Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Pennsylvania ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety

B−BethlehemSafer than 45% of U.S. towns –HellertownNot graded

Schools

C+BethlehemBetter than 39% of districts in the state –HellertownNot graded

Health

C+BethlehemHealthier than 42% of U.S. towns BHellertownHealthier than 58% of U.S. towns

5Bethlehem

14Hellertown

Lists won, of 20 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Fewest uninsuredHealth · 1058 towns #1020#381 Most activeHealth · 1058 towns #810#443 Highest graduation rateSchools · 1036 towns #832#476 Shortest commuteGetting around · 1058 towns #241#540 Most conserved landOutdoors · 1055 towns #663#369 HealthiestHealth · 1058 towns #759#520 Lowest obesityHealth · 1058 towns #485#262 Fastest growingGrowth · 1058 towns #538#356

Left end = #1 in Pennsylvania. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Bethlehem’s rankings →

Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Bethlehem$2,390/mo

Typical home $362K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.64% · or rent about $1,382/mo · Housing →

Hellertown$2,520/mo

Typical home $380K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.65% · or rent about $1,372/mo · Housing →

The difference: $130 a month, about $1,500 a year, between Hellertown and Bethlehem.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

BethlehemHellertown

Snow a year33″33″

January low22°F 22°F

July high86°F 86°F

Growing season (days)184d 184d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)51st 33rd

Outdoors & history

BethlehemHellertown

Trails18 mi 2 mi

Conserved land5.2%12.2%

Settled1741 1742

National Register places23 2

Archive photos24 6

Famous people born here88 9

Community

BethlehemHellertown

Library hours a week55 hrs 44 hrs

Colleges in town2 —

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs Pennsylvania average

BethlehemHellertown

People

Population 77,956Highest 6,118Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +1.1%Lowest PA: +2.4% +4%Highest PA: +2.4%

Median age 36.1±1.1Lowest 12% below PA 41.5±2Highest about the PA average

Kids under 18 17.2%±1.2Lowest PA: 20.4% 20.3%±3.7Highest PA: 20.4%

Hellertown and Bethlehem are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 18.9%±1.1Lowest PA: 19.5% 23.8%±3.8Highest PA: 19.5%

Hellertown and Bethlehem are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 36%Highest PA: 35.2% 30.8%Lowest PA: 35.2%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 13.6%±1Highest PA: 6.1% 5.4%±3Lowest PA: 6.1%

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $68,879±$4kLowest 12% below PA $72,813±$11kHighest 7% below PA

Hellertown and Bethlehem are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $260,400±$7kHighest about the PA average $256,200±$19kLowest about the PA average

Bethlehem and Hellertown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,382±$43Highest 14% above PA $1,372±$131Lowest 13% above PA

Bethlehem and Hellertown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $4,268Highest 29% above PA $4,235Lowest 28% above PA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 52.5%±4.8Lowest PA: 48.2% 59.3%±18.3Highest PA: 48.2%

Hellertown and Bethlehem are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 15.7%Highest PA: 11.7% 4.8%Lowest PA: 11.7%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 49.9%Lowest PA: 69.3% 66.7%Highest PA: 69.3%

Typical home builtmedian year 1957Highest 8 yrs older than PA 1952Lowest 13 yrs older than PA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 22 minLowest 16% below PA 26 minHighest about the PA average

Work from home 17.2%±2Lowest PA: 15.6% 18.8%±5.8Highest PA: 15.6%

Hellertown and Bethlehem are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 19.8%Highest 9.2%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 8.3 miLowest 9.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.20Highest 0.62Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Allentown (8%)Bethlehem (12%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Hellertown12% work in Bethlehem

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 5.2%Lowest 12.2%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 17.8 miHighest 1.8 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.9 miLowest 1.4 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 39Highest 5Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 90.8Lowest 166Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #598 of 765 in PA—

School district Lehigh Valley Dual Language CS · Bethlehem Area SD—

High school in town Liberty HS—

Students per teacherat that high school 16.0 —

Pennsylvania average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Bethlehem neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Bethlehem’s Town Square.

Hellertown neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Hellertown’s Town Square.

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Bordering Bethlehem

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Hanover Township11,701 people · $426K homes

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Lower Saucon Township11,089 people · $396K homes

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Hanover Township1,866 people · $151K homes

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Bethlehem Township26,237 people · $377K homes

Towns like Bethlehem

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Upper Darby Township85,486 people · $219K homes

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Lancaster57,719 people · $220K homes

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Scranton76,033 people · $158K homes

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Bensalem Township62,818 people · $364K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Bethlehem vs Hellertown

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

Bethlehem and Hellertown share a border

Hellertown places higher on 14 of 20 PA lists

A typical home costs about the same each month

What daily life feels like in each

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Bethlehem and Hellertown

Bordering Bethlehem

Towns like Bethlehem

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