Best places to raise a family in Pennsylvania
For the majority of people, there comes a moment in time when the prerequisites for a place to call home drastically change. This usually happens while planning to have children or shortly after the little ones arrive. Priorities dramatically shift, often prompting a move to a new home or even a new city. Cutting-edge restaurants and hipster cocktail bars suddenly take a backseat to excellent schools and plenty of playgrounds.
So where exactly are the best places to raise a family in Pennsylvania? Stacker has collected data from Niche's 2018 best places to raise a family rankings to determine where children are most likely to thrive. The rankings measure the appeal of an area based on public schools, crime rates, cost of living, affordability, and access to family-friendly amenities.
To create this list, Niche used data from several databases, including the U.S. Census, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the Centers for Disease Control, as well as Niche's own proprietary data and community reviews. The data includes the area's population, median home value, median rent, median household income, and the percentage of households with children. It also takes into consideration the national average for median home value—$184,700, median rent—$949, and median household income—$55,322.
Read on to find out where to consider moving if you are raising a family in Pennsylvania.
#25. Aspinwall—suburb of Pittsburgh, PA
Population: 2,773
Median home value: $258,500
Median rent: $891
Median household income: $66,108
Percentage of households with children: 21%
#24. Chadds Ford Township—suburb of Philadelphia, PA
Population: 3,715
Median home value: $478,200
Median rent: $1,645
Median household income: $120,917
Percentage of households with children: 18%
#23. West Pikeland Township—suburb of Philadelphia, PA
Population: 4,070
Median home value: $486,400
Median rent: $1,700
Median household income: $137,500
Percentage of households with children: 18%
#22. Charlestown Township—suburb of Philadelphia, PA
Population: 5,654
Median home value: $407,100
Median rent: $2,146
Median household income: $133,594
Percentage of households with children: 20%
#21. Houserville—town in Pennsylvania
Population: 1,991
Median home value: $203,000
Median rent: $1,105
Median household income: $75,952
Percentage of households with children: 14%
#20. Boalsburg—town in Pennsylvania
Population: 4,331
Median home value: $245,100
Median rent: $1,047
Median household income: $98,143
Percentage of households with children: 17%
#19. Fox Chapel—suburb of Pittsburgh, PA
Population: 5,392
Median home value: $548,600
Median rent: N/A
Median household income: $148,553
Percentage of households with children: 21%
#18. Edgeworth—suburb of Pittsburgh, PA
Population: 1,639
Median home value: $506,200
Median rent: $1,045
Median household income: $154,545
Percentage of households with children: 22%
#17. O'Hara Township—suburb of Pittsburgh, PA
Population: 8,529
Median home value: $220,000
Median rent: $1,095
Median household income: $87,917
Percentage of households with children: 18%
#16. Blue Bell—suburb of Philadelphia, PA
Population: 6,403
Median home value: $426,700
Median rent: $1,373
Median household income: $130,164
Percentage of households with children: 16%
#15. Upper St. Clair—suburb of Pittsburgh, PA
Population: 19,521
Median home value: $267,500
Median rent: $2,000
Median household income: $110,417
Percentage of households with children: 21%
#14. Lemont—town in Pennsylvania
Population: 2,144
Median home value: $229,000
Median rent: $820
Median household income: $89,167
Percentage of households with children: 15%
#13. Upper Uwchlan Township—suburb of Philadelphia, PA
Population: 11,500
Median home value: $419,700
Median rent: $1,223
Median household income: $154,233
Percentage of households with children: 26%
#12. Marshall Township—suburb of Pittsburgh, PA
Population: 7,914
Median home value: $311,100
Median rent: $1,632
Median household income: $114,917
Percentage of households with children: 22%
#11. Swarthmore—suburb of Philadelphia, PA
Population: 6,218
Median home value: $377,900
Median rent: $1,048
Median household income: $92,292
Percentage of households with children: 18%
#10. Ardmore—suburb of Philadelphia, PA
Population: 12,592
Median home value: $309,600
Median rent: $1,267
Median household income: $80,625
Percentage of households with children: 16%
#9. Narberth—suburb of Philadelphia, PA
Population: 4,305
Median home value: $423,900
Median rent: $1,328
Median household income: $93,382
Percentage of households with children: 18%
#8. Birmingham Township—suburb of Philadelphia, PA
Population: 4,249
Median home value: $564,400
Median rent: $887
Median household income: $169,611
Percentage of households with children: 23%
#7. Bradford Woods—suburb of Pittsburgh, PA
Population: 1,230
Median home value: $288,300
Median rent: $235
Median household income: $103,750
Percentage of households with children: 19%
#6. Berwyn—suburb of Philadelphia, PA
Population: 3,228
Median home value: $426,800
Median rent: $578
Median household income: $92,230
Percentage of households with children: 20%
#5. Mount Lebanon Township—suburb of Pittsburgh, PA
Population: 32,865
Median home value: $235,200
Median rent: $854
Median household income: $86,422
Percentage of households with children: 19%
#4. Devon—suburb of Philadelphia, PA
Population: 1,880
Median home value: $542,300
Median rent: N/A
Median household income: $156,012
Percentage of households with children: 25%
#3. Penn Wynne—suburb of Philadelphia, PA
Population: 5,535
Median home value: $359,500
Median rent: $1,523
Median household income: $111,319
Percentage of households with children: 20%
#2. Franklin Park—suburb of Pittsburgh, PA
Population: 14,228
Median home value: $312,200
Median rent: $1,296
Median household income: $121,661
Percentage of households with children: 23%
#1. Chesterbrook—suburb of Philadelphia, PA
Population: 4,693
Median home value: $312,600
Median rent: $1,991
Median household income: $113,966
Percentage of households with children: 17%
