Best PlacesWest Bethlehem, Bethlehem, PA Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood in and around West Bethlehem, Bethlehem, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. Several measures below read low, and the ranked lists name which ones. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
West Bethlehem, Bethlehem ranks 2,096th of 5,983 U.S. neighborhoods on the BestNeighborhood index. The weather pulls hardest against it, while it scores best on cell coverage.
The best neighborhoods in West Bethlehem, Bethlehem
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
West Bethlehem, Bethlehem's strengths and weaknesses
Where West Bethlehem, Bethlehem ranks high
- Cell coverageBetter than 90% of neighborhoods
- BikingBetter than 85% of neighborhoods
- Cheap car insuranceBetter than 83% of neighborhoods
- Tree shadeBetter than 80% of neighborhoods
- Low vacancyBetter than 80% of neighborhoods
Where West Bethlehem, Bethlehem ranks low
- Nice weatherabout 57 pleasant days a year, better than only 4% of neighborhoods
- Internet speedBetter than only 8% of neighborhoods
- State infrastructureBetter than only 14% of neighborhoods
- Low property taxBetter than only 14% of neighborhoods
- QuietBetter than only 22% of neighborhoods
What it costs to buy a home in West Bethlehem, Bethlehem
A household needs to earn about $75,000 a year to comfortably buy the median West Bethlehem, Bethlehem home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is below the area's own median income of $86,476, so a typical household can afford the median home outright.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses West Bethlehem, Bethlehem's effective rate of 1.56%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices, buying tends to cost more than renting for about the first 7 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in West Bethlehem, Bethlehem
West Bethlehem, Bethlehem's age mix sits close to the national median, and households here run smaller than average.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for West Bethlehem, Bethlehem.
Who works in West Bethlehem, Bethlehem, and how
Work in West Bethlehem, Bethlehem centers on health care & social and manufacturing. Unemployment is close to the national rate, and the job base is shrinking.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 68%
- Work from home 23%
- Transit, walk, or bike 9%
Life in West Bethlehem, Bethlehem
The map and measures below break down dining, culture, and green space by neighborhood across West Bethlehem, Bethlehem.
What the weather is like in West Bethlehem, Bethlehem, month by month
West Bethlehem, Bethlehem sees roughly 57 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 89 degrees. January highs sit near 41, with lows near 22. The comfortable stretch runs May, June, and August through October.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 32° | 22° |
| April | 66° | 53° | 40° |
| July | 89° | 77° | 65° |
| October | 69° | 57° | 45° |
Flying in and out of West Bethlehem, Bethlehem
The nearest airport, Lehigh Valley International, is about 3 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Philadelphia International, about 52 miles away.
The best schools in and around West Bethlehem, Bethlehem
Schools across West Bethlehem, Bethlehem average a C+, better than 51% of neighborhoods.
Top elementary schools
- Calypso El SchB · 50% proficient
- Clearview El SchB · 50% proficient
- James Buchanan El SchB · 48% proficient
Top middle schools
- Nitschmann MsC+ · 36% proficient
- Northeast MsD+ · 25% proficient
Top high schools
- Liberty HsC− · 27% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every West Bethlehem, Bethlehem school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
West Bethlehem, Bethlehem measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare West Bethlehem, Bethlehem against the other 5,982 neighborhoods.
Common questions about living in West Bethlehem, Bethlehem
Is West Bethlehem, Bethlehem a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, West Bethlehem, Bethlehem ranks 2,096th of 5,983 neighborhoods. It scores highest on cell coverage, biking, and cheap car insurance, and lowest on the weather and internet speeds. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is West Bethlehem, Bethlehem expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $261,328. The overall cost of living runs about 8% below the national average. Set against a $86,476 median income, cost of living beats 68% of neighborhoods.
Is West Bethlehem, Bethlehem safe?
Yes, West Bethlehem, Bethlehem is safer than 55% of neighborhoods. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $367 per resident a year.
Compare West Bethlehem, Bethlehem with other neighborhoods
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to West Bethlehem, Bethlehem. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in West Bethlehem, Bethlehem represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
West Bethlehem, Bethlehem detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for West Bethlehem, Bethlehem: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in West Bethlehem, Bethlehem: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of West Bethlehem, Bethlehem: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in West Bethlehem, Bethlehem: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
West Bethlehem, Bethlehem detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.