Population 121,384 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Bethlehem
Household size in Bethlehem
| Period | Bethlehem | Allentown area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.50 | 2.55 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.54 | 2.60 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.51 | 2.57 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.46 | 2.56 | 2.46 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.04 | +0.01 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
Households in Bethlehem run small, averaging 2.46 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Household size has edged down from 2.50 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. Households are largest in the southeast and smallest in the center.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Bethlehem
| Period | Bethlehem | Allentown area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.1 | 40.7 | 40.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.1 | 41.6 | 41.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.2 | 42.3 | 41.8 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.2 | 42.3 | 42.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.1 | +1.6 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Bethlehem are younger than 41.2 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The median age has climbed from 40.1 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. Residents skew youngest in the southeast and oldest in the northwest.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Bethlehem
| Period | Bethlehem | Allentown area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.0% | 10.8% | 10.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.5% | 11.0% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.4% | 11.4% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.0% | 11.5% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.0 pts | +0.7 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit less common in Bethlehem than nationally: 10.0%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share is down 2.0 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Bethlehem
Renters in Bethlehem
| Period | Bethlehem | Allentown area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.7% | 26.9% | 29.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 37.4% | 29.3% | 30.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 37.4% | 31.2% | 31.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 38.5% | 30.3% | 30.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +4.8 pts | +3.4 pts | +1.7 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is a bit more common in Bethlehem than nationally: 38.5% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% for the U.S. Among homeowners, 44.8% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the south and least common in the northeast. The renter share is up 4.8 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Bethlehem
| Period | Bethlehem | Allentown area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.2% | 8.0% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.0% | 8.6% | 10.5% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.3% | 8.3% | 10.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 4.9% | 6.5% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.3 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.2 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 4.9% of homes in Bethlehem are vacant, far below the national rate of 9.6%, which usually means strong demand for housing. Vacancy has edged down 1.3 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Bethlehem
| Period | Bethlehem | Allentown area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1963 | 1965 | 1963 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1964 | 1967 | 1964 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1965 | 1967 | 1965 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1967 | 1969 | 1967 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +3 | +4 | +6 |
Bethlehem is a place of older homes: half were built before 1967, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. The median year built has moved up from 1963 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the northwest, the oldest in the center.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Bethlehem
| Period | Bethlehem | Allentown area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $974 | $928 | $829 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,046 | $1,020 | $923 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,190 | $1,170 | $1,039 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,620 | $1,504 | $1,323 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$646 | +$576 | +$494 | +$606 |
Rent in Bethlehem runs $1,620 a month at the median, utilities included, close to the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents here are higher than in the Allentown area as a whole ($1,504). Rents are up $646 a month from 2006–10, a 66% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 32.2% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Bethlehem
Bachelor's degrees in Bethlehem
| Period | Bethlehem | Allentown area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.1% | 26.0% | 27.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 29.8% | 26.7% | 28.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 33.8% | 29.5% | 31.8% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 38.9% | 33.3% | 35.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.8 pts | +7.3 pts | +8.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
About four in ten adults 25 and older in Bethlehem (38.9%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a bit above the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 7.8 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the northwest and least in the east.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Bethlehem
| Period | Bethlehem | Allentown area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 86.9% | 86.4% | 87.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.3% | 88.0% | 88.8% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.6% | 89.7% | 90.3% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.6% | 91.4% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.7 pts | +5.0 pts | +4.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Bethlehem have finished high school (91.6%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of the Allentown area. The share with a diploma has risen 4.7 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Bethlehem
| Period | Bethlehem | Allentown area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.6% | 7.3% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.3% | 9.4% | 8.8% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.7% | 5.5% | 5.5% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.8% | 5.5% | 5.4% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.9 pts | −1.8 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.8%, unemployment in Bethlehem is close to the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment is down 0.9 points from 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Bethlehem compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethlehem | 2.46 | 41.2 | 10.0% | 38.5% | 4.9% | 1967 | $1,620 | 38.9% | 91.6% | 5.8% |
| Freemansburg | 2.38 | 39.5 | 13.3% | 43.9% | 5.9% | 1994 | $1,986 | 19.4% | 88.5% | 4.3% |
| Fountain Hill | 2.51 | 41.3 | 15.7% | 41.9% | 6.9% | 1944 | $1,414 | 30.3% | 88.8% | 8.4% |
| Hellertown | 2.55 | 46.5 | 9.0% | 21.7% | 6.3% | 1964 | $1,477 | 36.6% | 94.5% | 5.3% |
| Catasauqua | 2.44 | 37.7 | 14.8% | 26.7% | 3.0% | 1945 | $1,129 | 29.9% | 94.0% | 7.9% |
| North Catasauqua | 2.32 | 43.7 | 4.7% | 22.2% | 1.8% | 1951 | $925 | 24.8% | 92.6% | 1.8% |
| Fullerton | 2.58 | 36.6 | 12.1% | 48.9% | 5.4% | 1965 | $1,404 | 21.8% | 91.1% | 8.7% |
| Hokendauqua | 2.38 | 46.0 | 5.7% | 26.7% | 7.4% | 1965 | $1,519 | 32.8% | 95.0% | 3.3% |
| Center Valley | 2.80 | 40.6 | 7.2% | 10.5% | 5.0% | 1990 | $1,738 | 56.5% | 98.6% | 3.1% |
| Allentown area | 2.56 | 42.3 | 11.5% | 30.3% | 6.5% | 1969 | $1,504 | 33.3% | 91.4% | 5.5% |
| Glendon | 2.63 | 48.5 | 10.2% | 9.7% | 1.7% | 1973 | $1,367 | 35.2% | 94.8% | 3.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Portland, OR · Plant City, FL · Paterson, NJ · Pasadena, TX · Pomona, CA · Pembroke Pines, FL · Peoria, IL · Plymouth, MN · Fremont, CA · Frisco, TX
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Bethlehem. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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