Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Emmaus grades A− overall, 319th of 1032 graded towns in Pennsylvania, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. The median household earns $84K and CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 78% of the country. It also does better than most on schools: its schools rank ahead of 76% of Pennsylvania towns. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: homes are expensive, about $389K for a typical one and 4.6 times the Allentown metro’s $85K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 93% of U.S. towns, with 3 places on the National Register. Emmaus’ trail density is 1.1 miles per square mile, above both Pennsylvania’s towns (0.4) and U.S. towns (0.4). Only 166 of Pennsylvania’s 1,751 towns score higher on the outdoors. Its National Register listings include Shelter House and Jacob Jr. Ehrenhardt House.
Where Emmaus beats most towns.
Census counts: 381 in 1860, 11,652 in 2020. The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 1933 and 6 maps from 1939 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Emmaus is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Emmaus. Close and well known come first.
4 mi Theme parkDorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom
Big draw37 mi MuseumLynnewood Hall
5 mi Stadium & arenaPPL Center
29 mi National Historical ParkValley Forge National Historical Park1.8M visitors a year
19 mi Park & preserveLehigh River26 mi Stadium & arenaSovereign CenterDorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom: Coasterman1234 at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lynnewood Hall: Shuvaev, CC BY-SA 3.0 · PPL Center: Hunter Kahn, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Valley Forge National Historical Park: The original uploader was JGHowes at English Wikipedia. (Original text: en:User, Attribution · Lehigh River: The original uploader was Malepheasant at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 2.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Emmaus, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Emmaus.
Emmaus has less tooth loss than most of Pennsylvania and has seen reported crime fall by about half.
On this, Emmaus is near the Pennsylvania town median (8.2%) and above the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). 3.2 miles of trail in 14 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Emmaus Community Park, at 35 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Rodale Nature Area | 1 mi | 18 |
| 2. Klines Lane Open Space | 0.3 mi | 15 |
| 3. South Mountain Preserve | 0.3 mi | 12 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by East Penn SD. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Emmaus HS, with 2,842 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seven Generations CSLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 497 | B− |
| Emmaus HSLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,842 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
Its widest gap with Pennsylvania is tooth loss: 9.1% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 14.5% statewide.
12% of Emmaus adults report frequent physical distress. Emmaus beats the Pennsylvania average on 7 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 9.7% of Emmaus adults have diabetes.
| Emmaus | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 14% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 9.7% | 11% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 19% | 19% |
| What stands out | Emmaus | PA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 9.1% | 14.5% |
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 3% | 3.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
64% of households own their home in Emmaus. The typical Emmaus home is worth about $389,000, up 3.6% in a year, 35% above the Pennsylvania typical home. Emmaus’ median rent is $1,389 a month.
| Emmaus | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 64% | 78% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,389 a month | $1,114 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 74% of U.S. communities. Since 1987, 12 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Emmaus.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Emmaus has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 20° and about 33 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Emmaus for work: only 7% work in town. The top destinations are Allentown (11%), Upper Macungie Township (7%) and Bethlehem (7%). Half commute less than 8 miles.
| Emmaus | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 14% | 12% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 7.3% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Reported crimes fell from 190 to 103 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Pennsylvania has less reported crime than most states, so among its own towns Emmaus sits closer to the middle.
| Emmaus | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 7.1 per 1,000 residents | 5.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.1 per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Pennsylvania average. Emmaus has grown 7.5% since 2020, to 12,514 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 32% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 35% across Pennsylvania.
| Emmaus | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 17% | 21% | 18% |
| Median age | 39.1 years | 43.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 32% | 29% | 29% |
| Under 18 | 21% | 20% | 22% |
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.1 points. Across Pennsylvania, 50.7% of residents are women.
| Emmaus | PA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.2% | 10.8% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.8% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.1% | 9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.3% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 16.6% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.9% | 11.9% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.6% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.6% | 8.1% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.5% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 34.3% | 32.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 15.9% | 15.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.2% | 8.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 23.2% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.9% | 14.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
9 within 15 miles of the center of Emmaus
About 3 of every 100 Emmaus residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
3 places in Emmaus on the National Register of Historic Places.
Borough in Pennsylvania, US
Emmaus ( em-AY-əs) is a borough in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, it had a population of 11,652. Emmaus is located in the Lehigh Valley, the third-largest metropolitan area in Pennsylvania and 68th-largest metropolitan area in the nation. In 2007 and again in 2009, Emmaus was listed as one of the top 100 "Best Places to Live" in the United States by Money magazine. Emmaus is located 5 miles (8.0 km) south of Allentown, 53.4 miles (85.9 km) north of Philadelphia, and 91.6 miles (147.4 km) west of New York City.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Emmaus.
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emmaus | #319 | A− | C | B | A− | A− |
| Upper Milford Township | #217 | A | C | — | A− | A− |
| Lower Macungie Township | #353 | A− | D | — | A− | A− |
| Salisbury Township | #901 | C | C− | — | C | B− |
| Allentown | #1021 | D | C | C | D | D |
Upper Milford Township, Lower Macungie Township and Salisbury Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Emmaus with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Emmaus grades A− overall, better than 81% of U.S. towns and #319 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades A− for health, B for safety and A− for schools.
Yes, by national standards. Pennsylvania has less crime than most states, so among its own towns Emmaus sits nearer the middle.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
2 notable people were born here, including Marcus C.L. Kline and George Diehl.
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