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Allentown

#184 in Best Cities for Young Professionals in America
  • C
    Overall Grade
  • City in Pennsylvania
  • 185 reviews
C
Overall Niche Grade
How are grades calculated?
  1. Public Schools
    C-
  2. Crime & Safety
    C
  3. Housing
    C-
  4. Nightlife
    A
  5. Good for Families
    C
  6. Diversity
    A
  7. Jobs
    C-
  8. Weather
    C+
  9. Cost of Living
    C+
  10. Health & Fitness
    C+
  11. Outdoor Activities
    A-
  12. Commute
    A-
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Allentown is a city in Pennsylvania with a population of 120,128. Allentown is in Lehigh County. Living in Allentown offers residents an urban feel and most residents rent their homes. In Allentown there are a lot of restaurants, coffee shops, and parks. Many families live in Allentown and residents tend to be liberal.
About Allentown...
Population
120,128

Real Estate

Median Home Value
$124,000
National
$184,700
Median Rent
$938
National
$949
Area Feel
Urban
Rent vs. Own
  • Rent
    57%
  • Own
    43%
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Allentown Rankings

Niche rankings are based on rigorous analysis of key statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and millions of reviews.

Crime & Safety

Crime & Safety
C
Based on violent and property crime rates.
Violent Crimes
  • Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
National
  • Assault
    167.2
    282.7
  • Murder
    13.2
    6.1
  • Rape
    57.9
    40.7
  • Robbery
    222.6
    135.5
Property Crimes
  • Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
National
  • Burglary
    524.7
    500.1
  • Theft
    1,954.9
    2,042.8
  • Motor Vehicle Theft
    253.3
    284
Home Security Options for Allentown
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  • 24/7 Whole home protection with no contract
  • CNET Editor’s choice winner 2018

Residents

Diversity
A
Based on ethnic and economic diversity.
Age
  • <10 years
    15%
  • 10-17 years
    11%
  • 18-24 years
    12%
  • 25-34 years
    16%
  • 35-44 years
    12%
  • 45-54 years
    11%
  • 55-64 years
    10%
  • 65+ years
    12%
Education Levels
National
  • Master's degree or higher
    5%
    12%
  • Bachelor's degree
    10%
    19%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    26%
    29%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    37%
    28%
  • Less than high school diploma
    22%
    13%
  • Public Schools
  • Private Schools
  • Colleges

Working in Allentown

Jobs
C-
Based on employment rates, job and business growth, and cost of living.
Median Household Income
$38,522
National
$55,322
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Allentown Reviews

185 reviews
All Categories
I have lived in Center City Allentown for over a year now and I love it! I am a 52yr old white woman who walks around town ( stores,restaurants,show's,sports events etc.) at all hours of the day and night and I've NEVER had one single problem. I look people in the eye, with a smile on my face and say hello to everyone I make eye contact with - and guess what? They all smile and say hello back. I treat everyone the same way that I want to be treated and as a result I've made a lot of new friends and a bunch of friendly acquaintances that I'm on a first name basis with. There is so much going on in Allentown and surrounding areas all the time and such wonderful diversity that I really,truly love living here!
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Allentown gets a bad wrap. Some of it is deserved, but overall it's a decent city. The centrality of the city is what I like the most. About 2 hrs from NYC, 1.5 hrs from Philadelphia, 2 hrs from beaches, 1 hr from the Poconos, this place is a great hub for weekend getaways! Allentown is a relatively safe place, there are the typical hooligans, but not much violence here. The city has done a great job transforming downtown by building up and working with the APD to make it a safer place That being said, Allentown deals with drug issues as well as the notoriously bad public schools. Many parents specifically avoid Allentown school district schools as they are not taken care of and the children are not given the tools and opportunities they need to succeed. The cost of living is on the rise, but cheaper than any of the urban areas nearby. The public transportation is good. While I have a young family the school system worries me, all other aspects of Allentown are acceptable.
I lived in Allentown since 2013. It's a good area where the infrastructures are getting their fare share of repairs. New buildings, restaurants, hospitals and shops are giving the city a nice urban feel. Job wise, well you would be better getting employed at a restaurant or at Amazon than in a healthcare agency. Healthcare facilities are quite "picky" and use "creative ways" when it comes to employment. Make sure that although you might be a physician have at least 10 years of experience in healthcare. Overall in every city there is violence and crime. Allentown city officials are working hard and implementing plans to mitigate the situation. Allentown is a beautiful vibrant city with diversity. If you are friendly and respectful people will be friendly and respectful as well. Lantabus transportation should have more routes and should cut time on the bus schedules but they are awesome.