Best Philadelphia Neighborhoods to Live

Wondering where to live in Philadelphia? Like most major cities, Philadelphia’s neighborhoods are widely diverse, and each has its pros and cons. Some areas have the hottest real estate markets, some win excellent safety rankings, some are known as family-friendly, and others are areas you’ll want to avoid. 

Today we’ll give you a rundown of the best Philadelphia neighborhoods in each category, whether you’re buying new or purchasing a historic home to remodel. 

(Bonus: check out our article on safely remodeling your home during the pandemic.)

Most Desirable Philadelphia Neighborhoods

Often, the real estate market is the most objective measure of the best places to live. Certainly, it indicates popular opinion. According to Philly Mag, the top ten hottest Philadelphia neighborhoods and nearby towns in 2020 were: 

1. Gladwyne, Main Line, where the average home price was $1,298,390; 
2. Villanova, Main Line, where the average home price was $1,227,754; 
3. Bryn Athyn Borough, Montgomery, where the average home price was $1,055,000; 
4. Newlin Township, Chester, with an average price of $1,051,267;
5. West Marlborough Township, Chester, with an average price of $1,023,880; 
6. Upper Makefield Township, Bucks, with an average price of $903,570; 
7. Easttown Township, Chester, at $891,560; 
8. Solebury Township, Bucks, at $881,559; 
9. Radnor Township, Delaware, at $863,204; and
10. and Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, at $812,836. 

Click here for a full list of all the top fifty Philadelphia area neighborhoods.

Safest Philadelphia Neighborhoods

It’s no surprise that some of the neighborhoods listed above align with Home Snacks’ rankings for the ten safest neighborhoods in Philadelphia. This list was created based on the FBI’s 2019 Uniform Crime Report, as well as an analysis of each neighborhood’s total crimes per capita, violent crimes per capita, and property crimes per capita. Based on these calculations, the top ten safest neighborhoods in Philadelphia are:

1. Bustleton;
2. Chestnut Hill;
3. Somerton;
4. Academy Gardens;
5. Fox Chase;
6. Torresdale;
7. Rhawnhurst;
8. Wharton-Hawthorne-Bella Vista;
9. Byberry; and
10. Roxborough.

You can view the full report here.

Best Philadelphia Neighborhoods for Families

Niche.com also provides rankings for the best neighborhoods in Philadelphia to raise a family. This ranking system is based on multiple factors and sources, each of which is given unique weights according to presumed importance. For example, public school grades account for 20% of the score, the number of residents with higher education accounts for 12.5%, cost of living accounts for 10%, crime and safety for 10%, home values, property taxes, housing costs, local schools, and more for 10%, and other factors for under 10%. 

According to this system of rankings, these are Philadelphia’s top ten neighborhoods for families:

1. Fitler Square;
2. Bella Vista;
3. Woodland Terrace;
4. East Falls;
5. Queen Village;
6. Fairmount;
7. Graduate Hospital;
8. Northern Liberties;
9. Old City; and
10. Germany Hill.

Niche’s Top Ten Philadelphia Neighborhoods Overall

Finally, Niche.com also provides rankings for the best overall Philadelphia neighborhoods based on crime rates, public schools rankings, cost of living, job opportunities, and local amenities. Niche’s top ten Philadelphia neighborhoods are:

1. Chesterbrook;
2. Penn Wynne;
3. Ardmore;
4. Swarthmore;
5. Narberth;
6. Berwyn;
7. Blue Bell;
8. East Whiteland Township;
9. Exton; and
10. Devon.

So, Where Should You Live in Philadelphia?

There is no one answer; you should choose what’s best in terms of what is most important to you. What do you prioritize more? Safety? Desirability? And that being said, the best Litmus Test of how much you will like living in an area is to come to visit the neighborhood and see how it makes you feel.

Remember, when the time comes to remodel that beautiful new home — whatever neighborhood in Philadelphia you decide to settle down in — keep us in mind, and don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions.