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Lehigh County, PA: population growth, jobs and income

Lehigh County gained 1,444 residents between 2024 and 2025 (+0.4%).

Lehigh County had an estimated 384,383 residents in 2025, up 2.7% (9,934 more people) since 2020. That is faster than Pennsylvania as a whole (+0.5%), and the 10th fastest growth of 67 counties in Pennsylvania.

Data as of 2025 · updated

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In the Lehigh County report

One-time $99 PDF: everything on this page for Lehigh County, ranked against Pennsylvania and the U.S., plus these figures that are not on the free page:

  • Median gross rent$1,383/mo2020–24
  • Vacant homes, incl. seasonal and second homes4.5%2020–24
  • New homes permitted, last 12 months6972025-10/2026-09
  • Rent growth, 5 yearsIn the report
  • Permits in 5+ unit buildingsIn the report
  • IRS income moving in (net AGI)In the report
  • Neighbouring-county comparison tableIn the report

What's inside: 5 pages

  1. 1 Summary, headline numbers and ranks (free preview)
  2. 2 Ranks and the neighbouring-county table
  3. 3 Migration, with IRS mover and income flows
  4. 4 Rent, vacant homes, permits and employers
  5. 5 Every source and the methods
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Headline numbers

What the numbers say

Net domestic migration was negative in 2025: 688 more people moved out to other U.S. counties than moved in.

Private employers had 201,146 paid employees in mid-March 2023, +10.0% since 2018 (County Business Patterns).

Unemployment averaged 4.6% in 2025.

Builders were authorized to start 394 new homes in 2025, or 1.0 per 1,000 residents.

Median household income was $80,079 in the 2020–24 American Community Survey, +20.9% since 2016–20.

Across the 3,107 U.S. counties with a comparable estimate, its population growth ranks 1,091st.

Part of the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metro area.

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Lehigh County population by year

Resident population, July 1 estimate (Census Bureau)
YearPopulationChange
2025384,383+1,444
2024382,939+2,871
2023380,068+3,322
2022376,746+894
2021375,852+1,403
2020374,449–

Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year.

What drove the change in Lehigh County

Lehigh County grew by 9,934 people since 2020 even though 3,398 more residents moved to other U.S. counties than came from them: births outnumbered deaths by 653, and net international migration added 12,588.

Components of population change, people (Census Bureau)
Component20252020–25Share
Natural changebirths minus deaths+210+653
International migrationfrom and to other countries+1,901+12,588
Domestic migrationfrom and to other U.S. counties−688−3,398
Census adjustmentbalancing residual+21+91
Total change+1,444+9,934

Census Bureau population estimates, components of change, each year July 1 to June 30. The components add up to the change in the estimate; the Census adjustment is the small balancing figure the Bureau publishes.

How it ranks

MeasureIn PennsylvaniaAmong U.S. counties
Population growth10th of 671,091st of 3,107
Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents51st of 672,197th of 3,108
Private-sector job growth3rd of 67682nd of 3,092
Median household income13th of 67581st of 3,107
Lowest unemployment rate39th of 672,227th of 3,108
New homes permitted per 1,000 residents44th of 672,070th of 3,005

1st = highest (lowest for unemployment). Counties are ranked only against others with a figure for the same period.

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The County Growth and Demographics Report for Lehigh County, PA as a PDF, from federal data: population and migration, housing and rents, permits, private employers and jobs, unemployment, ranks in the state and the country, and neighbouring counties, with a source next to every number. Pay once, no subscription.

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Neighbouring counties

Over 2020–25, Lehigh County's population change (+2.7%) was ahead of 4 of its 6 neighbouring counties, behind 1 (Northampton County) and level with Berks County.

3 of its 6 neighbouring counties had a higher median household income than Lehigh County's $80,079 (2020–24).

Lehigh County, PA and its 6 neighbouring counties: public federal figures
CountyPopulation2025Population change2020–25Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents2025Homes permitted per 1,000 residents2025Median household income2020–24
Lehigh County, PA This county384,383+2.7%−1.81.0$80,079
Northampton County, PA324,411+3.7%3.43.2$89,184
Carbon County, PA65,868+1.7%7.13.0$67,554
Berks County, PA440,072+2.7%−0.21.3$79,777
Montgomery County, PA877,643+2.4%−0.12.5$113,915
Bucks County, PA647,828+0.3%−1.11.2$114,764
Schuylkill County, PA145,085+1.5%8.71.5$68,313

Census Bureau population estimates and building permits, American Community Survey 5-year income. Rates per 1,000 residents. – means no figure, or a base too small for a change or rate (it would swing on a few people). A figure from another period shows its year and is left out of the comparison.

All 67 Pennsylvania counties · Every state

Questions

Is Lehigh County growing?

Yes. Its population grew 2.7% between 2020 and 2025, about 9,934 more people (Census Bureau population estimates). Pennsylvania as a whole changed +0.5% over the same years. That ranks 10th of 67 counties in Pennsylvania for population growth.

How many people moved to Lehigh County?

On net, none in 2025: about 688 more people moved out to other U.S. counties than moved in (Census Bureau net domestic migration estimate).

What is the unemployment rate in Lehigh County?

It averaged 4.6% in 2025 (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual average).

What is the population of Lehigh County?

About 384,383 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's population estimate for July 1, 2025.

How many jobs are in Lehigh County?

Private employers there had 201,146 paid employees in mid-March 2023, +10.0% since 2018 (Census Bureau County Business Patterns; government jobs and the self-employed are not counted).

What Beacon CRE covers in Pennsylvania

Map, parcel and listing layers cover North and South Carolina only for now. This page and the other Pennsylvania county pages carry the public federal growth figures.

Lehigh County data alerts

Email me when Lehigh County gets new Census numbers: population, building permits, jobs and income. About 4 emails a year, one click to stop.

We use your address only to email you when new data for Lehigh County is out: what changed, with a link to that county's report. No newsletter, no other sales emails. Delete it any time with the link in every email. We'll email you a link to confirm first; nothing starts until you click it. Privacy notice.

Sources and method

Each number shows its own period. Changes compare the latest period with five years earlier (or the earliest period available). Beacon CRE last refreshed these figures on 2026-11-05. Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how we compute every number. More on every layer: data sources and licences.

Jobs outside North and South Carolina use County Business Patterns (paid private-sector employees in mid-March); wages and government jobs are not included.