 2000
vs 71.7% in 2000
28.4% rent
RELATED:See current rent listings in Allentown on RentDataNow
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%
1990
White, non-Hispanic94.6%(649,880)
Black2%(13,456)
Hispanic / Latino4.1%(28,383)
Asian1.1%(7,282)
Other2.3%(16,070)

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 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)
RANKED:Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest Italian population · Largest Puerto Rican population · Largest English population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
17.7%
−4.1 ptsvs 2000
vs 21.7% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
74.1%
−7.3 ptsvs 2000
vs 81.3% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
Graduate degree
6.2%
−1.6 ptsvs 2000
vs 7.8% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
20.1 min
+13%vs 2000
vs 17.7 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 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
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 1,009,836
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Head to head

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ALLENTOWN VS
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SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ALLENTOWN VS
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ALLENTOWN VS
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ALLENTOWN VS
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SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

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

Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ has about 686,688 residents according to the 1990 Census.

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

The typical household in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ earns about $33,033 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 $103,308, and the typical rent is about $459 a month.

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

About 17.7% 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 7.2% of people in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ live below the federal poverty line.

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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 →