Living in Bethlehem, PA

Explore Bethlehem and see how it fits the life you want to build.

77,956 Population Lehigh & Northampton Counties Counties City Place Type Pennsylvania State
Overall Match7.0 / 10

Baseline match from currently available location scores. Choose priorities to personalize it.

Bethlehem at a Glance

Key facts and current data

Population77,956
Median Household Income$68,879
Median Home Value$260,400
Median Gross Rent$1,382
Median Age36.1
Average Household Size2.3
Unemployment6.6%
Work From Home17.2%
Homeownership49.9%
Housing Vacancy4.0%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year.

Bethlehem is a mid-sized community where local neighborhoods, nearby job centers and regional access can matter as much as citywide averages.

Experience the Area

Experience Life in Bethlehem Before You Move

Explore Short-Term Stays in Bethlehem →Stay options powered by Stay22 · affiliate

NarrowTheList highly recommends you spend a week or two in Bethlehem and experience everyday life before deciding whether it is the right place to call home. Use that time to explore neighborhoods, drive your normal routes, shop where residents shop, and get a feel for the area at different times of day.

NarrowTheList Ratings

Data-driven starter ratings. More categories appear automatically as new datasets are added.

Housing Value3.4 / 5Home values compared with local household income.
Employment3.2 / 5Lower unemployment produces a stronger rating.
Housing Stability3.3 / 5Combines homeownership and housing vacancy.
Remote Work Friendly3.6 / 5Based on the share of residents working from home.
Income Strength4.0 / 5Household income compared on a national scale.

These are location-wide baseline ratings, not your personal match score. Your own priorities can change which factors matter most.

Housing & Cost of Living in Bethlehem

Current housing indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau

Median Home Value$260,400
Median Gross Rent$1,382
Homeownership49.9%
Housing Vacancy4.0%
Housing Value6.8/10
Housing Stability6.6/10

Home values are moderately high relative to local household income, making neighborhood-level price differences important for buyers. Renters make up a substantial share of the local housing market.

Jobs, Income & Remote Work

Employment and household-income context for Bethlehem, PA

Median Household Income$68,879
Unemployment6.6%
Work From Home17.2%
Employment6.4/10
Remote Work Friendly7.2/10
Income Strength8.0/10

The reported unemployment rate is elevated enough to warrant a closer look at current local employment conditions. Working from home is relatively common among employed residents.

Population & Household Profile

Who lives in Bethlehem and how households are structured

Population77,956
Median Age36.1
Average Household Size2.3

Bethlehem is a mid-sized community where neighborhood and nearby-employment patterns can materially affect a relocation decision.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year. NarrowTheList presents these values as relocation context; conditions can vary within a community.

Climate & Weather in Bethlehem

Long-term NOAA climate normals and practical seasonal context

NOAA climate normals for Bethlehem point to hot summers, winters with regular freezing conditions, a wetter annual rainfall pattern and substantial annual snowfall.

Average Summer High86.4°F
Average Winter Low21.8°F
Annual Rainfall47.4 in.
Annual Snowfall33.1 in.

Seasonal Life in Bethlehem

What the long-term climate pattern may mean for everyday living.

Spring

Spring is a good time to see how wetter conditions affect drainage, yards, commuting and the usability of outdoor spaces.

Summer

Summer is warm enough that shade and cooling still matter, but the typical high is below the extreme-heat range seen in many hotter U.S. markets.

Fall

Fall marks a substantial seasonal transition here. It is a useful time to judge how quickly temperatures change and whether that seasonal swing fits the lifestyle you want.

Winter

Freezing winter lows and meaningful snowfall make snow removal, winter driving, heating costs and cold-weather routines important parts of evaluating the area.

Source: NOAA/NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020. Seasonal descriptions are relocation context derived from the available long-term normals, not a forecast.

County Intelligence

Bethlehem & Its Counties

Data Pending Foreclosure Activity

Bethlehem spans Lehigh and Northampton counties.

Living in a community that crosses county lines can make location within Bethlehem especially important. Property taxes, housing characteristics, public services and other county-level factors may vary depending on which part of the community you call home.

Current NarrowTheList data for Bethlehem shows a population of about 77,956. These local figures become more useful when read together with county-level tax, housing, foreclosure and demographic conditions rather than treated as isolated city statistics.

Foreclosure Activity: Data Pending. A county-specific foreclosure signal is not available yet.

For someone comparing homes, county boundaries can matter because taxes, public services, court and recording systems, assessment practices and housing-market conditions are often administered or reported at the county level. NarrowTheList keeps that county relationship attached to the community so future tax, foreclosure, housing and demographic data can be interpreted in the correct geographic context.

County relationship Lehigh County and Northampton County
How NarrowTheList uses it

NarrowTheList connects Bethlehem with all 2 of its counties rather than assigning the community to only one. As additional county data becomes available, those differences can be compared alongside city-level information to help identify which parts of the area may better fit your priorities.

Nearby Cities & Communities

Nearby incorporated cities, towns, villages and other municipalities shown by straight-line distance.

Freemansburg, PA 1.5 miles away Fountain Hill, PA 2.2 miles away Hellertown, PA 3.5 miles away Catasauqua, PA 5.2 miles away North Catasauqua, PA 6.1 miles away Allentown, PA 6.2 miles away Glendon, PA 7.0 miles away Bath, PA 7.2 miles away Coplay, PA 7.4 miles away Northampton, PA 7.6 miles away Wilson, PA 7.7 miles away West Easton, PA 7.8 miles away