Allentown, Pennsylvania Population 2023

125,890

Allentown is a city located in Lehigh County Pennsylvania. Allentown has a 2023 population of 125,890. It is also the county seat of Lehigh County.Allentown is currently declining at a rate of -0.02% annually and its population has decreased by -0.06% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 125,971 in 2020.

The average household income in Allentown is $61,780 with a poverty rate of 23.29%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Allentown is 31.9 years, 31.2 years for males, and 32.5 years for females.

In addition to being one of the largest cities, it is also the fastest-growing city in Pennsylvania. The city is continuing to add to its community with recent initiatives including full development of its downtown, which earned it the designation of being a “national success story” by the Urban Land Institute—one of only six cities to be named as such.

Allentown Diversity, Age, and Gender Statistics

Over 14% of Allentown’s residents are foreign-born. The largest ethnic group in the city is Puerto Rican. There are also large populations of Germans, Dominicans, Irish and Italian residents, to name a few.

Nearly 30% of the population is between the ages of 25 and 44, making up the largest age group in the city. Almost one-quarter of residents are under the age of 18, while over 15% are at least 65 years old.

There are more females than males residing here, with 91.8 men for every 100 women. About 18.5% of the population lives below the federal poverty line.

Population Growth in Allentown

Allentown has an unemployment rate of 10%, exceeding the national average. Despite this, however, the city continues to see its population grow. By the 20th century, the population had increased to over 35,000. In the years ahead, significant growth occurred before slowing down, yet the number of residents continued to rise at a steady rate. Current estimates show that the population is up 2% from the last census, indicating that while growth isn’t as rapid as it was during its earliest years, Allentown is only going to continue to get larger into the future.

The tract of land that the city of Allentown now sprawls over, was once a hunting ground for Native Americans. A group of tribal leaders agreed to sell the land to the sons of William Penn for a long list of goods that included numerous articles of clothing, looking glasses, pipes, and more.

The city was originally incorporated as Northampton Town in 1811. The town was officially renamed "Allentown" on April 16, 1838.

The Liberty Bell was hidden in Allentown during the American Revolutionary war.

Allentown Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Allentown was:

  • White: 53%
  • Other race: 14.62%
  • Two or more races: 14.31%
  • Black or African American: 14.15%
  • Asian: 3.07%
  • Native American: 0.84%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.02%
Land Area (mi²)
17.5 sq mi
Density (mi²)
7,174.0/sq mi
Growth Rate
-0.02% (-27)
Growth Since 2020
-0.06% (-81)
The current population of Allentown, Pennsylvania is 125,890 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates.The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 125,971.

Allentown, Pennsylvania Population 2023

Population by Race

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White

Other race

Two or more races

Black or African American

Asian

Native American

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Allentown Population by Race

Allentown Population Pyramid 2023

Allentown Median Age

31.9

Total

31.2

Male

32.5

Female

Allentown Adults

There are 93,046 adults, (15,315 of whom are seniors) in Allentown.

Allentown Age Dependency

61.1

Age Dependency Ratio

19.7

Old Age Dependency Ratio

41.4

Child Dependency Ratio

Allentown Sex Ratio

Female64,10351.18%
Male61,14748.82%

Allentown Population by Age

Allentown Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

3.35

Average Family Size

2.65

Average Household Size

41.5%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

Allentown Households and Families

Male

Female

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Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

Allentown Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Allentown Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

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The highest rate of high school graduation is among islander people with a rate of 100%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 35.48%.

Allentown Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

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$33,054

Average Earnings

$37,712

Average Male

$29,518

Average Female

Allentown Earnings by Educational Attainment

Allentown Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

Allentown Language

52.49% of Allentown residents speak only English, while 47.51% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 41.22% of the population.

Allentown Language

Allentown Poverty by Race

rate

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23.29%

Overall Poverty Rate

21.59%

Male Poverty Rate

24.93%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Allentown

The race most likely to be in poverty in Allentown is Hispanic, with 41.31% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Allentown is White, with 12.96% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 4.23%. Among those working part-time, it was 24.58%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 35.45%.

Allentown Poverty

rate

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Allentown Poverty Rate by Education

rate

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Allentown Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Allentown Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

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mean

median

Income by Household Type

Allentown Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

34.6%

Overall Marriage Rate

36.3%

Male Marriage Rate

33.1%

Female Marriage Rate

Allentown Married by Age and Sex

male

female

Allentown Marriage

The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 55-64.

Allentown Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Allentown Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

3,376

Number of Veterans

3,100

Male Veterans

276

Female Veterans

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Allentown Veterans by War

count

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Allentown Veterans by Age

count

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Allentown Veterans by Race

Allentown Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

6.35%

Veteran Poverty Rate

29.71%

Veteran Disability Rate

Allentown Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

63.3%

Labor Force Participation

57.2%

Employment Rate

9.6%

Unemployment Rate

Allentown Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

Allentown Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

Allentown Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

41.58%

Born in Allentown

79.13%

Native Born

20.32%

Foreign Born

10.97%

Non Citizen

9.35%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

79.13% of Allentown residents were born in the United States, with 41.58% having been born in Pennsylvania. 10.97% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.

Allentown Place of Birth

Note: data after 2021 is projected based on recent change

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Allentown Population by Year