Bethlehem is a city in Northampton and Lehigh counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, Bethlehem had a total population of 75,781, making it the second-largest city in the Lehigh Valley after Allentown and the seventh-largest city in the state. Among its total population as of 2020, 55,639 were in Northampton County and 19,343 were in Lehigh County. The city is located along the Lehigh River, a 109-mile-long (175 km) tributary of the Delaware River. Bethlehem lies in the geographic center of the Lehigh Valley, a metropolitan region of 731 sq mi (1,890 km2) with a population of 861,899 people as of the 2020 census that is Pennsylvani…

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

How Bethlehem ranks

All →

#74Closest to a top hospital in PA #231Most walkable in PA #241Shortest commute in PA All PA rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code18015, 18016, 18017

Area code610

Living in Bethlehem

Housing in Bethlehem

$298K Median sale price · Redfin, May 2026

The median sale price was $298,000 in May 2026.

A strong seller's market

Buyer’sBalancedSeller’s

Days on market10

Sale-to-list101.4%

Sold in May46

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Bethlehem

B⁻

Safety Grade B-

Bethlehem reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 55% report less.

Violent crime per 1,000

Bethlehem 1.9

Pennsylvania 2.3

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Bethlehem 12.3

Pennsylvania 13.6

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Work & commute in Bethlehem

Full picture →

About one in 5 of Bethlehem’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Allentown (8%), Upper Macungie (4%) and Bethlehem (4%). Half commute less than 8 miles.

Allentown

Upper Macungie

Bethlehem

Hanover

20%Work in townlive and work in Bethlehem 8 miWhere do people commute?the commute map 39,738Jobs based herebalanced

Census LEHD 2023 · ACSWork & commute in Bethlehem →

Health in Bethlehem

Compared with Pennsylvania

1worse than PA

of 5 measures CDC estimates. The other 4 are too close to call.

Conditions all close Habits all close Care 1▼ 2 close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

59.4%Fewer adults seeing a dentistPA 64.4% · worse

Care nearby

St. Lukes HospitalBethlehem · 1.7 mi · ER

Neighborhood Health Centers of the Lehigh Valley- Broad St. Dental & PharmacyBethlehem · 0.4 mi · sliding-scale fees

2 health centers in Bethlehem →

Primary careNo shortage

DentalShortage · part of Bethlehem

Mental healthNo shortage

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Bethlehem · CMS · HRSAHealth in Bethlehem →

Natural hazards in Bethlehem

Moderate

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 51% of U.S. communities.

🌊 Inland flooding🥶 Cold waves🌡️ Heat waves

166Does Bethlehem flood?paid flood claims since 1978 6Disasters that paid out herefederal disasters sent FEMA money to Bethlehem MapBethlehem vs. its neighborsnearby towns shaded by rating

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025 · OpenFEMANatural hazards in Bethlehem →

Climate in Bethlehem

Full climate →

Bethlehem has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 33 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

41° / 22°Winter

62° / 39°Spring

84° / 61°Summer

65° / 43°Fall

How much snow does Bethlehem get?About 33 inches a winter.Rain & snow →When is the first frost?Around Oct 24, with the last in spring around Apr 20.Frost dates →Is it warmer than it used to be?+2.2° vs. the 20th century.Then & now →

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Climate in Bethlehem →

Schools in Bethlehem

All Bethlehem schools →

C⁺

School Grade C+

The public schools Bethlehem’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 61% of Pennsylvania’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.

See how Bethlehem’s schools compare in PA →

DistrictBethlehem Area SDSchools29

Spring Garden El Sch A-Elementary · Grades K–5 · 532 students Donegan El Sch C-Elementary · Grades PK–5 · 467 students Lehigh Valley Dual Language CS DElementary · Grades K–8 · 457 students Governor Wolf El Sch AElementary · Grades K–5 · 432 students Clearview El Sch BElementary · Grades K–5 · 384 students Lincoln El Sch B+Elementary · Grades K–5 · 355 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within PA. Ratings are from neighbors.