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 High-density area
- $58,031
- Median income Below-median income area
- $198,800
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 16.0%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
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
- 43rd 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.
FHFA HPI release change
What changed in the latest House Price Index year
- FHFA House Price Index values in ZIP 18109 (Allentown, PA) rose +3.7% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 297.3 in 2023 to 308.2 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
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 average Pennsylvania ZIP), while per-capita income is $28,396. The poverty rate is 18.1%, with unemployment at 8.2%; those measures add context to the income figure. Median home value is $198,800 (13% below the average Pennsylvania ZIP) and median rent is $1,331; 52.1% of occupied 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. The page also surfaces 10 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Lehigh County, so 18109 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
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.
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
103 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
92 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
84 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
79 establishments
- Wholesale trade
Wholesale trade
77 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, 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
Who lives in ZIP 18109?
36.6
Median Age
49.7%
Male
50.3%
Female
25.3%
Foreign-Born
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 ZIP avg
$28,396
Per Capita Income
18.1%
Poverty Rate
8.2%
Unemployment Rate
23.3 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 18109 ranks among Pennsylvania ZIPs
Allentown, PA household income vs. every Pennsylvania ZIP code
Median household income among 1,642 reporting Pennsylvania ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$58,031 21st percentile higher than 21% of 1,642 Pennsylvania ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more Pennsylvania 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?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
7,519housing units
7,519
Total Housing Units
7,030
Occupied Units
489
Vacant Units
2.61
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$198,800
Median Home Value
-13% vs state ZIP avg
$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.
- 18102
Allentown (18102)
49,779 residents
- 18103
Allentown (18103)
45,336 residents
- 18017
Bethlehem (18017)
37,549 residents
- 18015
Bethlehem (18015)
32,832 residents
- 18018
Bethlehem (18018)
32,413 residents
- 18052
Whitehall (18052)
26,902 residents
- 18109 16,932
Allentown (18109)
16,932 residents
- 18032 9,285
Catasauqua (18032)
9,285 residents
- 18101 3,897
Allentown (18101)
3,897 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 18109 ranks #7 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 18109 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 18017
Bethlehem (18017)
$91,173 median income
- 18032
Catasauqua (18032)
$81,098 median income
- 18052
Whitehall (18052)
$75,665 median income
- 18018
Bethlehem (18018)
$75,417 median income
- 18103
Allentown (18103)
$72,895 median income
- 18015
Bethlehem (18015)
$60,800 median income
- 18109
Allentown (18109)
$58,031 median income
- 18101
Allentown (18101)
$44,773 median income
- 18102
Allentown (18102)
$43,085 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.
| 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 |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 18109, both outside PA so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (16,932 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Lehigh County
Related Areas
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.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 18109's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 18109 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Allentown, PA ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.