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Place dossier plate
SheetPA-CATASAUQUA-PA · Catasauqua, PA 6,491 pop · income 55th pct
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Catasauqua
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Catasauqua on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Moraine · lowest
44,648
Moraine · lowest
44,648 median HH income
27.9% of the leader · rank #1
Unionville · near
74,356
Unionville · near
74,356 median HH income
46.5% of the leader · rank #2
Sterling · near
74,359
Sterling · near
74,359 median HH income
46.5% of the leader · rank #3
Catasauqua · this city
74,363
Catasauqua · this city
74,363 median HH income
46.5% of the leader · rank #4
Midway · near
74,375
Midway · near
74,375 median HH income
46.5% of the leader · rank #5
Neponset · near
74,375
Neponset · near
74,375 median HH income
46.5% of the leader · rank #6
Blue Bell · highest
159,963
Blue Bell · highest
159,963 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Catasauqua on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 6,491.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Catasauqua - the verdict
Nationally, Catasauqua sits in the 55th percentile for household income and the 51st percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
55th
percentile, household income
43rd
percentile, home value
54th
percentile, median rent
51st
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Catasauqua, PA
Census ACS 2023 estimates count 6,491 residents in Catasauqua, a small town within Pennsylvania. Households in Catasauqua report a median income of $74,363 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 4.3%. Catasauqua's housing stock carries a median value of $201,600, and the median resident age is 38.9 years. 32.5% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 68.1% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 13 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 1200% from five years earlier. Catasauqua reports a comparatively low crime rate: per-100,000 total crime stands at 1347.8 in FBI UCR data, below the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
Pennsylvania tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Pennsylvania at 97.6 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Near Average). Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,225 monthly. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Pennsylvania run around $260, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 67.4 out of 100 (Moderate).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Catasauqua's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from schools and households to housing and income to comparison shortlist to population change to reported crime to work and mobility; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Catasauqua, city-specific coverage includes FBI reported-crime rates, local building permits, annual population history, matched public-school count, commute-mode shares.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
1. Schools and households
What does the education layer cover for Catasauqua?
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
The NCES join finds 3 public schools within the city match. 32.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
How far does income reach against housing in Catasauqua?
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 2.7 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 4.3%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
Which cities make useful reference points for Catasauqua?
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
Within Pennsylvania, the closest population matches are Red Lion (6,494 residents, $63,672 income); Swarthmore (6,524 residents, $146,992 income); Blue Bell (6,450 residents, $159,963 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Horseheads, NY (6,494 residents); Salem, IN (6,484 residents); Hazardville, CT (6,482 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
Is Catasauqua growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +75 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +1.2% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 13 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Reported crime
What can the FBI record say about safety in Catasauqua?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 1347.8 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 41% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
Total reported rate
1347.8
Violent rate
154.9
Property rate
1192.9
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
What does the journey to work look like in Catasauqua?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 78.9%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Drive alone
78.9%
Work from home
10.5%
Public transit
1.0%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 3,545 workers age 16+.
Above median income · poverty 4.3% (Below-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
97.6 (US=100)
Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, Pennsylvania average
C
City profile score · Catasauqua, PA
58/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Poverty rate B
4.3%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Bachelor's+ share C+
32.5%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Violent crime C
155 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Household income C-
$74,363
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Cost of living C-
97.6 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Catasauqua profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Poverty rate: 70/100 (B) · 4.3%
Bachelor's+ share: 62/100 (C+) · 32.5%
Violent crime: 57/100 (C) · 155 /100k
Household income: 54/100 (C-) · $74,363
Cost of living: 50/100 (C-) · 97.6 index
Where Catasauqua sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Catasauqua's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Catasauqua highlighted among 25 peers.Read the chart values
Catasauqua, PA (this city): home $201,600, crime 1,348/100k
Moraine, OH : home $128,100, crime 6,992/100k
Swarthmore, PA : home $557,900, crime 750/100k
Milton, PA : home $172,100, crime 1,549/100k
West View, PA : home $209,800, crime 991/100k
New York, NY : home $751,700, crime 3,039/100k
Los Angeles, CA : home $879,500, crime 2,212/100k
Chicago, IL : home $315,200, crime 4,012/100k
Houston, TX : home $253,400, crime 5,442/100k
Phoenix, AZ : home $381,900, crime 3,125/100k
Philadelphia, PA : home $232,400, crime 5,457/100k
San Antonio, TX : home $219,700, crime 5,218/100k
San Diego, CA : home $848,500, crime 2,082/100k
Dallas, TX : home $295,300, crime 4,010/100k
San Jose, CA : home $1,187,800, crime 3,195/100k
Austin, TX : home $512,700, crime 3,709/100k
Fort Worth, TX : home $277,300, crime 3,158/100k
Columbus, OH : home $234,500, crime 3,088/100k
Indianapolis, IN : home $207,000, crime 4,214/100k
San Francisco, CA : home $1,380,500, crime 4,526/100k
Seattle, WA : home $912,100, crime 5,783/100k
Denver, CO : home $586,700, crime 5,755/100k
Oklahoma City, OK : home $215,100, crime 3,570/100k
El Paso, TX : home $171,700, crime 1,772/100k
Washington, DC : home $724,600, crime 4,514/100k
How does Catasauqua compare to other US cities?
Where Catasauqua sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income55% higher than other cities
Home value43% pricier than other cities
Median rent54% pricier than other cities
Safety51% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at Pennsylvania, Catasauqua ranks #285 of 402 Pennsylvania cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Catasauqua against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Pennsylvania only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Pennsylvania-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Catasauqua near the bottom of Pennsylvania's cities
Among the 1,865 Pennsylvania cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Catasauqua ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Catasauqua only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#672 of 1,765
62nd percentile in Pennsylvania
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 1,865
0th percentile in Pennsylvania
Median Home Value
#632 of 1,790
65th percentile in Pennsylvania
Poverty Rate
#1,064 of 1,856
42nd percentile in Pennsylvania
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#469 of 1,861
75th percentile in Pennsylvania
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Pennsylvania only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
55th percentile nationally for median household income · 51st percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Catasauqua's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Catasauqua's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Catasauqua's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$201,600Among the most affordablemore affordable than 57% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Catasauqua's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.7×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#5,085 of 15,516
More affordable than 67% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#4,457 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 2.7×, Catasauqua sits in the affordable band:
national rank #5,085 of 15,516 and #4,457 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000).
The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$74,363Catasauqua, PA median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Catasauqua, PA median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Catasauqua, PA.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)32.5%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)4.3%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)68.1%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
6,491
Median Income
$74,363
Median Home Value
$201,600
Median Age
38.9
Poverty Rate
4.3%
Labor force participation
68.1%
Bachelor's Degree+
32.5%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
1347.8
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
154.9
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1192.9
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Schools
Total Schools
3
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Catasauqua's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
6,515 residents
2021
6,522 residents
2022
6,490 residents
2023
6,509 residents
2024
6,585 residents
2025
6,590 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
13
housing units authorized
Single-Family
13
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
2
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
1
1
0
$0.1M
2020
1
1
0
$0.1M
2021
1
1
0
$0.1M
2022
1
1
0
$0.1M
2023
17
17
0
$5.1M
2024
13
13
0
$3.9M
Permit volume increased 1200% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
78.9%
Carpool
6.9%
Public Transit
1.0%
Walk
2.1%
Work from Home
10.5%
Other
0.6%
Based on 3,545 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Pennsylvania statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $260
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Pennsylvania at $260 (electricity about $120 , water and sewer about $52 ).
These are Pennsylvania statewide averages, not a meter reading for Catasauqua. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Pennsylvania's BEA cost-of-living index is 97.6 (Near Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Catasauqua is $1,225/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Pennsylvania statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 67.4 / 100 (Moderate).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Pennsylvania statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Catasauqua sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Catasauqua compares to similar-size Pennsylvania cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.