Ryth Vara

Living in Northampton County, PA: Towns, Roads and Homes

By Ryth Vara, REALTOR® · Real of Pennsylvania · Updated

In short: Northampton County is the eastern half of the Lehigh Valley, on the New Jersey border. Life here is more suburban than in the Poconos, with a bigger job market, colleges and universities, and downtowns in Bethlehem and Easton full of restaurants, parks and public art. The history is still there too: Bethlehem's Moravian district is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I-78 and Route 22 lead into New Jersey, Route 33 goes north to the Poconos, and the county seat is Easton.

Where Northampton County is

Map of Northampton County, Pennsylvania, by municipalityAllen TownshipBangor BoroughBath BoroughBethlehem TownshipBushkill TownshipChapman BoroughCity of BethlehemCity of EastonEast Allen TownshipEast Bangor BoroughForks TownshipFreemansburg BoroughGlendon BoroughHanover TownshipHellertown BoroughLehigh TownshipLower Mount Bethel TownshipLower Nazareth TownshipLower Saucon TownshipMoore TownshipNazareth BoroughNorth Catasauqua BoroughNorthampton BoroughPalmer TownshipPen Argyl BoroughPlainfield TownshipPortland BoroughRoseto BoroughStockertown BoroughTatamy BoroughUpper Mount Bethel TownshipUpper Nazareth TownshipWalnutport BoroughWashington TownshipWest Easton BoroughWilliams TownshipWilson BoroughWind Gap Borough12345678910111213141516171819202122
The municipalities of Northampton County, from US Census boundaries. Numbers on the map: 1 Bangor Borough, 2 Bath Borough, 3 Chapman Borough, 4 City of Easton, 5 East Bangor Borough, 6 Freemansburg Borough, 7 Glendon Borough, 8 Hellertown Borough, 9 Nazareth Borough, 10 North Catasauqua Borough, 11 Northampton Borough, 12 Palmer Township, 13 Pen Argyl Borough, 14 Portland Borough, 15 Roseto Borough, 16 Stockertown Borough, 17 Tatamy Borough, 18 Upper Nazareth Township, 19 Walnutport Borough, 20 West Easton Borough, 21 Wilson Borough, 22 Wind Gap Borough. Swipe sideways to see the whole county.

Cities (2): Bethlehem, Easton (4).

Boroughs (19): Bangor (1), Bath (2), Chapman (3), East Bangor (5), Freemansburg (6), Glendon (7), Hellertown (8), Nazareth (9), North Catasauqua (10), Northampton (11), Pen Argyl (13), Portland (14), Roseto (15), Stockertown (16), Tatamy (17), Walnutport (19), West Easton (20), Wilson (21), Wind Gap (22).

Townships (17): Allen, Bethlehem, Bushkill, East Allen, Forks, Hanover, Lehigh, Lower Mount Bethel, Lower Nazareth, Lower Saucon, Moore, Palmer (12), Plainfield, Upper Mount Bethel, Upper Nazareth (18), Washington, Williams.

Northampton County and Lehigh County together make up the Lehigh Valley. The Delaware River is the county's eastern border with New Jersey, and the Lehigh River runs through Bethlehem and meets the Delaware at Easton. These are the roads that connect it:

  • I-78 crosses the Delaware from New Jersey just south of Easton and runs west past Hellertown and Bethlehem to Allentown.
  • US Route 22 crosses the river at the Easton-Phillipsburg Toll Bridge and runs through Easton and Bethlehem to Allentown.
  • Route 33 runs north from I-78 past Nazareth and Wind Gap to I-80 in Monroe County.
  • Route 611 follows the Delaware north from Easton to Portland. Drivers on I-80 in New Jersey can cross into Portland on the Portland-Columbia Toll Bridge.
  • Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE) is just over the line in Lehigh County.

From Bethlehem, New York City is about 1.5 to 2 hours by car and Philadelphia about 1 hour 15 minutes. Easton is about 70 miles from New York.

Towns Ryth serves in Northampton County

  • Bethlehem, with its Moravian historic district, Lehigh University, Moravian University and the SteelStacks arts campus.
  • Easton, the county seat, where the Lehigh River meets the Delaware, with Centre Square and the Crayola Experience.
  • Nazareth, a small borough known as the home of C. F. Martin & Co. guitars.
  • Bath, a small borough in the northern part of the county, where Route 248 meets Route 512.

Nearby in Lehigh County

  • Allentown, the largest city in the Lehigh Valley and the county seat of Lehigh County, right next to Bethlehem.

Market numbers

$375,000Median sale price

2,744Homes sold in the last 12 months

65Average days on market

Single-family homes (detached and twins), townhouses and condos sold in Northampton County, October 2025 to September 2026. Source: Greater Lehigh Valley REALTORS® MLS, pulled October 2026.

Homes in Northampton County

  • Historic rowhomes, twins and Victorian homes in Bethlehem and Easton
  • Single-family homes in established suburban townships
  • Newer construction, townhomes and planned communities, often with an HOA
  • Farmland, acreage and larger homes in the northern part of the county

Property taxes, schools and colleges

As everywhere in Pennsylvania, property taxes go to the county, the municipality and the school district, and each sets its own rate. Northampton County has several school districts, including Bethlehem Area, Easton Area, Nazareth Area, Northampton Area, Bangor Area, Pen Argyl Area, Saucon Valley and Wilson Area, so the exact address matters. Ryth gets you the actual tax bill before you make an offer.

The county is also home to Lehigh University and Moravian University in Bethlehem, Lafayette College in Easton, and Northampton Community College.

What to check before you buy

  • The municipality. A "Bethlehem" or "Easton" mailing address can be in the city or in a neighboring township, with different taxes and services.
  • The resale or use and occupancy (U&O) inspection report. Many municipalities here require one before a home is sold. Read it before you sign, and agree in writing on who fixes any violations it lists.
  • Older homes. Homes built before 1978 come with a lead-based paint disclosure, and older wiring, plumbing and foundations deserve a careful inspection.
  • Flood zones near the Lehigh and Delaware rivers and their creeks.
  • HOA rules and fees in newer communities.

Sources

What clients say

I have never met someone so willing to go the extra mile for his clients. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work with Ryth — thanks to his dedication, guidance, and hard work, I was able to close on my dream home. Ryth is young, but he is extremely knowledgeable, responsive, and always willing to help.
Steven B.
I was so happy to work with Ryth. He's doing good work and has a great future in the business.
Cesar A.

Questions

What is the median home price in Northampton County, PA?

The median sale price was $375,000 for single-family homes (detached and twins), townhouses and condos sold in Northampton County, from October 2025 to September 2026. In that time, 2,744 homes sold, and they spent an average of 65 days on the market. Source: Greater Lehigh Valley REALTORS® MLS, pulled October 2026.

Is Northampton County part of the Lehigh Valley?

Yes. The Lehigh Valley is made up of Lehigh County and Northampton County.

Does I-80 go through Northampton County?

No. I-80 enters Pennsylvania from New Jersey at the Delaware Water Gap, in Monroe County, just north of Northampton County. From Northampton County, the direct roads into New Jersey are I-78 and US Route 22, and Route 33 connects the county to I-80.

How far is Northampton County from New York City?

Easton is about 70 miles from Manhattan, roughly 1.5 hours by car without heavy traffic. Bethlehem is about 80 miles away.

Can Ryth help me in both the Lehigh Valley and the Poconos?

Yes. Ryth serves both Monroe County and Northampton County, which helps if you are deciding between the two. Route 33 connects them in well under an hour.

Questions about your move?

Ryth answers in English or Spanish — call or text 929.345.6838, or send a message.

Contact Ryth
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