Living in Allentown, PA
Mid-size city in Pennsylvania
Allentown is a mid-size city in Pennsylvania, home to about 125,000 people, with 977,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, much of daily life is walkable. Life moves at a fast pace, and homes are mostly apartments.
Is Allentown a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Strong healthcare: 12 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
- Dog-friendly: 30 dog parks within 9 mi
- Mild summers: highs around 84°F
- Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $310k and rents for $2,090 a month
👎 Cons
- Cloudier than most places
- Fewer graduates: 19% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
- Higher taxes: about $1,376 state income tax per resident, 1.95% property tax
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Allentown ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Allentown: common questions
What is the cost of living in Allentown?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $310k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $2,090 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are close to the US average (index 100, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Allentown?
Pennsylvania collects about $1,376 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 1.95% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Allentown safe?
Violent crime is close to the national rate (1.0× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in Allentown?
Allentown has cold winters: winter days average around 41°F and summer days around 84°F, with roughly 33″ of snow a year.
Does Allentown get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding and cold waves: 4 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.95 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Allentown?
The nearest major airport is PHL, about 52 mi away.
How Allentown scores
Each bar compares Allentown with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
Places like Allentown
These places have the most similar overall profile across all 23 aspects.
Nearby
See all the best places to live in Pennsylvania.
Is Allentown right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.