AARP’s Great Places to Live: Easton, Pennsylvania

Close to major cities, Easton has a porch-swing charm

Bill Hangley Jr.,

AARP

Published November 19, 2025

AARP’s Great Places to Live is a list of 10 communities that have many of the qualities older people value: good health care, social opportunities, a nice climate, ease in getting around, a thriving job market and rank highly on AARP's Livability Index (learn more about the Livability Index here, including how your community ranks). One city that made the list: Easton, Pennsylvania. To see more Great Places to Live, click here.

Population: 28,883
AARP Livability Index score: 64
Average monthly housing cost: $1,200
Perfect-weather days*: 116 per year

To take in the charms of Easton, Pennsylvania, head down to Scott Park, at the confluence of the Delaware and Lehigh rivers, take a seat on one of the city’s new porch-style swings, and relax with a pal while you watch the waters flow.

“They’re the best,” says Carmen A. Bell, 70, senior director of healthy aging at United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley, whose team helped make the swings a reality. Easton is “a community that is working to engage and to be respectful of everyone,” Bell says. “We’re a work in progress, so nothing is perfect. But we’re supported by two large health networks, we’ve got great outdoor spaces and we’ve got good people.”

Founded in 1752 and home to nearly 29,000 residents, Easton sits at the foot of the Lehigh Valley, near the larger cities of Allentown and Bethlehem. The region’s steel mills are long gone, but its hardworking heritage is still very much alive, with shipping and manufacturing now buttressed by tourism, health care and services.

One of Easton’s flagship companies tells the tale: A Crayola factory sits just outside town, churning out the famous crayons, while downtown Easton hosts the Crayola Experience, an interactive museum for children and families that opened in 1996.

Easton’s sweet-spot location has fueled its growth; New York City and Philadelphia are each about 70 miles away, with direct interstate routes, making it an ideal option for retirees who want to stay connected to those big cities. Lehigh Valley officials estimate that the region has been adding about 2,600 people per year, drawn by the region’s wide range of housing options, job market and natural beauty.

Affordability

Housing demand has been rising, but housing options are growing, too. Much of the housing near downtown consists of century-old row homes and twinplexes with two or three bedrooms, often under 2,000 square feet, that sell for $200,000 or less. Surrounding neighborhoods offer larger homes on larger lots for $250,000 and up. New studio apartments in the heart of town rent for as little as $1,550. And unlike neighboring New Jersey, most retirement income in Pennsylvania is not taxed.

Health care

Easton is served by two well-regarded health care systems: the Lehigh Valley Health Network, which recently merged with Philadelphia’s Jefferson Health, and the St. Luke’s University Health Network, founded in 1872 to serve industrial workers. U.S. News & World Report routinely ranks hospitals in each system as among Pennsylvania’s best.

Culture

Home to families with deep roots as well as newcomers from around the world, Easton reflects the diversity of the region, with an especially fast-growing Latino population. The food scene reflects that diversity: Downtown diners can enjoy Indian cuisine at Aman’s, Japanese at Takkii Ramen or Mexican at Mesa. If all you want is a snack from a cart, there’s Dave’s Hot Dogs on Centre Square; for dessert, try the Carmelcorn Shop across the street, offering candy and nuts since 1931.

The State Theatre, which opened in 1910 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, offers a wide range of shows, including ballet (Swan Lake, The Nutcracker), Broadway (The Book of Mormon), family entertainment (Elmo & Friends Say Hello) and a steady supply of classic-rock tribute bands (Rumours of Fleetwood Mac, The Fab Faux, Get the Led Out). The theater relies on a crew of volunteer ushers, many of whom are older residents; one is Tifanie Sbriscia, 47, a nurse, who says she’s one of the youngest of the group. “I think everyone is retired or works part-time except for me,” she says. “They’re active. We’ll golf together.”

Grandparents who want to show the kids a good time can visit the family-friendly museums and attractions. Perhaps best known is the Crayola Experience, where kids can draw, make crafts and even create personalized crayons.

But there’s also the Hologram Zoo in City Hall, where you can don 3-D glasses and virtually visit an African savannah or the Australian outback. And just south of town is the National Canal Museum, celebrating the waterways that launched Easton’s economy. “You can ride a canal boat pulled by mules. You get a real education,” Orso says.

Getting around

Steve Orso, 69, retired from a career in advanced manufacturing, lives three miles from downtown Easton. “It’s nice to have a walkable downtown,” he says. “I’ll drive in and then power-walk around.”

As a city that predates the automobile, Easton is laid out in a classic grid, anchored by an old-fashioned town square, Centre Square, and its 75-foot-tall Civil War monument. A range of pedestrian improvements are underway, fueled by grants to update crosswalks and calm traffic. The downtown core features a healthy crop of shops and restaurants, a community center, a weekly farmers market and the historic State Theatre Center for the Arts, “all a short walk from the same parking garage,” Orso says.

Climate

Pennsylvania winters can be cold and snowy, and summers hot and humid. But the Lehigh Valley offers many ways to enjoy those seasons: summer tubing on the Delaware River, winter sports in the nearby Pocono Mountains, hunting and fishing in the region’s state parks. And there are wineries and orchards to visit in spring and fall. For a change of weather, Lehigh Valley International Airport is just a few miles away, offering nonstop flights to Florida, Colorado, Georgia and Tennessee.

Job market

The Lehigh Valley economy is changing and growing, moving away from heavy industry and toward health care services, shipping, warehousing and logistics. According to the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, the region has been adding several thousand new residents a year, and its economy is expected to add about 75,000 jobs by 2050.

Going-out guide

Sunny-day location: The Karl Stirner Arts Trail. This 1.75-mile trail and sculpture garden connects downtown Easton with the Lafayette College campus, winding along the Bushkill Creek. Leafy and green, the path is a gentle stroll with convenient parking. The trail, lined with art installations, is the site of various cultural events.

Weekday evening hangout: The Pomfret Club. Founded in 1885, this traditional dining club in the heart of downtown was originally the home of a secret society called The Crypt. It now boasts more than 400 members (dues are $65 per month) and offers dining, game nights, lectures, music and even bowling. The atmosphere is luxurious, but the affordable dinner specials include a monthly all-you-can-eat pasta night for $10.

Where to take visitors first: The Easton Public Market. A short walk from downtown’s Centre Square, this lively indoor market offers a wide range of food and drink, with plenty of space to sit and relax. On Saturdays, don’t miss the weekly Easton Farmers’ Market, one of the nation’s oldest, now in its 273rd season.

AARP initiatives

AARP Pennsylvania boasts an active community of volunteers in Easton; a recent project was helping “audit” dozens of dangerous intersections for pedestrians and cyclists in and around the city. That helped the city nab $1.3 million in funding that will be used, in part, to improve walkability and pedestrian safety.

*What's a perfect weather day? High temperature between 60 and 85 degrees, with less than 1 millimeter of rain. Source: Yahoo News analysis of federal data

Bill Hangley Jr. is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia and a regular visitor to the Lehigh Valley, where he enjoys its rich supply of parks, historical sites and minor league baseball. He has also written for the Philadelphia Enquirer and Reader’s Digest, among other outlets.

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