Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ Metro Area Immigration

Population

The Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) population 1/ increased from 520,245 in 1970 to 712,481 in 2010. That was an increase of 37.0 percent.

The foreign-born (FB) population increased from 21,857 in 1970 to 52,454 in 2010. That was an increase of 140.0 percent. The foreign-born share changed from 4.2 percent to 7.4 percent.

The share of the overall population that was native-born (NB) increased by 32.4 percent.

	Allentown MSA: Population  1970-2010

Sources of Population Change

The primary sources of population change are:

Natural Change [Births minus Deaths or B-D];
Net Domestic Migration [NDM - movement between states]; and
Net International Migration [NIM - movement into and out of the country].
There is also a residual "other" amount that isn't placed in one of those three categories.

The first chart below shows the three population change factors for three periods adjusted for annual average amounts. Natural change (B-D)was the principal factor adding population in the first period replaced by NDM in the second period and by NIM in the most recent period.

The second chart shows the same data but with an adjustment to reflect births to immigrants shifted to NIM. In it, international migration (NIM) became nearly the sole factor adding population in the most recent period.

	Allentown MSA: Sources of Population Change 1990-2014		Allentown MSA: Sources of Population Change (Adjusted) 1990-2014

		B-D	  NDM	 NIM						B-D	  NDM	  NIM	
	90-'99	49.3%	30.0%	20.8%					90-'99	31.2%	30.0%	38.9%
	00-'09	20.2%	59.2%	20.7%					00-'09	 3.8%.	59.2%	37.0%
	10-'14	27.0%	 neg.	73.0%					10-'14	 neg.	 neg.	 all

1/ Warren County, NJ and Pennsylvania counties: Carbon, Lehigh, and Northampton.

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