Housing decision brief
Lehigh County, PA Housing Market
Lehigh County screens as a higher purchase price, rent that needs comparison, a higher tax-rate signal market. Use the page as a decision brief, not just a price lookup, because local income, taxes, and data confidence change how affordable the county really is.
60th lowest home value out of 67 Pennsylvania counties with data | 61st lowest rent out of 67
Median home value
$276,100
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$1,326/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$1,420/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
3.6x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
32.0%
At or above the 30% burden threshold.
Rent vs own
$94/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
No signal
No strong positive housing signal was available in the current dataset.
What to Check
Tax rate needs attention
1.66% effective property-tax rate is 28% above Pennsylvania county median
Crime data coverage
Crime data coverage is partial. Treat zero or low crime rates as incomplete until you check the source coverage.
Best Fit For
- No strong fit signal was available in the current dataset.
Poor Fit For
- Buyers focused only on purchase price and ignoring annual property tax
- Anyone treating reported crime rates as complete without source context
County vs State vs National
The county number only matters after you see the benchmark. These comparisons show where Lehigh County is genuinely cheap, where it is average, and where the hidden cost may be.
| Metric | County | State | U.S. | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Median home value Lower usually helps affordability. | $276,100 | $193,100 | $281,900 | 43% pressure43% above Pennsylvania county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $1,326 | $868 | $1,163 | 53% pressure53% above Pennsylvania county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $1,420 | $893 | $1,672 | 59% pressure59% above Pennsylvania county median |
Median household income | $77,493 | $64,758 | $74,755 | 20% favorable20% above Pennsylvania county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 1.66% | 1.29% | 1.02% | 28% pressure28% above Pennsylvania county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 32.00% | 27.00% | N/A | 19% pressure32.00% of renter income goes to rent. |
Income Fit
A low price only helps if local income can carry the monthly cost. This panel compares the county income base with rent and owner-cost thresholds.
Rent cushion
+$24,453
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$16,636
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Housing in Lehigh County is affordable. The median rent is $1,326/month against a median household income of $77,493, putting rent at 20.5% of income.
Rent vs own
The median rent in Lehigh County is $1,326/month, while owner costs run $1,420/month. Renting saves approximately $94/month.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $53,040/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $60,857/year. With a median household income of $77,493, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 32.0% of renter households in Lehigh County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Within Pennsylvania, Lehigh County is less affordable than Pike County by roughly 4% ($1,326/mo vs $1,383/mo).
Better Counties to Compare
Similar counties are matched on home value, rent, income, and state context. This is more useful than a simple nearest-price list.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Why compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lancaster County, PA | $279,400 | $1,289/mo | Same-state comparison near $279,400 home value and $1,289/mo rent. |
| Northampton County, PA | $285,000 | $1,335/mo | Same-state comparison near $285,000 home value and $1,335/mo rent. |
| Pike County, PA | $250,900 | $1,383/mo | Same-state comparison near $250,900 home value and $1,383/mo rent. |
| Monroe County, PA | $241,200 | $1,347/mo | Same-state comparison near $241,200 home value and $1,347/mo rent. |
| Delaware County, PA | $302,400 | $1,315/mo | Same-state comparison near $302,400 home value and $1,315/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Lehigh County
Is Lehigh County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Lehigh County?
How much income do you need for housing in Lehigh County?
What should I double-check before moving to Lehigh County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.