Bethlehem vs Bloomington
The short version
- Bloomington is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 5% lower than in the Bethlehem area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $260,400 in Bethlehem and $321,400 in Bloomington.
- Households earn more in Bethlehem ($68,879 vs $50,465 median).
- Bethlehem gets far more snow: 33 inches a year vs 18.
- Commutes are shorter in Bloomington (18 vs 22 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Bethlehem, PA | Bloomington, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 79,644 | 83,307 |
| Growth since 2020 | +5.1% | +3.9% |
| People per square mile | 4,167 | 3,583 |
| Median age | 36.1 | 25.1 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 36% | 59% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $68,879 | $50,465 |
| Median home value | $260,400 | $321,400 |
| Home value to income | 3.8× | 6.4× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,382 | $1,200 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 100.0 | 95.1 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 105.5 | 85.6 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $75,000 | $71,300 |
| Homeowners | 50% | 35% |
| Top state income tax | 3.07% | 2.95% |
| Combined sales tax | 6.34% | 7% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 22.1 | 17.5 |
| Work from home | 17% | 18% |
| Take public transit | 2% | 4% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 6.6% | 6.6% |
| Poverty rate | 15.7% | 29.8% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 38° / 22° | 37° / 21° |
| July high / low | 86° / 65° | 85° / 65° |
| Precipitation per year | 47 in | 49 in |
| Snowfall per year | 33 in | 18 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 18 | 21 |
| Nights below freezing | 118 | 108 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively Low |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 90.0 | 76.0 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 67% | 68% |
| Home prices, past year | +4.9% | +0.4% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +53.5% | +33.8% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Bethlehem: May to June and October. Bloomington: August to October.
Full monthly tables: Bethlehem weather by month and Bloomington weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $75,000 in Bethlehem and $71,300 in Bloomington. Moving from Bethlehem to Bloomington, you would need about $71,300 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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