Home Value Trail

Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metro area: home price history and building permits

PennsylvaniaNew Jersey4 counties887,615 residents (2025 estimate)

  • FHFA quarterly index to 2026 Q2
  • FHFA annual index 1975 to 2025
  • Developmental index
  • Release of

The FHFA annual house price index for Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ increased by 92.7% from 2015 to 2025. From 2020 to 2025, the index increased by 61.7%. From 2024 to 2025, the index increased by 6.4%. From 2025 Q2 to 2026 Q2, the quarterly index increased by 4.9%.

2015

+92.7%

From 2015 to 2025, the FHFA annual all-transactions index for Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ increased by 92.7%.

From 2015 to 2025, the average change in each year is +6.8%, compounded.

Same span at each level: 2015 to 2025
AreaChangeBar
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ+92.7%
Pennsylvania+76.8%
United States+85.0%
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ FHFA quarterly all-transactions index, 100 in 1978 Q2
  • Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ
  • United States, set to the same start
  • Recession (NBER dates)
  • Your span

The line is FHFA's quarterly index, through 2026 Q2. The calculator and the tables use FHFA's annual index of the area.

Index values for each year
FHFA annual all-transactions index for Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ, 1975 to 2025
YearIndexChange from the year before
2025813.27+6.4%
2024764.40+6.6%
2023717.00+10.1%
2022651.47+15.0%
2021566.37+12.6%
2020502.97+4.3%
2019482.43+3.9%
2018464.54+4.4%
2017444.93+3.5%
2016429.87+1.8%
2015422.11+1.6%
2014415.45+1.8%
2013408.07+0.1%
2012407.77−4.4%
2011426.39−4.6%
2010446.91−4.4%
2009467.62−6.8%
2008501.96−3.4%
2007519.71+2.1%
2006509.00+10.7%
2005459.89+14.7%
2004401.03+12.2%
2003357.43+5.9%
2002337.63+5.9%
2001318.92+6.4%
2000299.74+3.5%
1999289.64+1.6%
1998285.05+1.9%
1997279.80+1.2%
1996276.46+1.3%
1995272.84−1.2%
1994276.13−1.3%
1993279.72−0.5%
1992281.14+0.8%
1991278.82−1.4%
1990282.65−2.2%
1989289.11+4.8%
1988275.82+22.3%
1987225.60+17.6%
1986191.80+9.3%
1985175.44+8.1%
1984162.31+7.6%
1983150.79+1.3%
1982148.89+2.8%
1981144.78+2.2%
1980141.71+11.4%
1979127.24+4.2%
1978122.13+29.2%
197794.50−3.5%
197697.91−2.1%
1975100.00n/a

Each figure is the change of the FHFA annual all-transactions index, from the year that you pick to 2025. It is a change for the area. It is not the change in the value of your home, and it does not use the price that you paid.

The average for each year is a compounded annual change. The guide to values explains more.

When using the FHFA House Price Calculator, please note that it does not project the actual value of any particular house.

FHFA, about its own House Price Calculator: Federal Housing Finance Agency, House Price Index Datasets, HPI Calculator, copied on . The calculator of FHFA uses quarterly figures. For the states and the 100 largest metro areas it uses the purchase-only index. Its figures can differ from the figures here.

Since the last FHFA release

No recorded FHFA release changed a figure of Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ. The record of releases starts with the next FHFA release. FHFA releases recorded by this site

Same span, every level

Change in the FHFA annual index to 2025: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ and the areas above it
Area1 year2024 to 20255 years2020 to 202510 years2015 to 202520 years2005 to 2025Since 20002000 to 2025Each yearaverage of 10 years
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ+6.4%+61.7%+92.7%+76.8%+171.3%+6.8%
Pennsylvania+4.7%+48.0%+76.8%+83.6%+164.2%+5.9%
United States+2.8%+47.0%+85.0%+79.1%+158.3%+6.3%

Each row uses FHFA's annual all-transactions index and the same two years. The state row is Pennsylvania, the first state in the name of the area.

Drawdowns

A drawdown is a decline of 5% or more of the annual index from a peak.

Drawdowns of the index of Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ, deepest first
PeakLowDeclineBack at the peak
20072012−21.5%2021
19891995−5.6%1999
19751977−5.5%1978

Decade by decade

Change in the index of Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ in each decade
DecadeChangeUnited StatesBar
1980s1980 to 1990+99.5%+68.2%
1990s1990 to 2000+6.0%+33.9%
2000s2000 to 2010+49.1%+29.7%
2010s2010 to 2020+12.5%+35.5%
2020s so far2020 to 2025+61.7%+47.0%

The index is 100 in the first year with a value for the area (1975 here). The change in a decade is the index at the end of the decade divided by the index at the start. The base year has no effect on it.

Building permits in the area

In the 12 months to August 2026, building permits in the 4 counties of the area authorized 2,115 housing units. That is 2.4 units for each 1,000 residents.

Housing units authorized by month, latest 60 months
  • Units in buildings with 1 unit
  • Units in buildings with 2 or more units
Units for each month
Housing units authorized by building permits in the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metro area, by month
MonthAll units1 unit2 or more units
Aug 202613111021
Jul 202623414094
Jun 202623814098
May 202612510124
Apr 202614910346
Mar 20261489157
Feb 2026945143
Jan 2026866620
Dec 20251889395
Nov 202517770107
Oct 202522412797
Sep 2025321121200
Aug 202522196125
Jul 202516913237
Jun 2025256124132
May 202519415143
Apr 2025354110244
Mar 20251191145
Feb 20251659669
Jan 2025816219
Dec 20241229230
Nov 2024867214
Oct 2024226109117
Sep 202416611848
Aug 202419611581
Jul 202415610749
Jun 202417512550
May 202423814593
Apr 20241138528
Mar 202412811018
Feb 202416012535
Jan 202415112823
Dec 20231099613
Nov 20231221157
Oct 202313411816
Sep 2023262131131
Aug 202313111714
Jul 202312911712
Jun 202314211626
May 202316313627
Apr 202399927
Mar 202321513283
Feb 20231407961
Jan 20231169125
Dec 20221017724
Nov 202215013020
Oct 202233982257
Sep 202224319746
Aug 202215913029
Jul 202215813325
Jun 202215011139
May 202220312578
Apr 2022988117
Mar 202215111734
Feb 2022279121158
Jan 2022212111101
Dec 202119172
Nov 2021261214
Oct 202117152
Sep 2021261412
Housing units authorized by year, 1995 to 2025
  • Units in buildings with 1 unit
  • Units in buildings with 2 or more units
Units for each year
Housing units authorized by building permits in the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metro area, by year
YearAll units1 unit2 or more units
20251,9741,202772
20242,4851,3681,117
20231,7351,329406
20222,2321,576656
20212,6061,716890
20201,6881,110578
20191,3451,078267
20181,2461,082164
20171,118938180
20161,2631,059204
20151,356943413
20141,8011,051750
20131,3501,139211
20121,069829240
20111,1331,05974
20101,3881,177211
20091,6481,401247
20081,6941,508186
20072,7892,640149
20064,1443,860284
20054,8484,319529
20044,6124,461151
20034,3763,999377
20024,5634,202361
20014,1393,513626
20003,7593,259500
19994,0043,514490
19983,1163,1160
19972,5162,5160
19962,5182,5180
19952,4572,4570

The counts are the sums of the county files of the Building Permits Survey for the counties of the area (OMB delineation of July 2023).

Counties of the area

Counties of the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metro area, by name
CountyState1 year10 yearsUnits, 12 months
Carbon CountyPA+9.3%+109.3%197
Lehigh CountyPA+6.1%+94.9%734
Northampton CountyPA+6.1%+91.6%760
Warren CountyNJ+6.8%+88.9%424

Agency pages

  • FHFA House Price IndexFederal Housing Finance AgencyThe index page of FHFA: data, tools and the release dates.
  • FHFA HPI CalculatorFederal Housing Finance AgencyThe calculator of FHFA. It works by quarter, for a state or a metro area.
  • Building Permits SurveyUS Census BureauThe survey of housing units that building permits authorize.

Each link loaded on .

Cite this page

Home Value Trail. Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ home price history. https://homevaluetrail.com/metro/10900-allentown-bethlehem-easton/. Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency, annual house price index for CBSAs (developmental); US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. FHFA release of .

Where the figures come from

Index
FHFA annual house price index for CBSAs, all transactions, 1975 to 2025. Release of March 31, 2026. The line: FHFA quarterly all-transactions index for the metropolitan area, through 2026 Q2.
Other levels
FHFA annual indexes for the states and the United States, from the same release.
Building permits
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, county files through August 2026, added for the counties of the area.
Counties of the area
OMB delineation of core based statistical areas, July 2023.
Residents
US Census Bureau, population estimates for 2025.

All files are works of the US government, in the public domain. To report an error, see Corrections.

Questions

Which years had the largest changes in the index for Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ?
The largest increase in one year was 29.2%, from 1977 to 1978. The largest decrease in one year was 6.8%, from 2008 to 2009.
How did the index for Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ change over 20 years?
From 2005 to 2025, the index for Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ increased by 76.8%. In the same years, the index for Pennsylvania increased by 83.6%. In the same years, the index for the United States increased by 79.1%.
What is the highest value of the index for Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ?
The index is 100 in 1975, the first year with a value for this area. The highest annual value is 813.27, in 2025.
Which counties are in the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ area?
The area has 4 counties in the delineation of July 2023. The Census Bureau estimates 887,615 residents for 2025.