Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ Metro Area
The Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metro area is made up of 4 counties in Pennsylvania and New Jersey: Lehigh, Northampton, Warren, and Carbon, largest first. About 887,615 people lived there on July 1, 2025 (Census estimate), 3.0% more than in April 2020.
- Population, July 2025
- 887,615 3.0% more than in April 2020
- Type
- Metropolitan statistical area
- Counties
- 4: 3 central, 1 outlying
- Land area
- 1,453 sq mi (3,763 km²)
- Time zone
- Eastern TimeUTC-05:00 in January; UTC-04:00 in July
- States
- Pennsylvania, New Jersey
- Combined statistical area
- Allentown-Bethlehem-East Stroudsburg, PA-NJ
- CBSA code
- 10900
Counties in the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metro area, largest first
| County | Role | Population, July 2025 | Share of the area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lehigh CountyPennsylvania | Central | 384,383 | 43.3% |
| Northampton CountyPennsylvania | Central | 324,411 | 36.5% |
| Warren CountyNew Jersey | Central | 112,953 | 12.7% |
| Carbon CountyPennsylvania | Outlying | 65,868 | 7.4% |
A central county holds the area’s core, an urban area of at least 50,000 people. An outlying county is in the area because of commuting: at least a quarter of its workers have jobs in the central counties, or at least a quarter of the people working there live in them. A county belongs to one metro or micro area at most, and it counts whole, countryside included.
Principal cities, largest first
OMB names the area after its largest principal cities. A principal city is the area’s largest city, plus any other city that is very large or a big job center, and smaller ones with at least as many jobs as working residents (2020 Census and commuting figures). People counts are American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates.
Part of the Allentown-Bethlehem-East Stroudsburg, PA-NJ combined statistical area
OMB joins neighboring metro and micro areas into a combined statistical area when enough people commute between them. The other area in this one is
- East Stroudsburg, PA Micro Area167,179 people
Bordering metro and micro areas, nearest first
Areas with a county on this area’s edge. Distances are straight lines between the areas’ largest cities.
- Reading, PA Metro Area29 mi southwest
- East Stroudsburg, PA Micro Area33 mi northeast
- Pottsville, PA Micro Area39 mi west
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD Metro Area44 mi southeast
- Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA Metro Area57 mi north
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ Metro Area81 mi east
Before using this answer on a form
A metro or micro area is a statistical area that OMB draws for federal statistics. It is not a city, a local government or a mailing address, and it is not a measure of urban and rural: whole counties count, rural parts included. Programs that use metro areas, such as housing income limits or wage rates, can use their own version of these lists; check the program’s own list for an address.
Find the metro area where you are now, find your county, or see every metro and micro area by population.