Neighborhood
East Side
Allentown, Pennsylvania US
East Side, Allentown, Pennsylvania has an investment profile defined by prices in line with the city median and about 2% below the state median, alongside a gross yield of 7.7 and a price trend over the past year of -11.2%. It carries a Red Flag score of 67, walkability of 51, and education in the 6th percentile. The main strength is the high gross yield; the main risk is the combination of a 67 Red Flag score and a sharp annual price decline.
AI Summary•Updated May 2026
Area
3.82 mi²
ZIP Code
18109
County
Lehigh County
State
Pennsylvania
Redfin — median sale & volumeZillow ZORI — asking rentFEMA National Risk Index v1.20OpenStreetMap — POIFBI UCR — state crimeEPA — radon zonesWashU ACAG — satellite PM2.5EPA FRS / BTS — hazard screeningUS Census ACS / TIGER 2024
Verified Price · Median Sale
$254,924
YoY-11.2%
Gross Rental Yield
7.7%
Listed rent · ZORI annualized
Red Flag Index
High
67 / 100
Walkability Score
51
OpenStreetMap POI density · national percentile
Education Score
6 / 100
Pre-pandemic SEDA (2018/19) · district proxy
AI Score
52
DistrictScore attractiveness · national model
East Side Property Prices & Rental Yield
Verified Redfin sale data and Zillow ZORI asking rent for East Side, Allentown.
Unlock the East Side 12-month price trend
See the full Verified vs Listed price history — free with a DistrictScore account.
Sign in to view — freeMarket Economics Snapshot
May 2026| Metric | Value | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Median Sale Price | $254,924 | -11.2% |
| Price / Sq Ft (Verified) | $173/sqft | -5.8% |
| Asking Rent (Median) | $1,636/mo | -0.1% |
| Gross Rental Yield | 7.7% | — |
| Liquidity Score | 20 / 100 | Low |
| Homes Sold (Period) | 38 | +26.7% |
Is East Side Safe? Natural-Hazard Risk
FEMA National Risk Index composite across eight hazards, plus inherited Pennsylvania crime context.
Unlock the East Side hazard breakdown
See all eight FEMA hazard scores — free with a DistrictScore account.
Sign in to view — free What Stands Out AI Insight
Above-average gross rental yield at 7.7%
Heat risk is Very High (100/100)
Flood risk is Very High (80/100)
Insights are generated from East Side's live DistrictScore metrics.
East Side Environment & Safety
Satellite PM2.5 air-quality history, FBI UCR crime trend (Pennsylvania-level, the finest official aggregation), EPA radon potential and point-source hazard screening.
Air Quality — PM2.5
2015–20245.6 µg/m³ Meets EPA, above WHO guideline-29.1% since 2015
EPA 9WHO 5
20152024
Annual mean fine-particle (PM2.5) concentration at the East Side centroid, satellite-derived (ACAG). References: WHO guideline 5 µg/m³ · EPA annual standard 9 µg/m³. Latest year ranks worse than 40% of U.S. neighborhoods.
Pennsylvania Crime Trend
FBI UCR20132024
All crimes / 1k
Violent / 1k
| Year | Crimes / 1k | Violent / 1k | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 16.8 | 2.5 | -7.8% |
| 2023 | 18.3 | 2.7 | +2.7% |
| 2022 | 17.9 | 2.9 | +16.8% |
| 2021 | 15.3 | 2.8 | -23.5% |
| 2020 | 20.3 | 3.9 | +18.8% |
| 2019 | 17.1 | 3.1 | — |
Reported at the state level — the finest official US crime aggregation; East Side inherits the Pennsylvania figures.
Radon Potential
EPAZone 1
Zone 1 — Highest potential · East Side
EPA radon zones estimate indoor radon potential county-wide (Zone 1 highest, Zone 3 lowest). Testing is recommended in all zones.
Environmental Hazards
EPA / BTSIndustrial odor5 nearbyVery High
Point-source screening near East Side: EPA Superfund National Priorities List & Facility Registry (2026), BTS aviation noise (2020, 24-hour average level). Superfund shows distance to the nearest listed site; odor shows detected sources within the screening radius. Only detected sources are listed; the bar shows severity vs. all U.S. neighborhoods.
Walkability & Amenities in East Side
Amenity density and pedestrian access from OpenStreetMap points of interest.
Walkability & Amenities
OpenStreetMap POI51
Somewhat Walkable
Walkability Score
19
Grocery
28
Dining
8
Schools
0
Universities
1
Hospitals
1
Pharmacies
13
Parks
0
Rail Transit
0
Coworking
POI counts are amenities within East Side's boundary plus a 400 m walk buffer. Rail transit excludes bus stops.
East Side vs Allentown vs Pennsylvania
How East Side benchmarks against its city and state medians.
Unlock the East Side benchmark
Compare East Side against Allentown and Pennsylvania medians — free with a DistrictScore account.
Sign in to view — freeBuying Property in the US as a Foreigner
Federal & Pennsylvania tax facts for non-resident buyers, plus the latest local market news.
Buying as a Foreigner
US Tax & OwnershipApplies to everyone7
Capital Gains (Federal)
Long-term capital gains taxed federally at 0/15/20%, plus a 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax on higher incomes (2026).
Property Tax
Property tax: ~1.14% average effective rate (statewide average; set and collected locally).
State Income Tax
State income tax up to 3.07%; rental income is taxed at these rates.
State Capital Gains
Capital gains are taxed as ordinary income at state rates.
Transfer Tax
Real estate transfer tax: 1% state + local.
Assessment Cap
No Proposition 13-style assessment cap; property is reassessed at market value.
Mansion Tax / Rent Control
No statewide mansion tax or statewide rent control.
US citizens & tax residents8
Primary-Home Exclusion
Selling your main home: exclude up to $250k of gain (single) / $500k (married) if you owned and lived there 2 of the last 5 years.
1031 Like-Kind Exchange
A 1031 like-kind exchange defers capital gains tax on investment property; 45 days to identify, 180 to close. Real estate only.
Depreciation Recapture
Residential rentals depreciate over 27.5 years; on sale, recaptured depreciation is taxed up to 25% (Section 1250).
Mortgage Interest Deduction
Mortgage interest is deductible on up to $750k of home debt. The SALT cap rose to $40,000 for 2025-2029 (reverts to $10k in 2030).
Opportunity Zones
Opportunity Zones are now permanent (2025): reinvested capital gains get deferral plus a basis step-up, and are tax-free after 10 years.
Rental Income (Resident)
Rental income is reported on Schedule E; passive-loss rules (Section 469) limit deducting rental losses against other income.
Homestead Exemption
No homestead exemption: no creditor protection and no homestead property-tax break.
1031 State Conformity
The state conforms to the federal 1031 like-kind exchange rules.
Foreign buyers (non-residents)5
FIRPTA (Foreign Sellers)
FIRPTA: the buyer withholds 15% of the gross sale price when a nonresident sells US property. It is an advance deposit, not the final tax.
Non-Resident Capital Gains
Nonresident sellers pay US capital gains tax (generally 15-20%) on the net gain via Form 1040-NR; FIRPTA withholding is credited.
Non-Resident Rental Tax
Nonresident rental income is taxed at 30% of gross by default, or on net income at graduated rates via a Section 871(d) election (W-8ECI).
Estate Tax (Non-Resident)
Nonresidents get only a $60,000 US estate-tax exemption (vs $13.99M for residents); US property above it is taxed up to 40%. Treaties may help.
ITIN Requirement
Nonresidents without an SSN need an ITIN (Form W-7) to file US tax returns, claim FIRPTA refunds, and report rental income.
Talk to a US real-estate tax advisor
FIRPTA, ITIN & Pennsylvania property-tax guidance for foreign buyers
East Side Real Estate FAQ
East Side, Allentown, Pennsylvania has a high-yield but higher-risk profile. It offers a gross yield of 7.7, prices in line with Allentown and about 2% below Pennsylvania, and a Red Flag score of 67. Over the past year, prices fell 11.2%.
Neighborhoods near East Side
Compare East Side with nearby neighborhoods in Allentown.
Unlock deeper insights on East Side
Deeper data. Smarter decisions. Stronger returns.
Full Risk Reports
Tract-level hazards
Investment Score
AI-driven analysis
Export & Reports
PDF & Excel
Priority Support
Fast-track help
Get Pro Access7-day free trial. Cancel anytime.