PlainZIP

Allentown, PA · standard

ZIP Code 18109

Lehigh County, Pennsylvania - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

16,932
798/sq mi
$58,031
Median income
$198,800
Median home value
16.0%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Allentown pairs a below-median household income with below-median home values, in a low-density, mixed-tenure area.

26th pct
household income, US ZIPs
43th pct
home value, US ZIPs
798
people per sq mi
52%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 18109 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 18109 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Allentown, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, home to 16,932 residents across 21.2 square miles, a density of 798 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 18109 reports a modest median household income of $58,031 (25% below the Pennsylvania average), while per-capita income is $28,396. Local economic indicators show a 18.1% poverty rate alongside 8.2% unemployment. Housing costs here run $198,800 for a typical home value (13% below the state average), with rent averaging $1,331 a month; 52.1% of homes are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 16.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 36.6, and the average commute is 23 minutes. A geography-based comparison follows: 10 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 18109, plus 6 more within Lehigh County, give a clearer read than the national average alone.

Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →

Top industries in ZIP 18109

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Allentown, PA

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 18109.

establishments

What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 18109, Allentown, PA · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

16,932

Population

21.2

Area (sq mi)

798

People / sq mi

New York

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 18109?

36.6

Median Age

49.7%

Male

50.3%

Female

25.3%

Foreign-Born

White 37.2%
African American 12.7%
Asian 1.7%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.8%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 19.8%
Hispanic or Latino 53.6%

Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How much do residents earn?

$58,031

Median Household Income

-25% vs state

$28,396

Per Capita Income

18.1%

Poverty Rate

8.2%

Unemployment Rate

23.3 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 18109 ranks nationally

Allentown, PA household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$58,031 26th percentile higher than 26% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What is the education profile here?

High School Graduate or Higher 57.6%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 16.0%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

7,519

Total Housing Units

7,030

Occupied Units

489

Vacant Units

2.61

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 52.1%
Renter 47.9%

$198,800

Median Home Value

-13% vs state

$1,331

Median Rent

1963

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How have home values changed over time?

FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals

+3.7%

YoY Change (2024)

308

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+208%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 18109 have increased 3.7% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +208% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +3.6% 190
2021 +17.2% 223
2022 +16.7% 260
2023 +14.2% 297
2024 +3.7% 308

Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 802 business establishments in ZIP 18109, employing approximately 17,337 people with a combined annual payroll of $1,083,731,000.

802

Businesses

17,337

Employees

$1.1B

Annual Payroll

16

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Health care and social assistance 103 12.8%
Retail trade 92 11.5%
Other services (except public administration) 84 10.5%
Accommodation and food services 79 9.8%
Wholesale trade 77 9.6%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 56 7.0%
Manufacturing 55 6.9%
Transportation and warehousing 54 6.7%
Construction 44 5.5%
Real estate and rental and leasing 38 4.7%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 37 4.6%
Finance and insurance 25 3.1%
Management of companies and enterprises 18 2.2%
Information 16 2.0%
Educational services 13 1.6%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 10 1.3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.

Nearby ZIP Codes

Want a side-by-side? Compare 18109 vs 18032 →

ZIP 18109 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 18109 ranks #7 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 18109 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 18109 ranks #7 of 9 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
18032 Catasauqua, PA 9,285 2.0 mi
18016 Bethlehem, PA 0 2.5 mi
18018 Bethlehem, PA 32,413 2.4 mi
18101 Allentown, PA 3,897 2.8 mi
18102 Allentown, PA 49,779 2.7 mi
18017 Bethlehem, PA 37,549 3.2 mi
18052 Whitehall, PA 26,902 3.6 mi
18105 Allentown, PA 12 3.7 mi
18103 Allentown, PA 45,336 5.1 mi
18015 Bethlehem, PA 32,832 4.9 mi

More ZIP Codes in Lehigh County

18102 standard
Allentown, PA
Pop: 49,779
18103 standard
Allentown, PA
Pop: 45,336
18104 standard
Allentown, PA
Pop: 43,236
18018 standard
Bethlehem, PA
Pop: 32,413
18052 standard
Whitehall, PA
Pop: 26,902
18062 standard
Macungie, PA
Pop: 24,351

Related Areas

Lehigh County Allentown, PA Pennsylvania

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 18109 in? ▼
ZIP code 18109 (Allentown) is located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. Lehigh County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/lehigh-pa.
What is the population of ZIP code 18109? ▼
ZIP code 18109 in Allentown, PA has a population of 16,932 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 18109? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 18109 is $58,031, which is 24% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 18109? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 18109 is $198,800, which is 29% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 18109? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 18109 is White at 37.2%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 53.6% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 18109? ▼
ZIP code 18109 has 802 business establishments employing approximately 17,337 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 18109? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 18109 are: Health care and social assistance (103), Retail trade (92), Other services (except public administration) (84). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 18109? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 18109 increased by 3.7% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 208%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 18109? ▼
In ZIP code 18109, 57.6% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 16.0% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 18109? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 18109 is 23.3 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 18109? ▼
In ZIP code 18109, approximately 52.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 47.9% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 18109? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 18109 is 18.1% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.