Pennsylvania · Census, HUD and BEA figures · Updated

Cost of Living in Lehigh County, PA

Prices around Lehigh County, PA run about the same as the U.S. average (BEA, the metro area). The typical household there earns $80,079 a year, and HUD puts a two-bedroom at $1,634 a month. Keeping that rent under 30% of income takes about $65,360 a year.

Lehigh County, PA at a glance

Median household income

$80,079$6,673 per month · U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year
2-bedroom rent$1,634HUD FY2026 Fair Market Rent
Price level (U.S. = 100)100.0+0% · BEA, the metro area
Electricity21.7¢per kWh · EIA Residential PA
Population378,792Census ACS 5-year estimate

How much rent can you afford in Lehigh County, PA?

HUD’s fair market rent for each size, against what a typical household here earns. Change the income to see yours.

Affordable (< 30% of income)
HUD Fair Market Rent$1,634Monthly market rent
Share of gross income24.5%Recommended max: 30%
Annual income needed$65,360To meet the 30% standard
Max affordable rent$2,002At 30% of $80,079
0%30% (Affordability standard)100%
Compare against:

How much is rent in Lehigh County, PA? By bedroom, 2026

HUD's fiscal 2026 Fair Market Rents for Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA HUD Metro FMR Area, with the income each one takes if rent stays under 30% of it.

HUD Fair Market Rent in Lehigh County, PA, fiscal 2026
Unit SizeMonthly RentAnnual Rent30% Rule Min. Income% of Median Income
Studio / Efficiency$1,130$13,560$45,20016.9%
1-Bedroom Apartment$1,341$16,092$53,64020.1%
2-Bedroom ApartmentBenchmark$1,634$19,608$65,36024.5%
3-Bedroom Home$2,087$25,044$83,48031.3%
4-Bedroom Home$2,195$26,340$87,80032.9%

Rent in Lehigh County, PA, with the wage each unit needs →

What a typical income covers in Lehigh County, PA

The 50/30/20 rule applied to the local median of $80,079 a year ($6,673 a month before tax).

Needs (50%)$3,337/moRent ($1,634 2-BR), utilities (~$196/mo), groceries, transit
Wants (30%)$2,002/moEating out, travel, subscriptions and the rest
Savings and debt (20%)$1,335/moEmergency fund, retirement, paying down loans

What $80,079 leaves after Pennsylvania taxes

Federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Pennsylvania tax on the local median income. Change the salary to see yours.

$80,079
$30,000$165,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$80,079
Net 78%
Fed 11%
PA 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$62,707After all taxes
Monthly deposit$5,226Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$2,412Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate21.7%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$8,787 / yr
Pennsylvania state income tax$2,458 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$6,126 / yr

Living in Lehigh County, PA: common questions

What is the median household income in Lehigh County, PA?

According to the latest U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year survey, the median household income in Lehigh County, PA is $80,079 per year (approximately $6,673 per month).

What is the average rent in Lehigh County, PA?

The closest official figure is HUD's Fair Market Rent for 2026: $1,130 for a studio, $1,341 for one bedroom, $1,634 for two, $2,087 for three and $2,195 for four, utilities included.

It is not an average of listings. HUD sets it at the rent 40% of recent movers paid or less for a standard unit, so a new lease on a nicer place will usually cost more.

Is Lehigh County, PA expensive to live in?

Prices there run about the same as the U.S. average. BEA's regional price parity for the metro area is 100.0, where the U.S. is 100. Rent moves the number most: housing is where places differ, while goods cost about the same everywhere.

How much do you need to earn to comfortably afford rent in Lehigh County, PA?

To keep a $1,634 two-bedroom under 30% of gross income, a household needs about $65,360 a year, or $5,447 a month. That is 82% of what the typical household in Lehigh County, PA earns.

How much do you need to live comfortably in Lehigh County, PA?

On the local median income of $80,079 ($6,673 a month before tax), the 50/30/20 rule leaves $3,337 a month for needs like rent, utilities and groceries, $2,002 for everything else and $1,335 for savings or debt. A two-bedroom at $1,634 takes 49% of the needs share.

How much is the electric bill in Lehigh County, PA?

Homes in Pennsylvania paid 21.7¢ per kWh on average (EIA). At 900 kWh a month, a typical use, that is about $196. Your bill depends mostly on heating and cooling.