Bethlehem, PA

City in PA, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

77,956

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

36.1

years ∙ half population younger than 36.1, half older

Diversity Index

59.4%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

10%

foreign-born population

90%Native

10% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Bethlehem is a city within Lehigh and Northampton counties, Pennsylvania, United States.

Location

City in PA, US

Co-ordinates

DEC40.626424° N, 75.367898° W

DMS40° 37′ 35.13″ N, 75° 22′ 04.43″ W

Population Density & area

4,081/sq mi (1,575/km²)

Total Area

19.4 sq mi (50.4 km²)

Land Area

19.1 sq mi (49.5 km²) · 98.2%

Water Area

0.3 sq mi (0.9 km²) · 1.8%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

48.3% male

Male 48.3%

Female 51.7%

males per 100 females

Bethlehem 93.4

Pennsylvania 97.2

United States 98

Nativity

10%

foreign-born population

90%Native

10% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Bethlehem 10%

Pennsylvania 7.7%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

36.1

years ∙ half population younger than 36.1, half older

Bethlehem

36.1

Pennsylvania

40.9

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

56.4

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Bethlehem 56.4

Pennsylvania 66.4

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Bethlehem	Pennsylvania	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	17.2%	20.4%	22%
Working age (18-64)	63.9%	60.1%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	18.9%	19.5%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	56.4	66.4	64.4
Child dependency ratio	26.9	34	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	29.6	32.4	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

56.1%

Black

8.2%

Asian

2.8%

Hispanic

28.7%

Other

4.2%

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

59.4%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Bethlehem 59.4%

Pennsylvania 44.6%

United States 61.4%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Bethlehem population

	Bethlehem	Pennsylvania	United States
Hispanic or Latino	28.7%	8.7%	19.3%
Mexican	1.3%	1.4%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	19.2%	3.7%	1.8%
Cuban	0.1%	0.2%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	8.1%	3.4%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	71.3%	91.3%	80.7%
One race	67.7%	87.7%	76.4%
White	56.1%	73%	57.4%
Black or African American	8.2%	10.3%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0%	0.1%	0.5%
Asian	2.8%	3.8%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0.5%	0.5%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	3.6%	3.6%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

56.3% family

Family 56.3%

Non family 43.7%

% family households

Bethlehem 56.3%

Pennsylvania 62.4%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.3

persons per household

Bethlehem

2.3

Pennsylvania

2.39

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Bethlehem population

	Bethlehem	Pennsylvania	United States
Total households	31,052	5,274,853	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.3	2.39	2.53
Family households	17,497	3,291,192	82,990,528
Average family size	2.92	3.01	3.14
Married couple family	10,915	2,437,812	60,637,388
Other families	6,582	853,380	22,353,140
Male householder	1,530	246,246	6,572,819
Female householder	5,052	607,134	15,780,321
Non-family households	13,555	1,983,661	46,236,968
One-person households	10,843	1,629,974	37,140,836
Male householder	4,440	733,485	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	1,474	246,162	5,225,110
Female householder	6,403	896,489	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	3,356	477,851	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	2,712	353,687	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

32,348

housing units

Bethlehem 32,348

Pennsylvania 5,806,452

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

96% occupied

Occupied 96%

Vacant 4%

vacancy rate

Bethlehem 4%

Pennsylvania 9.2%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

63.9%

Single family houses

63.9%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

35.8%

Mobile homes

0.3%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1957

Half of houses were built before 1957, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

31.3%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

35.4%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

25.2%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Bethlehem	Pennsylvania	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.7	6	5.5
1–3 rooms	19.2%	11.7%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	46.2%	47.7%	51.6%
7+ rooms	34.5%	40.7%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	3.2%	2.3%	2.9%
1 bedroom	17.4%	10.4%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	23.5%	22.5%	25%
3 bedrooms	36.2%	42.3%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	19.6%	22.6%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1957	1966	1981
Total housing units	32,348	5,806,452	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

49.9% owners

Renter-occupied 50.1%

Owner-occupied 49.9%

homeownership rate

Bethlehem 49.9%

Pennsylvania 69.3%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.41

Owner-occupied

2.19

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Bethlehem 2.41

Pennsylvania 2.53

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Bethlehem	Pennsylvania	United States
Total occupied units	31,052	5,274,853	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	25.9%	20.2%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	41%	36.1%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	14.4%	17.5%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	18.8%	26.2%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	98.7%	98.4%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	0.6%	1%	2.2%
1.51 or more	0.7%	0.6%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	10.7%	10.4%	8.4%
1 vehicle	43.1%	35.1%	33.1%
2 vehicles	34%	35.9%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	12.2%	18.6%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	47.1%	56.4%	51.4%
Electricity	37.2%	25.3%	41.3%
Solar	0%	0.1%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	14.4%	14%	3.9%
All other fuels	0.7%	3.7%	2%
No fuel used	0.5%	0.5%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.4%	0.4%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0.8%	0.8%	0.8%
No telephone service available	0.5%	0.9%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$260,400

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Bethlehem

$260,400

Pennsylvania

$254,500

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

23.1%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

23.1%

Owners without a mortgage

14.9%

Renters

52.5%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Bethlehem	Pennsylvania	United States
Property value
Median Value	$260,400	$254,500	$332,700
Under $100,000	4.4%	13.9%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	21.5%	22.4%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	38.6%	22.9%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	27.1%	25.9%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	7.3%	12.8%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	1%	2.1%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	58.6%	58%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	41.4%	42%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,721	$1,762	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$693	$644	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$1,382	$1,209	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

36%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Bethlehem 36%

Pennsylvania 35.2%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

9.3%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Bethlehem 9.3%

Pennsylvania 7.9%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

21,534

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

3.3%

K–12

47.6%

College / Undergraduate

39.4%

Graduate / Professional

9.7%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

64.2%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Bethlehem

64.2%

Pennsylvania

44%

United States

40.9%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Bethlehem	Pennsylvania	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	21,534	2,913,513	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	3.3%	5.7%	5.7%
K–12	47.6%	66.9%	67.6%
Kindergarten	3.2%	4.8%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	12.7%	19.7%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	16.1%	20.7%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	15.6%	21.7%	21.7%
College or graduate school	49.1%	27.4%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	39.4%	21.2%	21%
Graduate, professional school	9.7%	6.2%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	64.2%	44%	40.9%
School type
Public school	59%	75.3%	82%
Private school	41%	24.7%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

51,880

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

3.1%

9th-12th, no diploma

6.2%

HS graduate

28%

Some college no degree

17.2%

Associates degree

9.5%

Bachelors degree

21.2%

Graduate or professional degree

14.8%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

41.2% · 58.8%

9th-12th, no diploma

50.9% · 49.1%

HS graduate

49.6% · 50.4%

Some college no degree

47.4% · 52.6%

Associates degree

40.7% · 59.3%

Bachelors degree

48.9% · 51.1%

Graduate or professional degree

44.5% · 55.5%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Bethlehem	Pennsylvania	United States
Population (25+)	51,880	9,189,697	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	3.1%	2.9%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	6.2%	5%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	28%	32.9%	26%
Some college, no degree	17.2%	15.1%	19.1%
Associate's degree	9.5%	8.9%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	36%	35.2%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	21.2%	20.9%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	14.8%	14.3%	14.1%
High School or higher	90.7%	92.1%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$49,276

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$26,023

HS graduate

$42,362

Some college or associates

$48,483

Bachelors degree

$59,561

Graduate or professional degree

$66,032

Poverty Rate

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

31.8%

HS graduate

15.9%

Some college or associates

10.7%

Bachelors degree or higher

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Bethlehem	Pennsylvania	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$49,276	$53,549	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$26,023	$33,591	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$42,362	$40,643	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$48,483	$47,736	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$59,561	$69,335	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$66,032	$87,132	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	31.8%	25.2%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	15.9%	13.3%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	10.7%	9.1%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	4%	4.1%	4.5%

Insights for Bethlehem, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

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