Who Should NOT Move to Allentown?
Allentown is a poor fit for an equally identifiable set of movers: anyone requiring rail-based, car-optional living or extensive direct-from-home international flight access, anyone budgeting only for Pennsylvania's low state income tax without accounting for Allentown's own additional local EIT and LST, anyone purchasing riverside property without confirming FEMA flood-zone status, and anyone expecting Mack Trucks or the city's mid-20th-century manufacturing base to still anchor the local economy.
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Learn moreAnyone Requiring Rail-Based, Car-Optional Living or Extensive Direct-Flight Access
As detailed on the traffic-transportation topic page, Allentown has no rail transit system, and Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE) offers a comparatively small route network (four airlines, ~14 destinations). Anyone whose relocation decision specifically requires rail-based, car-optional living, or frequent direct international/major-hub flight access from a nearby airport, should weigh this honestly -- Philadelphia International Airport, the region's fuller-service option, sits roughly 90 minutes away.
Anyone Budgeting Only for Pennsylvania's Low State Income Tax
As detailed on the taxes topic page, Pennsylvania's real, low 3.07% flat state income tax is genuinely favorable, but Allentown residents specifically carry a real, additional combined 1.975% local EIT (collected by Berkheimer) plus a separate flat $52/year Local Services Tax, for a combined approximate marginal rate of 5.045%. Anyone budgeting only for the state rate in isolation should correct that assumption before finalizing an Allentown-specific relocation budget.
Anyone Purchasing Riverside or Low-Lying Property Without Confirming Flood-Zone Status
As detailed on the flood-hurricane-risk topic page, flooding along the Lehigh River and Little Lehigh Creek is the region's most significant documented natural hazard, with approximately 18.5% of Allentown sitting within a mapped FEMA flood zone. Anyone considering a riverside or low-lying property who has not confirmed current FEMA flood-zone status and flood-insurance requirements for that specific address should do so before finalizing a purchase -- standard homeowners policies generally do not cover flood damage.
Anyone Expecting Mack Trucks or the City's Historic Manufacturing Base to Still Anchor the Local Economy
As detailed on the jobs-economy topic page, Mack Trucks -- a defining piece of Allentown's manufacturing-era identity for over a century -- relocated its world headquarters to Greensboro, North Carolina in 2009 and is not a current Allentown employer. Anyone moving to Allentown specifically expecting the city's historic manufacturing base (evoked by Billy Joel's 1982 song) to still define its current economy should weigh this honestly against the real, current logistics-and-corporate-HQ economy documented in its place.
Anyone for Whom Lehigh County's Above-Average, Genuinely Complex Property Tax System Is a Dealbreaker
As detailed on the property-taxes topic page, Lehigh County's effective property tax rate carries a real, wide, disclosed spread across sources (approximately 1.48%-2.87%) tied to the county's 2013-base-year assessment mechanic, and both cited figures run meaningfully above the national average. Anyone for whom a simple, low, easily-predictable property tax system is a hard requirement should weigh this genuine complexity honestly.
Key takeaways
- Anyone requiring rail-based, car-optional living or extensive direct-flight access should weigh Allentown's real lack of rail transit and ABE's comparatively small route network honestly.
- Anyone budgeting only for Pennsylvania's low state income tax should correct that assumption -- Allentown's own additional combined 1.975% local EIT and $52/year LST bring the combined marginal rate to approximately 5.045%.
- Anyone purchasing riverside or low-lying property should confirm current FEMA flood-zone status and flood-insurance requirements directly before finalizing a purchase.
- Anyone expecting Mack Trucks or the city's historic manufacturing base to still anchor the local economy should weigh Mack's real 2009 departure to Greensboro, NC against the current logistics-and-HQ economy honestly.
- Anyone for whom a simple, easily-predictable property tax system is a hard requirement should weigh Lehigh County's genuinely complex, 2013-base-year assessment mechanic honestly.
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