Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Housing Market Prices
Bethlehem Home Prices and Rent at a Glance
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
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Median home price 26% below the Pennsylvania median$112,500
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Median rent 14% above the Pennsylvania median$1,382
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Bethlehem | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $112,500 | $152,469 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | -2.4% | 3.7% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $1,382 | $1,208 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 4.8% | 4.4% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Bethlehem is about 26% lower than in Pennsylvania. Rent is about 14% higher than the Pennsylvania average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2024
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024
Home prices and rent are moving in opposite directions in Bethlehem: home prices fell about 2.4% a year while rent rose about 4.8% a year. That is an unusual pattern worth watching.
Median rent in Bethlehem rose about 48.2% between 2015 and 2024, from $932 to $1,382. Over the same span, rent in Pennsylvania rose about 43.9%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 1.6 yearly household incomes in Bethlehem.
Buying the median-priced home in Bethlehem costs roughly 6.8 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in Bethlehem. The price-to-rent ratio in Pennsylvania is about 10.5.
| Metric | Bethlehem | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $112,500 | $152,469 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $69,743 | $78,249 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 1.6 | 1.9 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Bethlehem fell about 33.3%, while median household income rose about 46.9% between 2009 and 2025 — income grew faster than the home price.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Bethlehem | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 47.9% | 63.0% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 48.0% | 27.9% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 4.0% | 9.1% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 12.0 | 17.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2014 | 2009 | 2011 |
Bethlehem has a homeownership rate of 47.9%, lower than the Pennsylvania average of 63.0%. Its housing vacancy rate is 4.0%, compared with 9.1% in Pennsylvania.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Bethlehem | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.30 people | 2.39 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1958 | 1966 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.7 | 6.0 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Bethlehem was built around 1958. On average, 2.3 people live in a home with about 5.7 rooms, staying for about 12.0 years on average.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
What is the median home price in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania?
The median home price in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania is $112,500, lower than the Pennsylvania average of $152,469.
What is the average home price in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania?
The typical home price in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, reported as the median sale price, is $112,500. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania?
The median gross rent in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania is $1,382 per month, higher than the Pennsylvania average of $1,208.
What was the median gross rent in Bethlehem in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania was $1,075 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania?
The price-to-rent ratio in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania is about 6.8, meaning it would take roughly 6.8 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in Bethlehem.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania?
Home prices and rent are moving in opposite directions in Bethlehem: home prices fell about 2.4% a year while rent rose about 4.8% a year. That is an unusual pattern worth watching.
What is the homeownership rate in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania?
47.9% of households in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania own their home, lower than the Pennsylvania average of 63.0%.
What is the vacancy rate in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania?
The housing vacancy rate in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania is 4.0%, lower than the Pennsylvania average of 9.1%.
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