What it's like to live in Emmaus
Emmaus is a small city in Pennsylvania with home prices that remain within reach, crime rates well below the national average, a growing population, and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Emmaus deals with a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, cold winters, fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Affordable home prices
- Low crime rates
- Growing population
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- High rent burden for renters
- Cold winters
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Emmaus compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Emmaus
Based on Emmaus's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,778
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $55,560 a year
- 54% of Emmaus renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$53,200
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $26,600
- Homes cost 3.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,389/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,389 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $266,000. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $266,000 · 54% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.6% county unemployment
Unemployment in Lehigh County is 4.6%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Lehigh County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 66% below US
112 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 721/100k · Emmaus Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
27 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 26.6 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 14% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 84°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 24°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 11% below US
32% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 32% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
4 public schools inside the boundary
There are 4 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site (27 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Emmaus's strongest points are home prices that remain within reach and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin and cold winters. A year of median rent ($1,389/mo) equals 20% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime.
Other places near Emmaus
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