What it's like to live in Northampton
Northampton is a small city in Pennsylvania with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, household incomes running above the national average, and crime rates well below the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Northampton deals with cold winters and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Cold winters
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Northampton compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Northampton
Based on Northampton's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,348
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $46,960 a year
- 49% of Northampton renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$47,040
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $23,520
- Homes cost 2.6× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 17% below US
$1,174/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,174 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $235,200. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $235,200 · 49% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.3% county unemployment
Unemployment in Northampton County is 4.3%, 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.
Northampton County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 92% below US
29 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 365/100k · Northampton Police Department · 2024 data
Getting aroundNear US average
28 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 27.8 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; 13% 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▼ 27% below US
26% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 26%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
3 public schools inside the boundary
There are 3 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, 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 Lower Delaware National Wild and Scenic River (33 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Northampton's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are cold winters and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city. A year of median rent ($1,174/mo) equals 16% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and anyone prioritizing low crime.
See all the data for Northampton →·All Pennsylvania cities →
Other places near Northampton
All Pennsylvania guides →Moving to Fullerton →
4 mi away · pop. 16,724
Rent $1,428/mo · Income $69,317
Compare with Northampton →Moving to Allentown →
6 mi away · pop. 125,976
Rent $1,317/mo · Income $55,494
Compare with Northampton →Not sure Northampton is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.