Living in Bethlehem

Bethlehem is a large place in Free State, South Africa, home to 91,075 people. Of the 29 household profiles on Nestlyzer, its strongest are early retirees (top 26%, #145 of 578), movers on a budget (top 39%, #221 of 578), climate-conscious movers (top 40%, #227 of 578).

Residents91,075

Density– per km²

Area– km²

Hub airport155 km (Moshoeshoe I International)

Nearest city of 100k+124 km

Within 30 km91,100 people

Terrain around itabout 1,650 m, height range 60 m

Main railway line1.6 km

Border with Lesotho44 km

Distance to Bloemfontein225 km

Within 10 km91,075 people

Winter daylight13 h 56 min, sunset 18:03

See Bethlehem on the map

Open in Nestlyzer

Good to know about Bethlehem

On the shortest day the sun is up for 13 h 56 min and sets around 18:03; in late June it sets around 17:19.

How Bethlehem ranks

Scores run 0 to 100 against every municipality in South Africa. Ranks count only the places that pass each profile's minimums, so the totals differ by profile. Regional overview: population, geography and modelled indicators for costs, schools and safety.

Profile	Score	In South Africa	In Free State
Young family	43	#312 of 367	#25 of 27	Map
Low-income household	34	#270 of 578	#20 of 69	Map
Low-income family	48	#272 of 367	#22 of 27	Map
Single parent	48	#284 of 367	#23 of 27	Map
Pensioner couple	66	#240 of 367	#16 of 27	Map
Single pensioner	70	#220 of 367	#18 of 27	Map
Early retiree	67	#145 of 578	#14 of 69	Map
Single professional		not ranked: below the minimum for regional access	–	Map
Young professional		not ranked: below the minimum for commute	–	Map
DINKS		not ranked: below the minimum for regional access	–	Map
Remote worker	62	#264 of 578	#25 of 69	Map
Commuter		not ranked: below the minimum for commute	–	Map
Car-free household		not ranked: below the minimum for commute	–	Map
Student		not ranked: below the minimum for campus	–	Map
First-home buyer	22	#314 of 367	#23 of 27	Map
Budget-constrained mover	44	#221 of 578	#16 of 69	Map
Urban lifestyle seeker		not ranked: below the minimum for regional access	–	Map
Expat professional	13	#326 of 578	#25 of 69	Map
Healthcare-first mover	45	#234 of 367	#17 of 27	Map
Nature-focused household	33	#467 of 578	#61 of 69	Map
Cross-border commuter	0	#343 of 578	#39 of 69	Map
Outdoor and mountain lover	0	#573 of 578	#68 of 69	Map
Rural value seeker	33	#461 of 578	#64 of 69	Map
High-net-worth mover	54	#121 of 578	#9 of 69	Map
Lottery winner	33	#237 of 578	#21 of 69	Map
Climate-resilient relocation	67	#227 of 578	#30 of 69	Map
Coastal living		not ranked: below the minimum for coast	–	Map
Business owner	4	#383 of 578	#34 of 69	Map
Digital native		not ranked: below the minimum for regional access	–	Map

Strengths and trade-offs

Services nearby (people within 10 km: shops, doctors, cafes, transport)100
Climate exposure (estimate: coastal and river flooding, heat; 100 = low)100
One-day truck radius (residents within 300 km, across borders)90
Flat land (terrain relief)89
Climate (mild and sunny: climate class and winter daylight)85
Foundation57
Lifestyle and amenities47
Affordability36
City scale (people within 10 km: big-city life, transit, scenes)35
Jobs and economy30
Freight access (motorway, rail, port)29
Market reach (residents within 100 km, across borders)27
Home market (residents of the same country within 150 km)24
Green space21
Education and family21
Universities in town (universities and universities of applied sciences within 10 km)13
University-town character (universities relative to the people nearby)13
Mobility and connectivity8
Mountains and water (terrain relief, lakes and the sea nearby)2
National border nearby (straight line)2
Port access (major sea or inland port)0
Chemical park nearby (sites with pipeline links)0
Financial centre (banking and capital markets) within commuting distance0
Commodity-trading or gold hub within commuting distance0
Crypto hub within commuting distance0
Wealth-management centre within commuting distance0

Nearby

Clarens 34 km
Paul Roux 36 km
Kestell 40 km
Fouriesburg 44 km
Reitz 49 km
Lindley 55 km
Phuthaditjhaba 60 km
Mamafubedu 65 km

Data: Eurostat GISCO LAU 2024; locations EDJNet LAU centres; airports OurAirports; coastline Natural Earth. Updated 2026-10-31. Rankings are decision aids, not advice.