Borough · Northampton County, Pennsylvania

Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania

Pen Argyl is a borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, part of the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metro area. It has 3,495 residents. Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania has a quality-of-life score of 67 out of 100 (high), ranking #5,101 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Pennsylvania it ranks #397 of 997 cities and towns. It ranks best on flu vaccinations (high), hospital quality rating (high) and mammography screening (high). It ranks worst on child care cost burden (high), effective property tax rate (high) and new homes permitted (low).

67High

Quality-of-life score: #5,101 of 15,651 cities and towns
Pennsylvania: #397 of 997 in PA
Population: 3,495 (2020-2024)
Land area: 1 mi²
Density: 2,603.6 /mi²
FIPS code: 4258696

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 73 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety89#1,716/15,637
Economy50#7,790/15,631
Housing35#9,789/14,977
Health64#5,694/15,609
Healthcare83#2,644/15,650
Environment46#8,276/15,453
Education64#5,599/15,649
Infrastructure43#8,862/15,650
Community78#3,388/15,651
Leisure & amenities43#8,945/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Northampton County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Flu vaccinations · high57.0%
97/100Pennsylvania 52.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteNorthampton County value
Hospital quality rating · high4.5
94/100Pennsylvania 3.5United States 3.2Jul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesNorthampton County value
Mammography screening · high55.0%
91/100Pennsylvania 51.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteNorthampton County value
Mental health care shortage · low0.0
91/100Pennsylvania 1.0United States 9.9Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationNorthampton County value
Primary care shortage · low0.0
90/100Pennsylvania 1.0United States 6.2Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationNorthampton County value
Traffic deaths · low6.0 /100k
89/100Pennsylvania 9.0 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationProvisional dataNorthampton County value

Weaknesses

Child care cost burden · high39.9%
9/100Pennsylvania 34.6%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteNorthampton County value
Effective property tax rate · high1.87%
10/100Pennsylvania 1.25%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
New homes permitted · low0.0 /1k
13/100Pennsylvania 2.0 /1kUnited States 4.2 /1kSep 2025–Aug 2026U.S. Census BureauProvisional data
Child poverty rate · high28.0%
17/100Pennsylvania 15.3%United States 15.5%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001
Adult smoking · high19.0%
17/100Pennsylvania 15.6%United States 16.1%2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Drought exposure · high70%
23/100Pennsylvania 26%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAANorthampton County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
31.0% (2015-2019) → 62.7% (2020-2024)
+32 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Child poverty rateWorsening
10.2% (2015-2019) → 28.0% (2020-2024)
+18 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Rent as share of incomeWorsening
22.9% (2015-2019) → 33.7% (2020-2024)
+11 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
83.9% (2015-2019) → 94.0% (2020-2024)
+10 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Poverty rateWorsening
8.7% (2015-2019) → 15.7% (2020-2024)
+7.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
High school diploma or higherWorsening
93.7% (2015-2019) → 86.8% (2020-2024)
−6.9 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 89.6%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania improved on 2 of 11 measures with a comparison and declined on 2. 7 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved2

Broadband+10 points83.9% → 94.0%
Household income+24%$61,250 → $76,096

Declined2

Rent burden+32 points31.0% → 62.7%
Rent / income+11 points22.9% → 33.7%

All 11 measures

Change of every measure of Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	24.8 min2015-2019	29.8 min2020-2024	+5.0 min	Within the margin of error	10%
Bachelor's degree or higher	19.8%2015-2019	23.1%2020-2024	+3.3 points	Within the margin of error	54%
Broadband subscriptions	83.9%2015-2019	94.0%2020-2024	+10 points	Improved	60%
Effective property tax rate	2.01%2015-2019	1.87%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	45%
High school diploma or higher	93.7%2015-2019	86.8%2020-2024	−6.9 points	Within the margin of error	3%
Home price to income ratio	2.5×2015-2019	2.5×2020-2024	−0.1×	Within the margin of error	82%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3362015-2019	0.3852020-2024	+0.048	Within the margin of error	17%
Median household income	$61,2502015-2019	$76,0962020-2024	+24%	Improved	42%
Rent as share of income	22.9%2015-2019	33.7%2020-2024	+11 points	Declined	8%
Rent-burdened households	31.0%2015-2019	62.7%2020-2024	+32 points	Declined	2%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	5.4%2015-2019	7.7%2020-2024	+2.4 points	Within the margin of error	23%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania itself moved −20.8 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

3,495 residents (±16)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

1,391 households (±126)

Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania share

Under $25k14%†196
$25k–50k11%†148
$50k–75k

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

1,391 households (±126)

Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania share

Own74%1,023
Rent26%†368

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+11.2 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

1,799 workers (±207)

Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania share

Drive alone88%1,587
Carpool5.1%†92
Public transit0.0%0

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Northampton County, the county holding most of Pen Argyl's residents.

Northampton County has 6,529 employer establishments, 203 for every 10,000 residents (0.82× the US rate of 248; 0.86× Pennsylvania's), with 121,192 paid employees at an average annual pay of $56,792. The Census Bureau also counts 23,120 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 6,529; 23,120 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 203; US 248 · Pennsylvania 236
Paid employees: 121,192
Average annual pay: $56,792; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Northampton County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	579	18	0.98×About typical	8,600	$21,232	134
Ambulatory health care services	479	14.9	0.72×Fewer than typical	5,558	$82,850	1,078
Specialty trade contractors	425	13.2	0.86×About typical	3,111	$68,996	1,519
Full-service restaurants	279	8.7	1.13×About typical	4,708	$22,961	68
Limited-service restaurants	227	7.1	0.88×About typical	3,091	$19,907	49
Services to buildings and dwellings	218	6.8	1.01×About typical	1,274	$35,182	1,208
Lessors of real estate	215	6.7	0.54×Fewer than typical	746	$58,235	2,503
Personal care services	210	6.5	1.37×More than typical	1,062	$29,763	720
Truck transportation	190	5.9	1.17×About typical	2,574	$61,405	817
Religious organizations	183	5.7	1.03×About typical	1,474	$22,995	—
Construction of buildings	181	5.6	0.75×Fewer than typical	806	$65,388	633
Building equipment contractors	177	5.5	0.92×About typical	1,313	$69,719	302

Rank places for an industry Open Northampton County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 320,993 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $0 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania: $0 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $0
Per resident: $0; US $1,994
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

-1KFY2024

What was bought

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania, so they do not add up across cities.

Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania's figures are part of those of Northampton County, PA ($18.4M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.0% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Pen Argyl is mostly in Northampton County.

See federal money in Northampton County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Ryan MackenzieR-PA-7 · 100% of residentsWith party 94%Missed 1.9%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Northampton County83100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ74

Other cities and towns in Northampton County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/4258696

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends