HomePennsylvaniaLehigh County
Lehigh County, Pennsylvania: commercial real estate data.
Lehigh County, Pennsylvania had an estimated 385,655 residents on July 1, 2024, up 3.0 percent since the 2020 census base of 374,552, across 345 square miles. County output reached $31.74 bn in 2024, 8,681 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 350 7(a) approvals worth $151.5 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Lehigh County
How many people live in Lehigh County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024378,792
- Households144,386
- Average household size2.62
- Median household income$80,079
- Median age39.6
- Median gross rent$1,383 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$300,400
- Home value to household income3.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income20.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher34.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree13.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over260,701
- Population under 1884,498
- Share under 1822.3 percent
- Population 65 and over67,008
- Share 65 and over17.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64227,286
- Civilian labor force197,194
- Unemployment rate5.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over67.0 percent
- Rank by population among Pennsylvania counties10th of 67
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included196th of 3,222
Lehigh County is the 10th largest of 67 Pennsylvania counties by population. A median home costs 3.8 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.3 percent against 17.7 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Lehigh County
Is Lehigh County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 2024385,655
- Census 2020 base population374,552
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.96 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 20244,783
- Births, 20243,802
- Deaths, 20243,568
- Natural change, 2024234
- Net domestic migration, 2024-564
- Net international migration, 20245,104
- Total net migration, 20244,540
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-2,152
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents882nd of 3,144
The county has grown 2.96 percent since the 2020 census base. The population grew in 2024 from both sources: births exceeded deaths and more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Lehigh County
Where are people moving to Lehigh County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving9,813
- People arriving, from those returns16,501
- Tax returns filed by households leaving10,155
- Net household movement-342
- Adjusted gross income arriving$606.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-122.0 m
- Average income of an arriving household$61,849
- Average income of a leaving household$71,777
- Largest single originNorthampton County (2,549 households)
- Largest single destinationNorthampton County (2,684 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northampton County | 2,549 | 4,183 | $139.7 m |
| Bronx County | 456 | 868 | $15.9 m |
| Berks County | 446 | 682 | $28.4 m |
| Montgomery County | 372 | 578 | $28.9 m |
| Bucks County | 360 | 611 | $26.2 m |
| Kings County | 308 | 639 | $15.2 m |
| Queens County | 270 | 497 | $12.4 m |
| Philadelphia County | 238 | 357 | $15.7 m |
Households arriving report $9,928 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Northampton County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Lehigh County
What is the Lehigh County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$31.74 bn
- County GDP, 2023$30.41 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.4 percent
- GDP change over five years29.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Pennsylvania areas BEA publishes8th of 67
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes186th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$83,789
Output grew 4.4 percent in the latest year and 29.9 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Lehigh County
Employment by industry in Lehigh County
- Covered employment, annual average200,548
- Establishments reporting8,954
- Average annual pay$70,311
- Average weekly wage$1,352
- Health care and social assistance, employment50,249
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$76,972
- Manufacturing, employment20,118
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$82,231
- Retail trade, employment18,500
- Retail trade, average annual pay$35,685
- Transportation and warehousing, employment16,477
- Transportation and warehousing, average annual pay$63,865
- Accommodation and food services, employment12,934
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment12,643
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 50,249 | 1,288 | $76,972 |
| Manufacturing | 20,118 | 379 | $82,231 |
| Retail trade | 18,500 | 1,105 | $35,685 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 16,477 | 424 | $63,865 |
| Accommodation and food services | 12,934 | 794 | $25,050 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 12,643 | 483 | $53,545 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 9,798 | 918 | $98,616 |
| Construction | 6,664 | 667 | $79,633 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 50,249 jobs, 25.1 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Lehigh County
How many businesses are in Lehigh County?
- Establishments, all industries8,681
- Employment at those establishments201,146
- Annual payroll$12.78 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents22.9
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Lehigh County
Building permits in Lehigh County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20241,062
- Declared construction value permitted$245.9 m
- Single family units authorized541
- Multifamily units authorized521
- Multifamily share of units49.1 percent
- Average declared value per unit$231,569
- Units authorized per 1,000 households7.4
Multifamily is 49.1 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Lehigh County
SBA loans in Lehigh County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded350
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$151.5 m
- Average 7(a) approval$432,821
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$20,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,135,650
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)2,703
- Jobs per approval7.7
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active62
- Distinct industries receiving approvals150
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer16.6 percent
- Loans on real estate terms58
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter270
- Franchise loans46
- Franchise share of approvals13.1 percent
- Leading industry by approval countGeneral Freight Trucking, Local (18)
- Most active lenderTD Bank, National Association (77)
- 504 approvals recorded53
- 504 gross approval dollars$54.7 m
- Average 504 approval$1,031,811
- Median 504 approval$657,000
- Distinct CDCs active8
- 504 jobs per approval12.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.6
- Most active CDCSouth Eastern Economic Development Company of Pennsylvania (24)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$206.2 m
The average approval of $432,821 sits well above the median of $150,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 16.6 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Lehigh County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Lehigh County
Do SBA loans in Lehigh County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded53
- Paid in full43
- Charged off10
- Charge-off rate on resolved loans18.9 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure219
- Status: Cancelled52
- Status: Paid in full43
- Status: Charged off10
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed26
Of the 53 loans that have reached a final outcome, 18.9 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Lehigh County
SBA lending by place in Lehigh County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending23
- Allentown, approvals198
- Whitehall, approvals39
- Emmaus, approvals14
- Macungie, approvals11
- Slatington, approvals10
- Coopersburg, approvals9
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Allentown | 198 | $98,037,300 |
| Whitehall | 39 | $11,286,800 |
| Emmaus | 14 | $5,610,800 |
| Macungie | 11 | $1,881,200 |
| Slatington | 10 | $4,559,300 |
| Coopersburg | 9 | $4,787,000 |
| Center Valley | 9 | $3,366,000 |
| Trexlertown | 8 | $1,293,700 |
| 15 other borrower cities | 52 | $20,665,100 |
Allentown accounts for 198 approvals against 39 in Whitehall. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Lehigh County
How large is Lehigh County?
- Land area345 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Pennsylvania counties62nd of 67
- Width, east to west29.3 mi
- Height, north to south25.5 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land1,098
- Establishments per square mile25.16
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Lehigh County
Flood risk in Lehigh County
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book25
- Of those, participating in the NFIP25
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Lehigh County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The EPA places Lehigh County in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Lehigh County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Lehigh County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024378,792
- Households144,386
- Average household size2.62
- Median household income$80,079
- Median age39.6
Common questions
Lehigh County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania?
The Census Bureau estimates 385,655 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 378,792, in 144,386 households, ranking 10th of 67 Pennsylvania counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Lehigh County's population growing?
The population has grown 2.96 percent since the 2020 census base of 374,552, to 385,655 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 3,802 births against 3,568 deaths, with net migration of 4,540. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Lehigh County?
$80,079. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $300,400, which is 3.8 times income, and median gross rent is $1,383 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Lehigh County?
8,681 establishments, employing 201,146 people with an annual payroll of $12.78 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Lehigh County?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 50,249 jobs, 25.1 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 200,548 jobs at an average annual pay of $70,311, or $1,352 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Lehigh County?
350 7(a) approvals totaling $151.5 m since FY2020, across 62 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 53 504 approvals worth $54.7 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Lehigh County get paid back?
Of the 53 loans that have reached a final outcome, 43 were paid in full and 10 charged off, a charge-off rate of 18.9 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in Lehigh County?
1,062 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $245.9 m. Multifamily was 49.1 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Lehigh County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Lehigh County come from?
The largest single origin is Northampton County, with 2,549 households. Arriving households report an average income of $61,849 against $71,777 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Lehigh County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Lehigh County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Lehigh County
Cities and places in Lehigh.
26 Census places lie wholly or partly in Lehigh County. All 26 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allentown | city | 125,976 | 198 | Wholly in this county |
| Bethlehem | city | 77,956 | 7 | 22.6 percent here, 77.4 percent Northampton County |
| Fullerton | CDP | 16,724 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Emmaus | borough | 11,889 | 14 | Wholly in this county |
| Ancient Oaks | CDP | 7,777 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Breinigsville | CDP | 7,769 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Wescosville | CDP | 7,148 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Catasauqua | borough | 6,541 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Dorneyville | CDP | 5,211 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Fountain Hill | borough | 4,834 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Slatington | borough | 4,290 | 10 | Wholly in this county |
| Schnecksville | CDP | 3,922 | 7 | Wholly in this county |
| Coplay | borough | 3,466 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Macungie | borough | 3,274 | 11 | Wholly in this county |
| Hokendauqua | CDP | 3,145 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Egypt | CDP | 3,053 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Alburtis | borough | 2,598 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Coopersburg | borough | 2,495 | 9 | Wholly in this county |
| Trexlertown | CDP | 2,416 | 8 | Wholly in this county |
| Cetronia | CDP | 2,120 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Cementon | CDP | 1,454 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Stiles | CDP | 1,441 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| DeSales University | CDP | 1,052 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Laurys Station | CDP | 744 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| New Tripoli | CDP | 717 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Slatedale | CDP | 303 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
A further 63 of the county's 350 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Lehigh County, the largest being Whitehall (39), Center Valley (9), Orefield (5). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.