Want to live and work in Hazleton?

Hazleton has about 30,000 inhabitants, and the demographic shift was rapid. In 2000, more than 95% of residents were white of European descent, descendants of Italian, Polish, Irish, and Slovak miners who arrived between 1880 and 1920. By 2020, the majority of the city was already Hispanic.

Dominicans form the largest immigrant group, followed by Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Colombians, and more recently Venezuelans and Hondurans. There is also a small but visible Arab community, with Middle Eastern groceries and restaurants downtown.

Spanish is the second most spoken language, present in schools, churches, businesses, and hospitals. The non-Hispanic white population still exists, mainly among older residents and in the neighborhoods on the outskirts of the city, and Catholicism remains the dominant religion for both groups.

The most common housing type in Hazleton is the two- or three-story row house, attached, with a narrow brick or stucco façade. Many need renovation because they were built over a century ago, but the prices compensate for the work.

Neighborhoods like Hazle Township (immediate suburb) and Drums offer detached houses with yards at still reasonable prices. The old downtown, around Broad Street and Wyoming Street, has the oldest stock and the best deals for those willing to live in a four-unit building.

The rental market has been tight since the pandemic because the arrival of new residents has been faster than construction. Renters should expect a search of several weeks and a requirement of proof of income and an American co-signer in many cases.

The Hazleton Area School District serves children from across the region and has more than 11,000 students, with strong bilingual programs because of the demographic makeup. Public schools are free and work well for students who need English support, although overcrowding is a recurring complaint.

For higher education, Penn State Hazleton offers the first two years of Penn State bachelor's degrees and some complete programs in engineering, business administration, and applied sciences. It is the most accessible option for those who want a degree without relocating.

Lehigh Carbon Community College has a campus in Tamaqua, nearby, with two-year technical programs aimed at immediate employment: nursing, logistics technician, electrician, air conditioning. For larger research universities, one has to travel to Bethlehem (Lehigh University) or Scranton (University of Scranton).

Most of Hazleton is calm. Property crimes (car break-ins, shoplifting) happen more than ideal, but violent crimes against strangers are rare. Drug problems exist as in any post-industrial American city, mainly methamphetamine and fentanyl.

The busiest commercial areas of downtown, around Broad Street, are safe during the day. At night, it is better to avoid specific stretches of Wyoming Street and a few blocks east of the old downtown, especially for those who do not know the city.

The suburbs (Hazle Township, Drums, Sugarloaf, Conyngham) are extremely safe, with crime rates comparable to rural villages in Pennsylvania. The local police have bilingual officers and a relatively good relationship with the Latino community.

Hazleton's European heritage is still visible in the Catholic churches (St. Gabriel, Holy Annunciation), in the parish festivals with pierogi and kielbasa in summer, and in the family-run Italian bakeries. Funfest, a weekend festival in September with music and food, is the largest traditional event in the city.

On the other hand, the Dominican presence has become an essential part of local culture: beauty salons, barbershops with merengue playing, mofongo and mondongo restaurants, bodegas with green plantains and Sazón Goya on display. Dominican Republic Independence Day in February packs downtown.

Hazleton does not have large museums or a sophisticated art scene. The culture here is in the streets, in the churches, in the neighborhood restaurants, and in the softball and basketball tournaments of the Hazleton Area School District on weekends.

Immigration transformed Hazleton in less than 20 years. Dominicans arrived en masse starting in the early 2000s, coming from the Bronx and northern Manhattan, drawn by cheap houses and warehouse jobs. Today they form by far the largest foreign-origin group in the city, with bodegas, beauty salons, Pentecostal churches, and phone booths to the Dominican Republic scattered across downtown.

Mexicans, Puerto Ricans (who technically are not immigrants but form a visible Hispanic community), and more recently Colombians, Venezuelans, and Hondurans complete the Latino picture. There is also a small Arab community, mainly Syrians and Lebanese, with groceries and restaurants in the old downtown.

Brazilians, Indians, Filipinos, and Europeans appear in smaller numbers, mainly linked to the healthcare and higher education sectors. The city has active community associations in Spanish, churches with bilingual services, and organized advocacy for immigrants.