Population 6,851 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Eighth Ward
Household size in Eighth Ward
| Period | Eighth Ward | Allentown area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.07 | 2.55 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.45 | 2.60 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.22 | 2.57 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.19 | 2.56 | 2.46 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.12 | +0.01 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
Eighth Ward is a place of big households: 3.19 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Household size has climbed from 3.07 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell.
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 Eighth Ward
| Period | Eighth Ward | Allentown area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.9 | 40.7 | 40.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 31.0 | 41.6 | 41.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 30.9 | 42.3 | 41.8 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 32.7 | 42.3 | 42.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | −1.2 | +1.6 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
Eighth Ward is young: half of its residents are under 32.7, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young families with children. Since 2006–10, the median age has dropped from 33.9, even as the national median rose.
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 Eighth Ward
| Period | Eighth Ward | Allentown area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.7% | 10.8% | 10.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 23.5% | 11.0% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 32.7% | 11.4% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 29.6% | 11.5% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +4.9 pts | +0.7 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about three in ten households in Eighth Ward (29.6%), well above the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has risen 4.9 points, even as the national share fell.
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 Eighth Ward
Renters in Eighth Ward
| Period | Eighth Ward | Allentown area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 44.5% | 26.9% | 29.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 51.2% | 29.3% | 30.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 58.0% | 31.2% | 31.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 55.2% | 30.3% | 30.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +10.8 pts | +3.4 pts | +1.7 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in Eighth Ward: 55.2% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. Among homeowners, 32.2% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the southwest; owners are most common in the northwest. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 10.8 points, 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 Eighth Ward
| Period | Eighth Ward | Allentown area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.8% | 8.0% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.2% | 8.6% | 10.5% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.5% | 8.3% | 10.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.1% | 6.5% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.3 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.2 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Eighth Ward is close to the national rate: 9.1% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in the Allentown area as a whole (6.5%). Eighth Ward has a higher vacancy rate than at least four in five Allentown neighborhoods.
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 Eighth Ward
| Period | Eighth Ward | Allentown area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1944 | 1965 | 1963 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1944 | 1967 | 1964 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1946 | 1967 | 1965 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1944 | 1969 | 1967 | 1980 |
| Change | −0 | +3 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Eighth Ward is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1944, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the center has the oldest housing.
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 Eighth Ward
| Period | Eighth Ward | Allentown area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $834 | $928 | $829 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $887 | $1,020 | $923 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,101 | $1,170 | $1,039 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,411 | $1,504 | $1,323 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$577 | +$576 | +$494 | +$606 |
The median renter in Eighth Ward pays $1,411 a month for rent and utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $577 a month since 2006–10, up 69%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 40.1% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the southwest; the highest are in the southeast.
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 Eighth Ward
Bachelor's degrees in Eighth Ward
| Period | Eighth Ward | Allentown area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.0% | 26.0% | 27.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.1% | 26.7% | 28.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 8.1% | 29.5% | 31.8% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.0% | 33.3% | 35.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | −1.0 pts | +7.3 pts | +8.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Eighth Ward have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 9.0%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is down 1.0 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose. Only one other Allentown neighborhood has a lower share of college graduates.
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 Eighth Ward
| Period | Eighth Ward | Allentown area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 71.3% | 86.4% | 87.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 71.9% | 88.0% | 88.8% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 64.9% | 89.7% | 90.3% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 78.1% | 91.4% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.9 pts | +5.0 pts | +4.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
More than one in five adults in Eighth Ward never finished high school, well above the national share: only 78.1% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 6.9 points, as it has nationally. Eighth Ward has a lower share of high school graduates than the great majority of Allentown neighborhoods.
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 Eighth Ward
| Period | Eighth Ward | Allentown area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.0% | 7.3% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 22.7% | 9.4% | 8.8% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.1% | 5.5% | 5.5% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.6% | 5.5% | 5.4% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.4 pts | −1.8 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Eighth Ward: 9.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 4.4 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. 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).
Eighth Ward compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eighth Ward | 3.19 | 32.7 | 29.6% | 55.2% | 9.1% | 1944 | $1,411 | 9.0% | 78.1% | 9.6% |
| Old Allentown | 2.98 | 31.3 | 31.3% | 68.8% | 14.6% | 1940 | $1,322 | 14.2% | 79.4% | 12.7% |
| NoTi | 3.22 | 33.7 | 24.8% | 56.6% | 6.6% | 1938 | $1,493 | 8.1% | 69.5% | 14.2% |
| West Park | 2.58 | 37.8 | 24.0% | 77.0% | 8.4% | 1949 | $1,155 | 14.4% | 79.3% | 5.9% |
| Jordan Heights | 3.40 | 26.6 | 30.8% | 75.5% | 9.1% | 1938 | $1,265 | 11.6% | 66.6% | 13.7% |
| Downtown | 2.03 | 32.3 | 13.5% | 88.0% | 4.9% | 1972 | $1,370 | 27.1% | 85.0% | 6.2% |
| West Walnut | 2.69 | 34.6 | 19.5% | 63.5% | 8.4% | 1941 | $1,276 | 20.6% | 84.2% | 9.1% |
| West End Theatre District | 2.16 | 44.4 | 10.5% | 35.6% | 5.3% | 1950 | $1,334 | 38.7% | 87.9% | 7.2% |
| 6th Ward | 2.86 | 31.0 | 32.4% | 55.1% | 6.6% | 1938 | $1,358 | 12.3% | 79.8% | 15.7% |
| 1st Ward | 3.35 | 27.7 | 39.1% | 72.7% | 14.0% | 1939 | $1,281 | 13.4% | 87.1% | 13.0% |
| Fairview | 2.54 | 33.1 | 21.5% | 64.2% | 4.9% | 1953 | $1,321 | 13.6% | 81.1% | 10.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Palm City, San Diego, CA · Sayre Park, Bethlehem, PA · Fulton, Minneapolis, MN · South Harrison, Tucson, AZ · Fitzgerald, Detroit, MI · Lake Frederica, Orlando, FL · Southern Hills, Springfield, MO · Rainbow Hills, San Antonio, TX · Puget, Bellingham, WA · Crossroads, Bellevue, WA
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 Eighth Ward. 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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