Neighborhood · Bethlehem, PA

Penn Summit Eviction Risk: Moderate

1 census tracts · pop 5,660 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 4.3/10 · range 4.3–4.3

Penn Summit is a white (non-hispanic) neighborhood in Bethlehem with 1 census tract and a population of 5,660 residents. The neighborhood's pop-weighted eviction-risk score of 4.3/10 (Moderate tier) blends state law, county-level filing rates, parent-city politics, and tract-specific rent-to-income ratios + poverty. 62% of renters here pay at least 30% of household income on rent, and 7% are severely cost-burdened (≥50% of income). Average gross rent of $1,908/month sits 38% higher than the Bethlehem citywide average ($1,382).

Risk score

4.3

Moderate

1 tracts · population-weighted

Penn Summit vs Bethlehem How this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average

% of income on rent

62.3% +100%

Bethlehem: 31.1%

Average gross rent

$1,908 +38%

Bethlehem: $1,382

Average HH income

$84,923 +28%

Bethlehem: $66,443

Poverty rate

7.0% -56%

Bethlehem: 15.8%

Renter share

26.7% -47%

Bethlehem: 50.1%

Peer neighborhoods

Neighborhoods with similar eviction risk

Same county, closest by Eviction Risk Score.

Geographic context

Risk heat across Penn Summit and the region

Click any tract to drill in · 1 tracts span score 4.3–4.3

Why Penn Summit scores 4.3

9 axes · pop-weighted · 1 = landlord-friendly

State political climate

legislature & governorship · Range 3.4–3.4 across tracts

3.4

Regional political climate

County-level mix · 2024 presidential margin · Range 5.0–5.0 across tracts

5.0

Local political climate

Parent city governance · Range 5.5–5.5 across tracts

5.5

Rent control risk

62% of income on rent · Range 7.1–7.1 across tracts

7.1

Eviction process difficulty

State notice requirements & court backlog · Range 3.5–3.5 across tracts

3.5

Tenant organizing strength

27% renter households · Range 9.1–9.1 across tracts

9.1

Housing court bias

County bench composition · Range 7.1–7.1 across tracts

7.1

Economic stress

7.0% below poverty line · Range 1.8–1.8 across tracts

1.8

Supply constraint

Rent-to-FMR gap & zoning friction · Range 7.7–7.7 across tracts

7.7

Risk score comparison

Penn Summit vs. parent city, state, U.S.

Eviction Risk Score (0–10 scale).

Census tracts

1 tracts in Penn Summit

Ranked highest-risk first. Click for per-tract detail.

Tract↕	Score↕	Pop↕	% over 30% on rent↕	Average rent↕
42095010400	4.3	5,660	62%	$1,908

Social Vulnerability Index

CDC SVI percentile: 17

Pop-weighted across 1 tracts. Higher = more vulnerable to disaster, displacement, and rent shocks. Source: CDC/ATSDR SVI 2022.

Socioeconomic status 27%ile

Poverty, unemployment, no-HS-diploma, housing cost burden

Household characteristics 33%ile

Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+

Racial/ethnic minority 51%ile

Hispanic + non-white share of population

Housing & transport 9%ile

Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle

Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab

Court-record eviction history in Penn Summit

Aggregated across 1 validated constituent tract. Filing rate is filings per 100 renter households, pop-weighted.

Historic baseline (2000–2018)

170Total filings (sum)
5.87%Avg annual filing rate
7.8%Peak year (2001)
7.09%Latest filed (2006)

Frequently asked

About Penn Summit

What is the eviction-risk score for Penn Summit?

Penn Summit scores 4.3/10 (Moderate tier) across 1 census tracts. The pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score blends state law, county filing rates, parent-city politics, and tract-specific rent-to-income and poverty signals.

How does Penn Summit compare to Bethlehem overall?

Penn Summit scores 0.1 points higher than Bethlehem overall (4.2/10). Renters spend 62% of income on rent vs 31% citywide. Average rent: $1,908 vs $1,382.

What is the average rent in Penn Summit?

Average gross rent in Penn Summit is $1,908/month (pop-weighted across 1 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 62% of renter households are cost-burdened.

What percentage of Penn Summit residents are renters?

27% of Penn Summit households are renter-occupied (vs 50% in Bethlehem). The neighborhood has 5,660 residents.

Is Penn Summit a high social-vulnerability area?

Penn Summit sits in the 17th percentile nationally on the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (low vulnerability). The index combines poverty, unemployment, household composition, racial/ethnic minority share, and housing/transportation factors across all US census tracts.

How safe is Penn Summit for landlords?

Penn Summit carries a moderate-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (4.3/10). Pop-weighted across 1 constituent tracts, the score blends parent-city rent-control posture, county eviction-process timelines, and tract-specific rent-to-income / poverty signals. Compared to Bethlehem as a whole (4.2/10), this neighborhood is in line with the citywide level.

What is the demographic breakdown of Penn Summit?

Penn Summit has 5,510 residents (White (non-Hispanic) Neighborhood). Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (63%), Hispanic / Latino (20.8%), Black (non-Hispanic) (13.6%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.

Nearby

Other neighborhoods near Penn Summit

4.8 Clearfield Terrace 2 tracts · pop 7,283 6.2 Historic South Bethlehem 2 tracts · pop 7,471 4.5 Sayre Park 2 tracts · pop 7,563 1.6 Trio Fields 2 tracts · pop 11,725 2.4 Wagner Terrace 2 tracts · pop 6,109 2 Somerset Village 2 tracts · pop 9,643

Sibling neighborhoods

Other neighborhoods inside Bethlehem

Same parent city, ranked by score similarity to Penn Summit.

4.4 Westwood 1 tracts · pop 3,735 4.4 Sayre Park 2 tracts · pop 7,563 4.6 Buchanan Park 1 tracts · pop 3,760 3.9 Burnside 1 tracts · pop 2,976 4.9 East Hills 1 tracts · pop 3,984 5 Edgeboro 1 tracts · pop 4,530

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