You’ve seen these lists before. Best places to live in Pennsylvania. Best suburbs in Pennsylvania. Best counties in Pennsylvania.
Etc., etc., etc.
But they all focus on major cities and towns in the Keystone State, and no one pays attention to the little guy.
Well, that’s all about to change as we put together a list of the superb small towns in Pennsylvania based on numbers–not opinions or hearsay.
We’ll dive right into our methodology in the next section, but first, we thought you might want to know which places in Pennsylvania ranked the best based on Saturday Night Science.
$153,125 median income · 1.4% unemployment
$119,303 median income · 0.4% unemployment
$107,000 median income · 2.7% unemployment
$123,977 median income · 3.2% unemployment
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$180,173 median income · 0.0% unemployment
$113,850 median income · 2.3% unemployment
$166,429 median income · 2.3% unemployment
$137,417 median income · 0.7% unemployment
$143,125 median income · 2.6% unemployment
$109,792 median income · 1.5% unemployment
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Pennsylvania’s statewide median.
Pennsylvania statewide median: $77,971
Pennsylvania statewide median: $282,736
Pennsylvania statewide median: 5.3%
On the map
Where Pennsylvania’s best small towns are
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Determined The Coolest Towns In Pennsylvania
We threw a lot of criteria at this report to get the best, most complete results of the best small towns in Pennsylvania possible.
Using the most recent data from the Census’s 2020-2024 American Community Survey, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Saturday Night Science, this is the criteria we used:
- Population Density (Higher is better)
- Lowest Unemployment Rates
- Housing costs (Higher is better. More demand.)
- Adjusted Median Income (Higher is better)
- Highly Educated Adults (Higher is better)
- Insurance Rates (Higher is better)
- Commute Times (Lower is better)
We looked at places with populations lower than 5,000 people and greater than 1,000, of which there were many – 675 to be exact.
We then ranked each place in each category with scores from 1 to 675, averaged them out, and the lowest scores went to our Best Small Towns in Pennsylvania. Top of that list — Bradford Woods.
This is our eleventh time ranking the best small places to live in Pennsylvania.
The full plate
Best Small Towns In Pennsylvania
Click any column to sort. Search by town name.
| Rank | Town | Population | Median Income | Median Home Value | Unemployment Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bradford Woods | 1,194 | $153,125 | $564,694 | 1.4% |
| 2 | Houserville | 2,000 | $119,303 | $420,604 | 0.4% |
| 3 | Aspinwall | 2,843 | $107,000 | $397,840 | 2.7% |
| 4 | Narberth | 4,511 | $123,977 | $847,019 | 3.2% |
| 5 | Pine Grove Mills | 1,502 | $180,173 | $420,493 | 0.0% |
| 6 | Clarks Green | 1,656 | $113,850 | $333,789 | 2.3% |
| 7 | Ne | 2,224 | $166,429 | $870,316 | 2.3% |
| 8 | Eagleview | 2,050 | $137,417 | $701,341 | 0.7% |
| 9 | Bryn Athyn | 1,143 | $143,125 | $715,305 | 2.6% |
| 10 | Trexlertown | 2,416 | $109,792 | $319,286 | 1.5% |
| 11 | Village Shires | 3,503 | $132,188 | $572,249 | 2.3% |
| 12 | Grill | 1,903 | $144,457 | $290,401 | 1.2% |
| 13 | McGovern | 4,393 | $107,395 | $355,836 | 2.3% |
| 14 | East Petersburg | 4,591 | $91,930 | $356,780 | 2.9% |
| 15 | Seven Fields | 2,884 | $114,000 | $455,155 | 5.4% |
| 16 | Colony Park | 1,175 | $80,333 | $398,052 | 0.0% |
| 17 | Skippack | 3,937 | $167,778 | $594,579 | 1.9% |
| 18 | Boiling Springs | 3,334 | $126,927 | $417,603 | 3.8% |
| 19 | Eastlawn Gardens | 3,722 | $112,281 | $434,936 | 0.0% |
| 20 | Flourtown | 4,992 | $148,274 | $600,529 | 3.3% |
| 21 | New Britain | 2,821 | $125,227 | $452,155 | 2.0% |
| 22 | Hatfield | 3,502 | $80,962 | $476,189 | 2.9% |
| 23 | Swartzville | 1,799 | $97,353 | $327,396 | 1.8% |
| 24 | Stonybrook | 3,483 | $126,029 | $411,939 | 0.0% |
| 25 | Brittany Farms-The Highlands | 4,571 | $111,875 | $440,046 | 3.5% |
| 26 | Flying Hills | 1,738 | $78,591 | $268,516 | 0.0% |
| 27 | Malvern | 3,435 | $117,548 | $792,706 | 4.3% |
| 28 | Trappe | 4,025 | $127,250 | $461,487 | 1.0% |
| 29 | Enhaut | 1,197 | $73,836 | $173,197 | 0.0% |
| 30 | Edgewood | 3,077 | $103,203 | $363,724 | 4.4% |
| 31 | West Conshohocken | 1,536 | $139,375 | $509,322 | 1.6% |
| 32 | Fox Chase | 1,575 | $121,417 | $316,842 | 4.1% |
| 33 | Riverview Park | 3,619 | $114,598 | $286,735 | 0.0% |
| 34 | Nixon | 1,251 | $138,750 | $351,837 | 0.8% |
| 35 | Silverdale | 1,288 | $107,321 | $400,274 | 1.8% |
| 36 | Woxall | 1,347 | $137,250 | $507,480 | 1.7% |
| 37 | Grantley | 4,775 | $167,069 | $477,040 | 7.5% |
| 38 | Trooper | 4,907 | $133,214 | $510,209 | 3.6% |
| 39 | Rose Valley | 1,225 | $246,875 | $834,432 | 1.5% |
| 40 | Thorndale | 3,854 | $99,479 | $412,137 | 1.2% |
| 41 | Strasburg | 3,109 | $85,750 | $393,386 | 5.0% |
| 42 | Harleigh | 1,389 | $130,329 | $379,944 | 0.0% |
| 43 | Green Tree | 4,833 | $92,422 | $279,847 | 0.3% |
| 44 | Skyline View | 4,704 | $97,982 | $332,840 | 2.0% |
| 45 | Haverford College | 1,695 | $182,500 | $0 | 8.8% |
| 46 | Ben Avon | 1,919 | $102,869 | $382,943 | 3.8% |
| 47 | Edgeworth | 1,587 | $202,813 | $1,001,995 | 3.9% |
| 48 | Ramblewood | 1,092 | $115,568 | $299,400 | 0.0% |
| 49 | Stormstown | 2,532 | $146,875 | $489,705 | 3.9% |
| 50 | Wyncote | 3,389 | $148,824 | $458,095 | 0.6% |
| 51 | Greencastle | 4,222 | $77,419 | $324,248 | 3.0% |
| 52 | Bell Acres | 1,468 | $165,987 | $486,039 | 1.8% |
| 53 | North Catasauqua | 3,014 | $77,396 | $283,069 | 2.0% |
| 54 | Palmer Heights | 3,624 | $99,815 | $343,394 | 4.9% |
| 55 | Cornwall | 4,623 | $107,583 | $370,723 | 0.0% |
| 56 | Sewickley | 3,823 | $101,053 | $497,916 | 7.0% |
| 57 | Linntown | 1,764 | $114,426 | $295,290 | 3.4% |
| 58 | Thompsonville | 3,646 | $128,422 | $453,248 | 3.8% |
| 59 | East Washington | 1,714 | $91,136 | $281,625 | 1.7% |
| 60 | Adam | 2,023 | $117,554 | $309,399 | 2.7% |
| 61 | Sellersville | 4,542 | $95,022 | $455,394 | 2.6% |
| 62 | Pennsburg | 3,994 | $111,848 | $414,670 | 1.7% |
| 63 | Bakerstown | 2,527 | $164,330 | $477,087 | 0.0% |
| 64 | Plumsteadville | 2,592 | $176,313 | $645,238 | 6.1% |
| 65 | Muse | 2,529 | $80,288 | $378,055 | 1.8% |
| 66 | Landisville | 2,168 | $88,148 | $470,968 | 0.0% |
| 67 | Reinholds | 2,168 | $97,850 | $304,288 | 0.7% |
| 68 | Laflin | 1,459 | $120,833 | $293,824 | 3.4% |
| 69 | Sturgeon | 1,466 | $114,592 | $244,964 | 5.3% |
| 70 | Sand Hill | 2,513 | $100,583 | $252,629 | 2.6% |
| 71 | Avonia | 1,793 | $99,931 | $276,404 | 1.1% |
| 72 | Oley | 1,153 | $88,837 | $343,616 | 0.7% |
| 73 | Level Green | 4,409 | $101,602 | $306,955 | 1.4% |
| 74 | Rheems | 2,426 | $96,667 | $294,845 | 2.0% |
| 75 | Cherryville | 1,159 | $104,271 | $407,384 | 0.0% |
| 76 | Eddington | 1,606 | $122,107 | $370,167 | 5.6% |
| 77 | Chester Heights | 2,948 | $104,009 | $381,277 | 2.2% |
| 78 | New Hope | 2,622 | $175,156 | $938,110 | 4.0% |
| 79 | Churchill | 3,087 | $106,964 | $260,850 | 1.6% |
| 80 | Beech Mountain Lakes | 2,111 | $128,235 | $244,297 | 2.0% |
| 81 | New Wilmington | 2,395 | $73,696 | $259,665 | 1.1% |
| 82 | Dalton | 1,415 | $95,862 | $284,229 | 0.4% |
| 83 | Parkside | 2,321 | $93,929 | $236,187 | 2.7% |
| 84 | Paxtonia | 4,074 | $102,594 | $277,626 | 2.4% |
| 85 | Lawnton | 4,765 | $84,861 | $247,297 | 1.9% |
| 86 | Lincoln Park | 1,801 | $103,664 | $286,513 | 2.5% |
| 87 | North Wales | 3,440 | $128,056 | $531,843 | 2.8% |
| 88 | Cornwells Heights | 1,319 | $87,396 | $399,274 | 0.0% |
| 89 | Woodbourne | 3,834 | $186,000 | $741,335 | 8.4% |
| 90 | Denver | 3,771 | $85,531 | $387,290 | 3.1% |
| 91 | Jenki | 4,727 | $110,703 | $442,157 | 6.7% |
| 92 | Tatamy | 1,464 | $122,188 | $431,968 | 5.6% |
| 93 | Chinchilla | 2,213 | $92,167 | $287,735 | 7.6% |
| 94 | Conyngham | 1,526 | $69,737 | $285,660 | 1.9% |
| 95 | Egypt | 3,053 | $113,221 | $381,277 | 2.0% |
| 96 | Meridian | 3,837 | $79,191 | $271,071 | 1.2% |
| 97 | Leith-Hatfield | 2,577 | $91,823 | $329,618 | 0.0% |
| 98 | Lemont | 2,076 | $101,526 | $428,381 | 4.8% |
| 99 | Muhlenberg Park | 1,259 | $101,384 | $358,058 | 1.3% |
| 100 | Devon | 1,806 | $219,063 | $983,068 | 4.2% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024 via Saturday Night Science. 675 Pennsylvania towns between 1,000 and 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Science Can Tackle Any Issue, Even Small Ones
We said it once, and we’ll say it again — this list: it’s just science. We did the research, crunched the numbers, and it turns out these small towns in Pennsylvania are the best in which to live.
And who can argue with that?
The best small towns in Pennsylvania are Bradford Woods, Houserville, Aspinwall, Narberth, Pine Grove Mills, Clarks Green, Ne, Eagleview, Bryn Athyn, and Trexlertown.
