Bethlehem vs Columbus
The short version
- Columbus is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 5% lower than in the Bethlehem area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $252,900 in Columbus and $260,400 in Bethlehem.
Side by side
| Bethlehem, PA | Columbus, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 79,644 | 938,396 |
| Growth since 2020 | +5.1% | +3.6% |
| People per square mile | 4,167 | 4,236 |
| Median age | 36.1 | 33.2 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 36% | 38% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $68,879 | $66,082 |
| Median home value | $260,400 | $252,900 |
| Home value to income | 3.8× | 3.8× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,382 | $1,295 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 100.0 | 95.5 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 105.5 | 87.9 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $75,000 | $71,600 |
| Homeowners | 50% | 44% |
| Top state income tax | 3.07% | 2.75% |
| Combined sales tax | 6.34% | 7.29% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 22.1 | 21.5 |
| Work from home | 17% | 18% |
| Take public transit | 2% | 2% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 6.6% | 5.1% |
| Poverty rate | 15.7% | 18.1% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 38° / 22° | 37° / 22° |
| July high / low | 86° / 65° | 85° / 65° |
| Precipitation per year | 47 in | 42 in |
| Snowfall per year | 33 in | 28 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 18 | 21 |
| Nights below freezing | 118 | 103 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 6 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 90.0 | 98.1 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 67% | 40% |
| Home prices, past year | +4.9% | +3.3% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +53.5% | +46.1% |
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. Columbus: April to June and August to October.
Full monthly tables: Bethlehem weather by month and Columbus 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 $71,600 in Columbus. Moving from Bethlehem to Columbus, you would need about $71,600 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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