Population 8,385 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in West Bethlehem
Household size in West Bethlehem
| Period | West Bethlehem | Bethlehem | Allentown area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.37 | 2.50 | 2.55 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.36 | 2.54 | 2.60 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.29 | 2.51 | 2.57 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.24 | 2.46 | 2.56 | 2.46 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.12 | −0.04 | +0.01 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
Households in West Bethlehem are small: just 2.24 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Household size has dropped from 2.37 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 West Bethlehem
| Period | West Bethlehem | Bethlehem | Allentown area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.5 | 40.1 | 40.7 | 40.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.0 | 41.1 | 41.6 | 41.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.9 | 41.2 | 42.3 | 41.8 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.2 | 41.2 | 42.3 | 42.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.3 | +1.1 | +1.6 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
At 39.2, the median age in West Bethlehem is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The population here is younger than in Bethlehem as a whole, where the median age is 41.2. The median age has edged down from 39.5 in 2006–10, 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 West Bethlehem
| Period | West Bethlehem | Bethlehem | Allentown area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.8% | 12.0% | 10.8% | 10.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.2% | 11.5% | 11.0% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.9% | 11.4% | 11.4% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.9% | 10.0% | 11.5% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −5.9 pts | −2.0 pts | +0.7 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in West Bethlehem (9.9%), a little below the national share of 11.6%. Bethlehem as a whole looks much the same. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has fallen 5.9 points, 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 West Bethlehem
Renters in West Bethlehem
| Period | West Bethlehem | Bethlehem | Allentown area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.0% | 33.7% | 26.9% | 29.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 47.2% | 37.4% | 29.3% | 30.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 45.7% | 37.4% | 31.2% | 31.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 43.6% | 38.5% | 30.3% | 30.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.6 pts | +4.8 pts | +3.4 pts | +1.7 pts | +1.5 pts |
More than four in ten households in West Bethlehem rent their homes (43.6%), above the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 33.2% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the southeast and least common in the northwest. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 3.6 points, mirroring the country.
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 West Bethlehem
| Period | West Bethlehem | Bethlehem | Allentown area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.5% | 6.2% | 8.0% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.2% | 7.0% | 8.6% | 10.5% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.7% | 7.3% | 8.3% | 10.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.5% | 4.9% | 6.5% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.0 pts | −1.3 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.2 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 5.5% of homes in West Bethlehem are vacant, far below the national rate of 9.6%, which usually means strong demand for housing. Bethlehem as a whole looks much the same. Vacancy is down 2.0 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 West Bethlehem
| Period | West Bethlehem | Bethlehem | Allentown area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1944 | 1963 | 1965 | 1963 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1947 | 1964 | 1967 | 1964 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1948 | 1965 | 1967 | 1965 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1944 | 1967 | 1969 | 1967 | 1980 |
| Change | +0 | +3 | +3 | +4 | +6 |
West Bethlehem is a place of older homes: half were built before 1944, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. The newest homes are mostly in the southeast, 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 West Bethlehem
| Period | West Bethlehem | Bethlehem | Allentown area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $839 | $974 | $928 | $829 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $944 | $1,046 | $1,020 | $923 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,050 | $1,190 | $1,170 | $1,039 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,447 | $1,620 | $1,504 | $1,323 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$608 | +$646 | +$576 | +$494 | +$606 |
The median renter in West Bethlehem pays $1,447 a month for rent and utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $608 a month from 2006–10, a 72% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 30.9% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the south and lowest in the east.
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 West Bethlehem
Bachelor's degrees in West Bethlehem
| Period | West Bethlehem | Bethlehem | Allentown area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.3% | 31.1% | 26.0% | 27.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 24.8% | 29.8% | 26.7% | 28.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 24.8% | 33.8% | 29.5% | 31.8% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 44.2% | 38.9% | 33.3% | 35.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +17.9 pts | +7.8 pts | +7.3 pts | +8.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
More than four in ten adults 25 and older in West Bethlehem (44.2%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, above the national share of 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 17.9 points, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the east and least in the south.
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 West Bethlehem
| Period | West Bethlehem | Bethlehem | Allentown area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.0% | 86.9% | 86.4% | 87.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 87.2% | 88.3% | 88.0% | 88.8% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.3% | 90.6% | 89.7% | 90.3% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 94.8% | 91.6% | 91.4% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +7.8 pts | +4.7 pts | +5.0 pts | +4.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in West Bethlehem: 94.8% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 7.8 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 West Bethlehem
| Period | West Bethlehem | Bethlehem | Allentown area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.6% | 6.6% | 7.3% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.4% | 8.3% | 9.4% | 8.8% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.6% | 4.7% | 5.5% | 5.5% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.4% | 5.8% | 5.5% | 5.4% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.1 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.8 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little harder to find in West Bethlehem than nationally: unemployment was 6.4%, against 5.4%. Unemployment is down 2.1 points from 2006–10, as it has 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).
West Bethlehem 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Bethlehem | 2.24 | 39.2 | 9.9% | 43.6% | 5.5% | 1944 | $1,447 | 44.2% | 94.8% | 6.4% |
| Sayre Park | 2.69 | 27.2 | 12.0% | 65.3% | 5.3% | 1948 | $1,541 | 25.2% | 78.0% | 4.6% |
| South Side | 2.59 | 30.9 | 16.2% | 69.4% | 15.4% | 1949 | $1,268 | 19.9% | 79.0% | 15.0% |
| Rittersville | 2.87 | 39.7 | 19.1% | 49.6% | 7.7% | 1952 | $1,419 | 14.3% | 74.9% | 15.7% |
| Overlook Park | 2.69 | 31.4 | 26.5% | 52.3% | 9.8% | 1975 | $1,389 | 11.2% | 79.7% | 5.2% |
| 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% |
| middletown | 2.56 | 45.7 | 6.5% | 18.6% | 3.0% | 1978 | $1,493 | 31.8% | 93.5% | 4.2% |
| Jordan Heights | 3.40 | 26.6 | 30.8% | 75.5% | 9.1% | 1938 | $1,265 | 11.6% | 66.6% | 13.7% |
| NoTi | 3.22 | 33.7 | 24.8% | 56.6% | 6.6% | 1938 | $1,493 | 8.1% | 69.5% | 14.2% |
| Mountainville | 2.46 | 45.9 | 20.4% | 27.9% | 9.1% | 1967 | $1,554 | 24.2% | 84.6% | 4.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Avalon Highlands, Chicago, IL · Bagley Downs, Vancouver, WA · Bel Air, Los Angeles, CA · Bemiss, Spokane, WA · Rohnerville, Fortuna, CA · Los Angeles Heights-Keystone, San Antonio, TX · Riverside, Jacksonville, FL · Richmond Hill, Augusta, GA · Regent, Madison, WI · Piper Glen Estates, Charlotte, NC
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 West 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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