Allentown, Lehigh Valley Grows

From the Morning Call:

Early 2010 Census figures for Pennsylvania have been released and they show Allentown has grown at a robust rate of 10.7 percent.

The growth solidifies Allentown as the third-largest city in the state behind Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

The five most populous cities or townships, according to the 2010 Census are: Philadelphia, 1,526,006; Pittsburgh, 305,704; Allentown, 118,032; Erie, 101,786; and Reading, 88,082. Philadelphia grew by 0.6 percent since the 2000 Census. Pittsburgh decreased by 8.6 percent, Allentown grew by 10.7 percent, Erie decreased by 1.9 percent, and Reading grew by 8.5 percent.

Bethlehem came in eighth, adding about 3,600 new residents for a total of 74,982.

Then there's Lower Macungie. The township added more new residents—11,413—than any municipality in the state. Allentown came in second with 11,400 and Philadelphia added 8,456, to come in third.

The largest county is Philadelphia, with a population of 1,526,006. Its population grew by 0.6 percent since 2000. The other counties in the top five include Allegheny, with a population of 1,223,348; Montgomery, 799,874; Bucks, 625,249; and Delaware, 558,979.

Lehigh County's population increased 12 percent to 349,497, while Northampton County's population grew 11.5 percent to 297,735. Together, the two counties added more than 68,000 residents over the last ten years.