Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
A $237,000 home here costs
$2,106per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,218. The real number is $888 higher every month — 73% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Bethlehem against Lehigh County and Pennsylvania
| Measure | Bethlehem | Lehigh County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $236,500 | $276,100 |
| Median property tax | $4,186 | $4,591 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.770% | 1.663% |
| Median gross rent | $1,311 | $1,326 |
| Population | 77,069 | 375,408 |
Bethlehem extends across 2 counties. Figures here use Lehigh County, where most of its housing sits.
The weather behind that power bill
Bethlehem sits in Lehigh County, which averages a high of 86.4°F in its hottest month and a low of 21.8°F in its coldest, with 47.36" of precipitation a year and 31% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 981 cooling and 5,293 heating degree days, which is what sets the $194 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Lehigh County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Lehigh County
Full Lehigh County cost breakdown · Every county in Pennsylvania
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Bethlehem?
A $237,000 home in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania costs approximately $2,106 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,218 principal and interest, $350 property tax, $79 homeowners insurance, $262 utilities and $198 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Bethlehem?
Bethlehem has an effective property tax rate of 1.770%, based on a median home value of $236,500 and median real estate taxes of $4,186. That is higher than the Lehigh County average of 1.663%.
What is the average home price in Bethlehem?
The median owner-occupied home value in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania is $236,500, against $276,100 across Lehigh County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Bethlehem?
Median gross rent in Bethlehem is $1,311 a month, against $2,106 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Bethlehem — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Pennsylvania.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.