How has pricing changed in South Bethlehem over the past year?

Pricing in South Bethlehem is down 8.1% over the past year. Even so, the neighborhood remains about 7% below the city median and about 3% below the state median. Gross yield is 6.8%, and the Red Flag score is 64.

How does South Bethlehem compare with Bethlehem and Pennsylvania?

South Bethlehem is priced about 7% below Bethlehem and about 3% below Pennsylvania. It also has a gross yield of 6.8% and a price trend down 8.1% over the past year. Walkability is 89 and education is in the 46th percentile.

What are the walkability and education scores in South Bethlehem?

South Bethlehem has a walkability of 89 and education in the 46th percentile. Those figures sit alongside a gross yield of 6.8% and pricing about 7% below the city median and about 3% below the state median. The Red Flag score is 64.

Neighborhood

South Bethlehem

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania US

South Bethlehem in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania has an investment profile defined by pricing about 7% below the city median and about 3% below the state median, a gross yield of 6.8%, and prices down 8.1% over the past year. It pairs a walkability of 89 with education in the 46th percentile and a Red Flag score of 64, so the strength is strong access and yield, while the risk is the elevated overall risk score.

AI Summary•Updated May 2026

Area

5.86 mi²

ZIP Code

18015

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

$294,912

YoY-8.1%

Gross Rental Yield

6.8%

Listed rent · ZORI annualized

Red Flag Index

High

64 / 100

Walkability Score

Very Walkable

OpenStreetMap POI density · national percentile

Education Score

46 / 100

Fair · better than 46% of U.S. districts

Pre-pandemic SEDA (2018/19) · district proxy

AI Score

Fair

DistrictScore attractiveness · national model

South Bethlehem Property Prices & Rental Yield

Verified Redfin sale data and Zillow ZORI asking rent for South Bethlehem, Bethlehem.

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Market Economics Snapshot

May 2026

Metric	Value	YoY
Median Sale Price	$294,912	-8.1%
Price / Sq Ft (Verified)	$171/sqft	-4.0%
Asking Rent (Median)	$1,660/mo	-3.4%
Gross Rental Yield	6.8%	—
Liquidity Score	25 / 100	Low
Homes Sold (Period)	58	-38.3%

Is South Bethlehem Safe? Natural-Hazard Risk

FEMA National Risk Index composite across eight hazards, plus inherited Pennsylvania crime context.

Red Flag Breakdown

64 / 100

High Risk

Composite is weighted by expected impact — frequent low-damage hazards (hail, wind) weigh less than flood or wildfire.

Flood80Very High

Hurricane80Very High

Heat80Very High

Earthquake60High

Tornado60High

Strong Wind60High

Wildfire40Moderate

Hail40Moderate

8/8 hazards scored · FEMA NRI v1.20

Crime (state-level): Pennsylvania averaged 16.8 crimes and 2.5 violent per 1,000 residents (-7.8% YoY) in 2024(FBI UCR). Compare the state to the country, not states as a ranking — full Safety & Crime data lives on the state page.

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Tract-level hazard heatmap & parcel detail with Pro

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See all eight FEMA hazard scores — free with a DistrictScore account.

What Stands Out AI Insight

Above-average gross rental yield at 6.8%

Highly walkable neighborhood — score 89/100

Active transaction volume — 58 homes sold last period

Dense amenities — 69 dining & 27 grocery options nearby

Flood risk is Very High (80/100)

Hurricane risk is Very High (80/100)

Insights are generated from South Bethlehem's live DistrictScore metrics.

South Bethlehem 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

2015–2024

6.1 µg/m³ Meets EPA, above WHO guideline-23.2% since 2015

EPA 9WHO 5

20152024

Annual mean fine-particle (PM2.5) concentration at the South Bethlehem centroid, satellite-derived (ACAG). References: WHO guideline 5 µg/m³ · EPA annual standard 9 µg/m³. Latest year ranks worse than 52% of U.S. neighborhoods.

Pennsylvania Crime Trend

FBI UCR

20132024

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; South Bethlehem inherits the Pennsylvania figures.

Radon Potential

EPA

Zone 1

Zone 1 — Highest potential · South Bethlehem

EPA radon zones estimate indoor radon potential county-wide (Zone 1 highest, Zone 3 lowest). Testing is recommended in all zones.

Environmental Hazards

EPA / BTS

Superfund (NPL)0.1 kmVery High

Industrial odor11 nearbyVery High

Point-source screening near South Bethlehem: 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 South Bethlehem

Amenity density and pedestrian access from OpenStreetMap points of interest.

Walkability & Amenities

OpenStreetMap POI

89

Very Walkable

Walkability Score

27

Grocery

69

Dining

5

Schools

14

Universities

7

Hospitals

4

Pharmacies

25

Parks

1

Rail Transit

1

Coworking

POI counts are amenities within South Bethlehem's boundary plus a 400 m walk buffer. Rail transit excludes bus stops.

South Bethlehem vs Bethlehem vs Pennsylvania

How South Bethlehem benchmarks against its city and state medians.

Benchmark vs City & State

Across South Bethlehem, the median sale price sits about 7% below the median for Bethlehem neighborhoods and in line with the statewide median. Gross rental yield is 6.8%, against 7.1% for Bethlehem neighborhoods and 6.4% statewide. Over the past 12 months, prices fell 8.1%. Transaction liquidity sits in line with the median for Bethlehem neighborhoods and above the statewide median.

Area	Median / Sq Ft	Gross Yield	Liquidity
South Bethlehem	$170/sqft	6.8%	25
Bethlehem	$183/sqft	7.1%	26
Pennsylvania	$170/sqft	6.4%	19

Unlock the South Bethlehem benchmark

Compare South Bethlehem against Bethlehem and Pennsylvania medians — free with a DistrictScore account.

Buying 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 & Ownership

Applies 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

Latest Bethlehem Real-Estate News

New Fed chairman may leave mortgage rates mostly unchanged

Guaranteed Rate • Jun 18, 2026

Household real estate wealth hits record $48.7 trillion

Eye On Housing • Jun 18, 2026

U.S. commercial property prices hit record as deal patterns shift

Altus Group • Jun 18, 2026

South Bethlehem Real Estate FAQ

South Bethlehem in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania presents a yield-led profile. Gross yield is 6.8%, pricing is about 7% below the city median and about 3% below the state median, and prices are down 8.1% over the past year. The Red Flag score is 64.

Neighborhoods near South Bethlehem

Compare South Bethlehem with nearby neighborhoods in Bethlehem.

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