Bethlehem is a city located in Lehigh County Pennsylvania. Bethlehem has a 2024 population of 79,167. Bethlehem is currently growing at a rate of 1.11% annually and its population has increased by 4.58% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 75,699 in 2020.
The average household income in Bethlehem is $89,931 with a poverty rate of 18.28%. The median age in Bethlehem is 35.9 years: 33.6 years for males, and 38.3 years for females.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Bethlehem was:
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
|---|---|---|
| White | 50,180 | 65.55% |
| Two or more races | 8,689 | 11.35% |
| Other race | 7,999 | 10.45% |
| Black or African American | 7,034 | 9.19% |
| Asian | 2,481 | 3.24% |
| Native American | 154 | 0.2% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 18 | 0.02% |
White
Two or more races
Other race
Black or African American
Asian
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | 30,162 | 2.33 | 50.8 | 49.2 |
| Non Family | 13,364 | 1.39 | 38.9 | 61.1 |
| Married | 10,335 | 2.95 | 76.5 | 23.5 |
| Female | 4,939 | 3.27 | 28.2 | 71.8 |
| Male | 1,524 | 3.25 | 53.3 | 46.7 |
2.96
Average Family Size
2.33
Average Household Size
50.8%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 9th to 12th Grade | 3,587 | 7.12% |
| Associates Degree | 4,206 | 8.35% |
| Bachelors Degree | 10,234 | 20.32% |
| Graduate Degree | 6,810 | 13.52% |
| High School Graduate | 15,183 | 30.14% |
| Less Than 9th Grade | 1,754 | 3.48% |
| Some College | 8,593 | 17.06% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 31,366 | 29,590 | 12,981 |
| Hispanic | 12,623 | 9,695 | 1,855 |
| Other Race | 4,595 | 3,538 | 590 |
| 2+ Races | 4,260 | 3,504 | 1,120 |
| Black | 4,054 | 3,530 | 877 |
| Asian | 1,174 | 1,134 | 772 |
| Native American | 129 | 120 | 18 |
| Islander | 18 | 11 | 0 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among asian people with a rate of 96.59%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 65.76%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelors Degree | $54,641 | $60,901 | $45,595 |
| Graduate Degree | $65,586 | $59,922 | $68,140 |
| High School Graduate | $38,653 | $45,560 | $32,942 |
| Less Than 9th Grade | $31,479 | $39,750 | $21,576 |
| Overall | $45,256 | $51,996 | $39,323 |
| Some College | $44,985 | $51,875 | $38,589 |
$45,256
Average Earnings
$51,996
Average Male
$39,323
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
75.04% of Bethlehem residents speak only English, while 24.96% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 18.92% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 22,587 | 6,352 | 28.12% |
| White | 37,858 | 3,974 | 10.5% |
| Other | 7,727 | 2,093 | 27.09% |
| Black | 6,419 | 1,923 | 29.96% |
| Multiple | 8,396 | 1,905 | 22.69% |
| Asian | 1,972 | 420 | 21.3% |
| Islander | 11 | 10 | 90.91% |
18.28%
Overall Poverty Rate
18.31%
Male Poverty Rate
18.26%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Bethlehem is Islander, with 90.91% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Bethlehem is White, with 10.5% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 4.07%. Among those working part-time, it was 21.02%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 27.01%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Less Than 9th Grade | 30.24% |
| Some College | 15.24% |
| High School | 14.72% |
| Bachelors or Greater | 4.45% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Male Unemployed | 32.67% |
| Female Unemployed | 22.73% |
| Female Employed | 8.57% |
| Male Employed | 7.49% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| Families | $76,937 | $106,701 |
| Households | $62,072 | $89,931 |
| Married Families | $99,326 | $134,613 |
| Non Families | $41,746 | $64,459 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
34.3%
Overall Marriage Rate
36.5%
Male Marriage Rate
32.2%
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
3,356
Number of Veterans
3,106
Male Veterans
250
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
|---|---|
| Vietnam | 1,152 |
| Second Gulf War | 512 |
| First Gulf War | 443 |
| Korea | 393 |
| World War II | 71 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
|---|---|
| 75+ | 1,288 |
| 65 to 74 | 689 |
| 35 to 54 | 604 |
| 55 to 64 | 477 |
| 18 to 34 | 298 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| White | 2,879 | 6.59% |
| Hispanic | 364 | 2.29% |
| Black | 181 | 3.32% |
| 2+ Races | 111 | 1.83% |
| Other Race | 98 | 1.76% |
| Asian | 69 | 3.05% |
| Native American | 18 | 13.85% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
10.96%
Veteran Poverty Rate
26.11%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
59.4%
Labor Force Participation
56.1%
Employment Rate
5.6%
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
52.5%
Born in Bethlehem
89.25%
Native Born
10.75%
Foreign Born
5.38%
Non Citizen
5.38%
Naturalized
89.25% of Bethlehem residents were born in the United States, with 52.5% having been born in Pennsylvania. 5.38% 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 | 83,502 | 867 | 1.05% |
| 2028 | 82,635 | 867 | 1.06% |
| 2027 | 81,768 | 867 | 1.07% |
| 2026 | 80,901 | 867 | 1.08% |
| 2025 | 80,034 | 867 | 1.1% |
| 2024 | 79,167 | 867 | 1.11% |
| 2023 | 78,300 | 614 | 0.79% |
| 2022 | 77,686 | -249 | -0.32% |
| 2021 | 77,935 | 2,236 | 2.95% |
| 2020 | 75,699 | 129 | 0.17% |
| 2019 | 75,570 | -252 | -0.33% |
| 2018 | 75,822 | 192 | 0.25% |
| 2017 | 75,630 | 293 | 0.39% |
| 2016 | 75,337 | 334 | 0.45% |
| 2015 | 75,003 | 11 | 0.01% |
| 2014 | 74,992 | 118 | 0.16% |
| 2013 | 74,874 | -178 | -0.24% |
| 2012 | 75,052 | -12 | -0.02% |
| 2011 | 75,064 | 90 | 0.12% |
| 2010 | 74,974 | 0 | 0% |
| 2000 | 71,329 | -99 | -0.14% |
| 1990 | 71,428 | 1,009 | 1.43% |
| 1980 | 70,419 | -2,267 | -3.12% |
| 1970 | 72,686 | -2,722 | -3.61% |
| 1960 | 75,408 | 9,068 | 13.67% |
| 1950 | 66,340 | 7,850 | 13.42% |
| 1940 | 58,490 | 598 | 1.03% |
| 1930 | 57,892 | 7,534 | 14.96% |
| 1920 | 50,358 | 37,521 | 292.29% |
| 1910 | 12,837 | 5,544 | 76.02% |
| 1900 | 7,293 | 531 | 7.85% |
| 1890 | 6,762 | 1,569 | 30.21% |
| 1880 | 5,193 | 681 | 15.09% |
| 1870 | 4,512 | 1,646 | 57.43% |
| 1860 | 2,866 | -80,636 | -96.57% |