Allentown is a city located in Lehigh County Pennsylvania. Allentown has a 2024 population of 124,597. It is also the county seat of Lehigh County. Allentown is currently declining at a rate of -0.23% annually and its population has decreased by -0.9% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 125,727 in 2020.
The average household income in Allentown is $66,942 with a poverty rate of 21.4%. The median age in Allentown is 32.4 years: 31.8 years for males, and 33.1 years for females.
In addition to being one of the largest cities, it is also the fastest-growing city in Pennsylvania. The city is continuing to add to its community with recent initiatives including full development of its downtown, which earned it the designation of being a “national success story” by the Urban Land Institute—one of only six cities to be named as such.
Over 14% of Allentown’s residents are foreign-born. The largest ethnic group in the city is Puerto Rican. There are also large populations of Germans, Dominicans, Irish and Italian residents, to name a few.
Nearly 30% of the population is between the ages of 25 and 44, making up the largest age group in the city. Almost one-quarter of residents are under the age of 18, while over 15% are at least 65 years old.
There are more females than males residing here, with 91.8 men for every 100 women. About 18.5% of the population lives below the federal poverty line.
Allentown has an unemployment rate of 10%, exceeding the national average. Despite this, however, the city continues to see its population grow. By the 20th century, the population had increased to over 35,000. In the years ahead, significant growth occurred before slowing down, yet the number of residents continued to rise at a steady rate. Current estimates show that the population is up 2% from the last census, indicating that while growth isn’t as rapid as it was during its earliest years, Allentown is only going to continue to get larger into the future.
The tract of land that the city of Allentown now sprawls over, was once a hunting ground for Native Americans. A group of tribal leaders agreed to sell the land to the sons of William Penn for a long list of goods that included numerous articles of clothing, looking glasses, pipes, and more.
The city was originally incorporated as Northampton Town in 1811. The town was officially renamed "Allentown" on April 16, 1838.
The Liberty Bell was hidden in Allentown during the American Revolutionary war.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Allentown was:
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
|---|---|---|
| White | 59,044 | 47.13% |
| Other race | 22,615 | 18.05% |
| Two or more races | 22,535 | 17.99% |
| Black or African American | 16,812 | 13.42% |
| Asian | 3,528 | 2.82% |
| Native American | 733 | 0.59% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 25 | 0.02% |
White
Other race
Two or more races
Black or African American
Asian
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | 45,553 | 2.63 | 42.3 | 57.7 |
| Non Family | 17,518 | 1.29 | 33.9 | 66.1 |
| Married | 15,294 | 3.34 | 62.2 | 37.8 |
| Female | 9,704 | 3.7 | 27.9 | 72.1 |
| Male | 3,037 | 3.35 | 37.2 | 62.8 |
3.33
Average Family Size
2.63
Average Household Size
42.3%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 9th to 12th Grade | 7,755 | 9.86% |
| Associates Degree | 6,002 | 7.63% |
| Bachelors Degree | 9,872 | 12.55% |
| Graduate Degree | 4,515 | 5.74% |
| High School Graduate | 29,256 | 37.2% |
| Less Than 9th Grade | 6,518 | 8.29% |
| Some College | 14,722 | 18.72% |
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 37,451 | 27,008 | 3,414 |
| White | 29,480 | 26,906 | 8,203 |
| Other Race | 13,490 | 9,129 | 707 |
| 2+ Races | 12,084 | 9,373 | 1,895 |
| Black | 9,378 | 8,085 | 1,243 |
| Asian | 2,256 | 1,837 | 1,004 |
| Native American | 322 | 232 | 29 |
| Islander | 25 | 25 | 0 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among islander people with a rate of 100%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 44.5%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelors Degree | $55,107 | $62,783 | $40,884 |
| Graduate Degree | $68,059 | $67,973 | $68,259 |
| High School Graduate | $33,342 | $36,223 | $28,657 |
| Less Than 9th Grade | $26,769 | $33,469 | $20,510 |
| Overall | $35,865 | $41,407 | $32,511 |
| Some College | $35,190 | $42,083 | $33,066 |
$35,865
Average Earnings
$41,407
Average Male
$32,511
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
53.85% of Allentown residents speak only English, while 46.15% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 40.56% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 67,471 | 17,963 | 26.62% |
| Multiple | 22,341 | 6,263 | 28.03% |
| Other | 22,345 | 5,068 | 22.68% |
| White | 33,443 | 4,081 | 12.2% |
| Black | 16,249 | 3,939 | 24.24% |
| Asian | 3,396 | 465 | 13.69% |
| Native | 711 | 64 | 9% |
21.4%
Overall Poverty Rate
19.66%
Male Poverty Rate
23.08%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Allentown is Multiple, with 28.03% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Allentown is Native, with 9% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 4.18%. Among those working part-time, it was 23.43%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 33.1%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Less Than 9th Grade | 28.36% |
| High School | 19.42% |
| Some College | 11.67% |
| Bachelors or Greater | 7.14% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Male Unemployed | 40.37% |
| Female Unemployed | 35.47% |
| Female Employed | 11.46% |
| Male Employed | 7.08% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| Families | $57,088 | $73,148 |
| Households | $52,449 | $66,942 |
| Married Families | $77,931 | $91,462 |
| Non Families | $39,160 | $51,482 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
34.6%
Overall Marriage Rate
36.1%
Male Marriage Rate
33.3%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 55-64.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
3,497
Number of Veterans
3,159
Male Veterans
338
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
|---|---|
| Vietnam | 1,353 |
| Second Gulf War | 692 |
| First Gulf War | 409 |
| Korea | 272 |
| World War II | 116 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
|---|---|
| 75+ | 1,138 |
| 65 to 74 | 919 |
| 55 to 64 | 569 |
| 18 to 34 | 451 |
| 35 to 54 | 420 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| White | 2,678 | 5.53% |
| Hispanic | 807 | 1.76% |
| 2+ Races | 297 | 1.96% |
| Other Race | 249 | 1.52% |
| Black | 222 | 1.94% |
| Asian | 51 | 1.93% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
9.1%
Veteran Poverty Rate
26.76%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
64.3%
Labor Force Participation
58.4%
Employment Rate
9.2%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
42.28%
Born in Allentown
79.52%
Native Born
20.48%
Foreign Born
10.79%
Non Citizen
9.69%
Naturalized
79.52% of Allentown residents were born in the United States, with 42.28% having been born in Pennsylvania. 10.79% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
Year | Population | Growth | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2029 | 123,186 | -282 | -0.23% |
| 2028 | 123,468 | -282 | -0.23% |
| 2027 | 123,750 | -283 | -0.23% |
| 2026 | 124,033 | -282 | -0.23% |
| 2025 | 124,315 | -282 | -0.23% |
| 2024 | 124,597 | -283 | -0.23% |
| 2023 | 124,880 | -208 | -0.17% |
| 2022 | 125,088 | -724 | -0.58% |
| 2021 | 125,812 | 85 | 0.07% |
| 2020 | 125,727 | 4,321 | 3.56% |
| 2019 | 121,406 | -129 | -0.11% |
| 2018 | 121,535 | 455 | 0.38% |
| 2017 | 121,080 | 670 | 0.56% |
| 2016 | 120,410 | 371 | 0.31% |
| 2015 | 120,039 | 912 | 0.77% |
| 2014 | 119,127 | 349 | 0.29% |
| 2013 | 118,778 | -47 | -0.04% |
| 2012 | 118,825 | 107 | 0.09% |
| 2011 | 118,718 | 678 | 0.57% |
| 2010 | 118,040 | 0 | 0% |
| 2000 | 106,632 | 1,542 | 1.47% |
| 1990 | 105,090 | 1,332 | 1.28% |
| 1980 | 103,758 | -6,113 | -5.56% |
| 1970 | 109,871 | 1,524 | 1.41% |
| 1960 | 108,347 | 1,591 | 1.49% |
| 1950 | 106,756 | 9,852 | 10.17% |
| 1940 | 96,904 | 4,341 | 4.69% |
| 1930 | 92,563 | 19,061 | 25.93% |
| 1920 | 73,502 | 21,589 | 41.59% |
| 1910 | 51,913 | 16,497 | 46.58% |
| 1900 | 35,416 | 10,188 | 40.38% |
| 1890 | 25,228 | 7,165 | 39.67% |
| 1880 | 18,063 | 4,179 | 30.1% |
| 1870 | 13,884 | 5,859 | 73.01% |
| 1860 | 8,025 | 4,246 | 112.36% |
| 1850 | 3,779 | 1,279 | 51.16% |
| 1840 | 2,500 | 1,000 | 66.67% |
| 1830 | 1,500 | -121,686 | -98.78% |