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METRO AREA · 2000 CENSUS

Allentown Metro

Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ · 4 counties · 740,395 residents · 1,453 sq mi
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The short version

With 740,395 people, Allentown is a metro area. At a median age of 38.5, this is an older place than the country as a whole. 72% of homes are owner-occupied. The poverty rate is 8.3%, under the national 12.4%. 22% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Headcount has barely moved since 1990.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $42,589
Older
median age 38.5
US median: 35.2
Average education
22% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
More affordable
home values down 13%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
740,395
+8%since 1990
from 686,688 in 1990
1990 – 2025
Population density
510 / sq mi
+8%since 1990
from 473 / sq mi in 1990
Median age
38.5
+9%since 1990
from 35.4 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Land area
1,453 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
668K724K780K836K892K19902000201020202024Allentown
2024874K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 55.9%(43,681)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 96.8%(50,381)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 147.1%(52,606)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 196.7%(49,760)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 245.5%(40,599)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3412.4%(92,059)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4416.7%(123,381)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5414.2%(104,933)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 649.1%(67,459)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 747.8%(57,633)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 845.8%(43,054)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over2%(14,849)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$45,181
+4%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $33,033 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$21,864
+46%since 1990
from $14,995 in 1990
US average: $21,522
Poverty rate
8.3%
+1.1 ptssince 1990
from 7.2% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$118,176
−13%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $103,308 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$586
−3%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $459 in 1990
US average: $602
Owner-occupied
71.7%
+0.1 ptssince 1990
from 71.6% in 1990
28.3% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

1990
White, non-Hispanic94.6%(649,880)
Black2%(13,456)
Hispanic / Latino4.1%(28,383)
Asian1.1%(7,282)
2000
White, non-Hispanic87.4%(646,834)
Black2.5%(18,855)
Hispanic / Latino7.3%(54,358)
Asian1.6%(11,516)

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)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
21.7%
+4.1 ptssince 1990
from 17.7% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
81.3%
+7.3 ptssince 1990
from 74.1% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
Graduate degree
7.8%
+1.6 ptssince 1990
from 6.2% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
17.7 min
−12%since 1990
from 20.1 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status
Men 15+
Never married27.6%(78,189)
Married61.7%(174,929)
Widowed3.2%(9,102)
Divorced7.6%(21,433)
Women 15+
Never married21.8%(67,506)
Married56.8%(176,193)
Widowed12.4%(38,610)
Divorced9%(27,831)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

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
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

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

Compare Allentown side by side

ALLENTOWN VS
Charleston
Income$85,207+89%
Home value$404,179+242%
Population889,263same
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ALLENTOWN VS
Boise City
Income$85,629+90%
Home value$469,641+297%
Population864,243−3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ALLENTOWN VS
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Income$88,339+96%
Home value$288,584+144%
Population915,835+3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ALLENTOWN VS
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Income$85,433+89%
Home value$267,787+127%
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 740,395 residents according to the 2000 Census.

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

The typical household in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ earns about $45,181 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 $118,176, and the typical rent is about $586 a month.

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

About 21.7% 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 8.3% 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 53,707 residents, a change of about 8 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 →