Lehigh County, Pennsylvania Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Lehigh County is located in Pennsylvania with a total population of 378,792. It is the 10th most populous county out of 67 in Pennsylvania. The county encompasses 26 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Lehigh County is 39.6 years. This is 3% lower than the state median of 40.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Lehigh County is $80,079. This is 3% higher than the state median of $77,971. It is also about the same as the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 11.6%. This is 1% lower than the state poverty rate of 11.7%. The unemployment rate is 5.9%. This is 12% higher than the state rate of 5.3%. The median home value is $300,400. Housing costs are 18% higher than the state median of $254,500. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.8x. 65.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 5% lower than the state average of 69.3%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Lehigh County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 59.1% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 28.0%. The Hispanic or Latino population is significantly higher than the state average (28.0% vs 8.7%).

Education

34.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 3% lower than the state rate of 35.2%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 90.5%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Lehigh County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Pennsylvania and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.