Moving to Allentown: Pros, Cons & What to Know
Moving to Allentown means relocating into Pennsylvania's third-largest city and the anchor of the real, distinct Lehigh Valley region, with real, practical logistics worth knowing before move-in day: Pennsylvania's genuinely low flat 3.07% state income tax plus Allentown's own, Berkheimer-collected combined 1.975% local Earned Income Tax and flat $52/year Local Services Tax, a genuinely car-dependent transportation baseline served by a comparatively small regional airport, and real, disclosed flood risk along the Lehigh River and Little Lehigh Creek worth confirming for any specific target address.
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Learn morePennsylvania PennDOT: Driver License and Vehicle Registration
New Pennsylvania residents generally have a defined window after establishing residency to obtain a Pennsylvania driver's license and register vehicles through the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), including a vehicle title transfer and Pennsylvania-specific insurance minimums. Current specific deadlines and required documents should be confirmed directly with PennDOT before or immediately after a move.
Understand Allentown's Two-Layer Income Tax Before Budgeting
As detailed on the taxes topic page, Pennsylvania's flat 3.07% state income tax is genuinely low, but Allentown residents also owe a real, specific combined 1.975% municipal + Allentown School District Earned Income Tax (collected by Berkheimer Tax Administrator) plus a separate flat $52/year Local Services Tax. Movers should budget for all three layers directly rather than assuming the low state rate is the whole picture.
Confirm Lehigh County Property Tax and Flood-Zone Status Before Buying
As detailed on the property-taxes and flood-hurricane-risk topic pages, Lehigh County's effective property tax rate carries a real, disclosed spread across sources (approximately 1.48%-2.87% depending on methodology) tied to the county's 2013-base-year assessment system, and approximately 18.5% of Allentown sits within a mapped FEMA flood zone along the Lehigh River and Little Lehigh Creek. Confirm both the actual current millage/assessment and flood-zone status for a specific target address directly before finalizing a home search.
Plan Around a Genuinely Car-Dependent Metro With a Comparatively Small Regional Airport
As detailed on the traffic-transportation topic page, Allentown has no rail transit, and Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE) is a real but comparatively small regional airport (four airlines, roughly 14 nonstop destinations). Movers who fly frequently for work or want a fuller national/international route network should plan around Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), roughly 90 minutes away, rather than assuming ABE covers all needs.
Choose a Neighborhood Deliberately -- Allentown and the Broader Lehigh Valley Carry Real, Distinct Character
As detailed on the best-areas topic page, Allentown's own neighborhoods (West End, Downtown/the NIZ district, College Heights, and others) carry real, distinct character, and the broader Lehigh Valley includes separately-incorporated communities (Bethlehem, Easton, and numerous townships) with their own real, distinct identity. Movers should research a specific target area directly rather than assuming a single citywide or region-wide story.
Key takeaways
- Confirm current PennDOT driver's license, vehicle registration, and insurance-minimum requirements after establishing residency.
- Budget for all three of Allentown's income-tax-adjacent layers: Pennsylvania's flat 3.07% state rate, Allentown's own combined 1.975% municipal + school-district EIT, and a flat $52/year Local Services Tax.
- Confirm the actual current Lehigh County property tax figure and FEMA flood-zone status for a specific target address -- both carry real, disclosed complexity worth verifying directly.
- Allentown has no rail transit and a comparatively small regional airport (ABE) -- plan around Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), roughly 90 minutes away, for a fuller route network.
- Research a specific target neighborhood or Lehigh Valley community directly -- Allentown and its regional neighbors (Bethlehem, Easton, and surrounding townships) each carry real, distinct character.
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