It includes one of the Lehigh Valley’s biggest urban areas, a couple of its most visited tourist attractions, two of its biggest high schools, one of its four-year colleges and even a few farms.
The area is also among the hottest ZIP codes for homebuyers in the U.S.
In the annual rankings of Realtor.com’s “hottest ZIP codes,” the 18104 ZIP code — which consists of Allentown’s West End, a major portion of South Whitehall Township and slivers of Upper Macungie, Lower Macungie and North Whitehall townships — was ranked 10th in the Northeast, putting it in the honorable mention category for the national list.
It’s an area that’s visited by many in the Lehigh Valley and beyond. It includes the Allentown Fairgrounds and Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom. Students living in the ZIP code attend Allen or Parkland high schools and maybe later attend Muhlenberg College if they want to stay close to home.
Greater Lehigh Valley Realtors President Michael Bernadyn said the recognition aligns with what local Realtors have been seeing in 18104.
“Local Realtors have certainly observed growing demand in Allentown and surrounding areas such as South Whitehall and Upper Macungie,” Bernadyn said. “This ZIP code offers a unique combination of well-established neighborhoods, access to quality schools, and proximity to major commuting routes, making it especially attractive to buyers.
“Over the past year, many have noted increased competition and faster-moving inventory in that area, reinforcing its status as a sought-after market within the Valley,” he said.
Bernadyn said it shows the continued strength of the market in the entire Lehigh Valley.
The median home price from January to June in 18104 was $433,000. The Greater Lehigh Valley Realtors reported a record high median price of $375,000 in July for the entire Valley.
Beverly, Massachusetts, had the top ZIP Code (01915) in both the Northeast and the U.S. In fact, seven of the top 10 in the U.S. were from the Northeast.
The rest of the Northeast included Marlton, New Jersey (08053); Leominster, Massachusetts (01453); Wayne, New Jersey (07470); Trumbull, Connecticut (06611); Cumberland, Rhode Island (02864); South Windsor, Connecticut (06074); Wilbraham, Massachusetts (01095); and Manchester, New Hampshire (03104).
The 18104 ZIP was the only Pennsylvania locale on any of the lists.
“Generally, these ZIP codes offer value relative to their surrounding metro,” Realtor.com said in its report. “Buyers can take advantage of suburban lifestyle amenities without giving up access to economic opportunities.”
Realtor.com said the Northeast and Midwest dominated the top rankings for a third consecutive year, with the South and West absent again.
“The hottest ZIPs lean older and weather,” Realtor.com said, “drawing buyers with stronger credit profiles and larger down payments than the national norm.”
Having a Lehigh Valley community recognized by Realtor.com, which releases its hottest ZIP code list every August, has become a tradition.
Last year, the 18062 ZIP code, which consists of Macungie and portions of Lower Macungie and Upper Milford townships, along with a portion of eastern Berks County, was ranked 10th. In 2023, Nazareth’s 18064 ZIP code was recognized, coming in fifth. Bethlehem’s 18017 ZIP code was sixth in 2022 and Bethlehem’s 18018 ZIP code was 12th in 2021.
The Realtor.com Hottest ZIP Code rankings take into account two aspects of the housing market:
- Market demand, as measured by unique viewers per property on Realtor.com.
- The pace of the market as measured by the number of days a listing remains active on Realtor.com.
The hottest areas are those that have high demand from buyers, which includes lots of unique viewers per each property listed for sale, and fast-selling homes, an indicator of limited supply.
Morning Call reporter Evan Jones can be reached at ejones@mcall.com.
