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.
