Allentown, Pennsylvania Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Allentown, PA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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C
Health Below average
-
D
Income Well below average
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Allentown | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 125,955 | 13,004,688 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 6994.3 | 282.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.64% | 0.21% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 31.8 | 41.6 | 37.3 |
| Households | 46,369 | 5,268,760 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Allentown grew by 17.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 125,955 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Allentown is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 26.2% of residents. That is 6.1 points above Pennsylvania as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 32,989 26.2% +6.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 27,984 22.2% +1.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 21,741 17.3% -3.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 16,166 12.8% -6.2 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Pennsylvania, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.3% of the people living in Allentown and men 48.7%.
- Women 51.3% Pennsylvania 50.8%
- Men 48.7% Pennsylvania 49.2%
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Economy
Allentown has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Allentown | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $55,273 | $78,249 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.00% | 4.43% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 9.0% | 5.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Allentown is about 29% lower than in Pennsylvania.
Housing
| Metric | Allentown | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $183,739 | $152,469 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,317 | $1,208 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 43.2% | 69.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Allentown is about 11.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,317 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Allentown spend about 44 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 182 hours, about 7.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Allentown | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.8 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 43.6 | 44.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 182 | 186 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,631 | $5,779 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.0% | 15.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 12,864 | 6,862 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,183 | 1,152 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Allentown is about the same as in Pennsylvania.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Allentown has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Allentown | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.4% | 31.4% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.60 | 2.39 | 2.53 |
Health
Allentown has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Allentown | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.6 | 78.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 22.8% | 15.7% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 23.1% | 20.1% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Allentown, Pennsylvania.
How big is Allentown, Pennsylvania by population?
About 125,955 people live in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in 46,369 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 31.8, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
How densely populated is Allentown, Pennsylvania?
Averaged over its land area, Allentown, Pennsylvania has 6,994 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 81 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Allentown, Pennsylvania?
The median home costs 3.3 times the median household income ($183,739 against $55,273), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,317 a month takes about 29% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Allentown, Pennsylvania?
Unemployment in Allentown, Pennsylvania is 9.0%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How educated are people in Allentown, Pennsylvania?
16.4% of adults in Allentown, Pennsylvania hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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