Side-by-side comparison of York, PA and Bethlehem, PA — cap rates, rent, prices, and investment metrics.
Cash flow: Bethlehem has the edge with an estimated cap rate of 3.57% compared to York's 2.91%. Neither city passes the 1% rule outright, so deal sourcing and value-add strategies become more important. Median home prices are $300,000 in York vs $350,000 in Bethlehem, while rents come in at $1,360/mo and $1,770/mo respectively. For context, the national average cap rate is 3.81% and average price is $333K.
Growth & appreciation: Bethlehem is growing faster at 0.3% annually vs York's 0.1%. Bethlehem leads on home value appreciation at 2.5% per year.
Costs & risk: Property taxes are 1.38% in York vs 1.36% in Bethlehem. Vacancy rates of 6.5% and 5.5% are mixed — Bethlehem has the tighter rental market.
Entry point: York offers a lower entry at $300K vs Bethlehem's $350K — a difference of $50K. With a 20% down payment, that's $60K vs $70K. Bethlehem's higher price may be justified by stronger growth.
Bottom line: Bethlehem edges out York on most key metrics. While cap rates are moderate at 3.57%, Bethlehem's overall profile is stronger. Use our free calculators to model specific deals in York or Bethlehem.