$350,000
3 bd|1 ba|1,720 sqft
1925 Columbine Ave, Bethlehem, PA 18018
Listed by BHHS Fox & Roach-Collegeville
Lehigh County + Northampton County
Bethlehem Area School District
45.4
Academic Index · #97 of 112
Straddles Lehigh and Northampton counties (PDE lists it under Northampton). The matrix scores it on the Lehigh side; the Northampton-side school rate (63.17 mills) is in the tax dataset and drives Northampton-side listings and the Northampton tax page. Listing/price counts span both sides.
Academic outcomes (2024-25)
% proficient or advanced, official PDE district files. Black tick = state average.
PSSA English (gr. 3-8)36.1%PA 48.5%
PSSA Math (gr. 3-8)30.2%PA 41.7%
Keystone Algebra I27.8%PA 44.3%
Keystone Literature46.7%PA 62.1%
Keystone Biology33.6%PA 49.4%
4-year graduation rate88.8%PA 89.1%
The true tax picture
- School millage (2025-26)
- 19.42 mills
- Effective school tax (of market value)
- 0.91%/yr
- Typical total (county + muni + school)
- 1.51%/yr
- On a $450,000 purchase
- ≈ $6,791/yr
- Median sale, 12 mo (61 sales)
- $325,000
Northampton County side: effective school tax ≈ 1.02% (billed on that county's assessments).
Rates assume an assessment at Lehigh County's current Common Level Ratio (47.00%). PA does not reassess on sale. Exact math for any price: the calculator.
Family & student support
Beyond test scores: official, public measures of student support and community context that families ask about. District- and county-level only; never a rating of an individual school, student, or home.
Support & services
U.S. Dept. of Education / NCES, 2021-22. Gray figures are the PA average.
- Special-education enrollment
- 21.9%PA avg 20.3%
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1PA avg 13.9:1
- Students per school counselor
- 266:1PA avg 352:1 · recommended 250:1
- Students per school psychologist
- 1,086:1PA avg 1,165:1 · recommended 500:1
Special-education enrollment is the share of students receiving IEP or related services: the support a district provides, not a drawback. Counselor and psychologist ratios compare against ASCA (250:1) and NASP (500:1) recommendations.
Lehigh County: overdose context
Pennsylvania Department of Health. County-level, not specific to any school or district.
111drug-overdose deaths in 2024
20122024
Down from 146 the prior year and a peak of 184 in 2021. Recent years are provisional.
School climate & safety
81.3%regular attendance
Share of students present at least 90% of enrolled days, vs. 79.6% statewide. Enrollment-weighted across the district's schools. Pennsylvania Future Ready PA Index, 2024-25.
U.S. Dept. of Education, Office for Civil Rights — Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC), 2021-22. Incidents per 1,000 enrolled students; one student can account for several incidents, so this is not the share of students involved. Figures are privacy-adjusted at the school level; small district counts are shown as “fewer than 10.”
- Bullying & harassment allegations
- 2.4 / 1,000
- Out-of-school suspensions
- 47.5 / 1,000
- Referrals to law enforcement
- 15.7 / 1,000
- School-related arrests
- Fewer than 10
- Restraint or seclusion
- 2.1 / 1,000
Bullying counts are incidents a district formally reported under federal civil-rights categories, a widely underreported measure. A low number (including zero) often reflects reporting practices more than the absence of bullying.
These figures describe districts and counties, not individual schools, students, or homes. They are official public data and may be self-reported, lag by a year or more, or be underreported. They are context for families, not a safety rating. Sources: U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data (2021-22); Pennsylvania Department of Health; Pennsylvania Future Ready PA Index (2024-25); U.S. Dept. of Education, Office for Civil Rights — Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) (2021-22).
Schools in Bethlehem Area
22 public schools. Open any for grades, enrollment, and attendance.
Elementary schools
Asa Packer Elementary SchoolCalypso Elementary SchoolClearview Elementary SchoolDonegan Elementary SchoolFarmersville Elementary SchoolFountain Hill Elementary SchoolFreemansburg Elementary SchoolGovernor Wolf Elementary SchoolHanover Elementary SchoolJames Buchanan Elementary SchoolLincoln Elementary SchoolMarvine Elementary SchoolMiller Heights Elementary SchoolSpring Garden Elementary SchoolThomas Jefferson Elementary SchoolWilliam Penn Elementary School
Middle schools
High schools
Tax bill by municipality
| Municipality | Muni millage | Total millage | Effective rate | Tax on $450,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethlehem City (Lehigh side) | 6.21 mills | 29.41 mills | 1.38% | ≈ $6,220/yr |
| Fountain Hill Borough | 11.61 mills | 34.81 mills | 1.64% | ≈ $7,362/yr |
Browse homes in Bethlehem Area
Homes for sale in Bethlehem Area
Active listings across the district's towns. Every home here feeds the same schools.
$350,000
3 bd|2 ba|1,279 sqft
3076 Westminster Rd, Bethlehem, PA 18017
Listed by Quinn & Wilson, Inc.
$949,000
5 bd|3.5 ba|5,209 sqft
3385 Woodbridge Cir, Bethlehem, PA 18017
Listed by Kurfiss Sotheby's International Realty
$385,000
5 bd|1.5 ba|1,968 sqft
214 10th Ave, Bethlehem, PA 18018
Listed by Sunny Curb Appeal, LLC
$550,000
4 bd|3.5 ba|2,661 sqft
1105 Brentwood Ave, Bethlehem, PA 18017
Listed by Keller Williams Real Estate - Allentown
$445,000
3 bd|2.5 ba|2,330 sqft
2396 Emanuel Ct, Easton, PA 18045
Listed by Real of Pennsylvania
$949,900
4 bd|4.5 ba|4,917 sqft
4140 Douglas Dr, Bethlehem, PA 18020
Listed by Keller Williams Real Estate - Bethlehem
$449,900
Price cut: $30,000 (Jul 20)
4 bd|2.5 ba|2,423 sqft
4008 Oakland Rd, Bethlehem, PA 18020
Listed by Realty One Group Alliance
$325,000
3 bd|1 ba|1,075 sqft
850 E North St, Bethlehem, PA 18017
Listed by EXP Realty, LLC
$325,000
5 bd|1.5 ba|2,004 sqft
707 5th Ave, Bethlehem, PA 18018
Listed by Keller Williams Real Estate - Bethlehem
$259,900
3 bd|1.5 ba|1,564 sqft
227 E Garrison St, Bethlehem, PA 18018
Listed by Keller Williams Real Estate - Bethlehem
$535,000
4 bd|2.5 ba|2,266 sqft
4568 Greenfield Rd, Bethlehem, PA 18017
Listed by Keller Williams Real Estate - Bethlehem
Common questions
Is Bethlehem Area a good school district?
Bethlehem Area scores 45.4 of 100 on the NookLocal Academic Index, #97 of 112 districts serving Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Berks, Lancaster, and the Lehigh Valley. Components (official 2025 PDE data): PSSA proficiency 33% (state ~45%), Keystone proficiency 36%, graduation rate 88.8% (state 89.1%). The index measures outcomes, not school effectiveness in isolation.
What are property taxes in Bethlehem Area School District?
The district levies 19.42 mills (2025-26) on Lehigh County's assessment base, an effective school tax of about 0.91% of market value at the current Common Level Ratio. With county and typical municipal millage, the total runs about 1.51%, roughly $6,791 per year on a $450,000 purchase. Exact bills vary by municipality (1.38%–1.64% across 2) and by the home's actual assessment.
What towns are in Bethlehem Area School District?
NookLocal-covered towns served by Bethlehem Area: Bethlehem, Bethlehem City, Bethlehem City, Bethlehem Township, Hanover Township. The taxing municipalities are Bethlehem City (Lehigh side), Fountain Hill Borough. A specific home's district is shown on every NookLocal listing.
Bethlehem Area vs. Catasauqua Area: how do they compare?
Academically: Bethlehem Area 45.4 vs. Catasauqua Area 46.6 on the Academic Index. On taxes: 1.51% vs. 1.62% of home value per year, about $6,791 vs. $7,273 on a $450,000 purchase. Full comparison on the school district value matrix.
What is the attendance rate in Bethlehem Area School District?
81.3% of Bethlehem Area students are regularly present (enrolled and attending at least 90% of school days) versus 79.6% statewide (Future Ready PA Index, 2024-25).
Does Bethlehem Area support students with IEPs and special needs?
21.9% of students receive special-education services (Pennsylvania average 20.3%), with about 266 students per school counselor and 1,086 per school psychologist. The Family & student support section above has the full breakdown.
Is Bethlehem Area a safe school district?
Rather than a single safety score, NookLocal shows official district figures. Regular attendance is 81.3% (state 79.6%). For 2021-22, the federal Civil Rights Data Collection reports about 47.5 out-of-school suspensions and 15.7 law-enforcement referrals per 1,000 students. These figures describe the district, not individual schools, and reported bullying is widely undercounted. See the Family & student support section.
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Track Bethlehem Area rates and inventory
School budgets and the state's Common Level Ratio reset every district's true rate each year. We send the re-rank when it changes, plus weekly new listings and price cuts.
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Academic data: PA Department of Education district-level files (2024-25). Tax data: county assessment offices and STEB. Estimates only. Verify with the district and county before transacting. Full methodology on the value matrix.
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