Living in Bethlehem, NY
College town in New York
Bethlehem is a college town in New York, home to about 35,000 people, with 545,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, most trips are by car. Life moves at a slow, calm pace, and homes are mostly houses.
Is Bethlehem a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Mild summers: highs around 78°F
- Safe: violent crime is 0.2× the US rate (FBI 2019)
- Dog-friendly: 11 dog parks within 9 mi
- Low natural disaster risk: 7 federally declared disasters since 2000
👎 Cons
- Cloudier than most places
- Higher taxes: about $3,080 state income tax per resident, 2.26% property tax
- Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
- Smaller job market: about 545,000 people live within 31 mi
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Bethlehem ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Bethlehem: common questions
What is the cost of living in Bethlehem?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $404k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $2,040 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 Bethlehem?
New York collects about $3,080 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 2.26% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Bethlehem safe?
Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.2× in FBI 2019 data).
How are the schools in Bethlehem?
Public schools in Bethlehem test well above the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 15 students per teacher.
What is the weather like in Bethlehem?
Bethlehem has long, snowy winters: winter days average around 34°F and summer days around 78°F, with roughly 56″ of snow a year.
Does Bethlehem get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding and tornadoes: 7 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.29 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Bethlehem?
The nearest major airport is ALB, about 11 mi away.
How Bethlehem scores
Each bar compares Bethlehem with the other 1,990 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 Bethlehem
These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.
The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).
Nearby
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Is Bethlehem right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.