Why Lansdale-Montgomeryville Never Ranks Among the Best Places to Live in the United States

There are all kinds of surveys out there of places to live – the overall best, worst, healthiest, safest, cleanest, most miserable, and even the most dangerous – in the United States.

For a while, Philadelphia was making the Forbes Top 20 Most Miserable Places to Live.  In 2008, Philadelphia ranked #5; it fell to #20 by 2010, and in 2011, it did not even make the list.

In other surveys, nearby towns do score good grades occasionally in different areas.  In Money Magazine’s 2010 Top 100 Best Places to Live, Abington ranked number #29.  Of the top earning towns in America, Lower Merion ranked #5.  Gladwyne consistently ranks as one of the wealthiest towns in the United States.

In 2008, Montgomery and Chester Counties were ranked among the Top 10 Places to Raise a Family by Forbes Magazine.

On the flip side, Philadelphia and Norristown have ranked amongst the 100 Most Dangerous Cities in the U.S. and Camden currently holds the spot at #2.  Philadelphia has also been named amongst the fattest cities in America, but thankfully, it has fallen off the recent Top 10.

What about the Lansdale-Montgomeryville area?  This area seems to stay off the lists both good and bad.  When Money Magazine looks at the best places to live, they factor in employment, quality of education, safety, crime, pollution, cost of living, things to do, charm and raising a family.

Lansdale-Montgomeryville does very well with jobs and public education.  The area boasts strong employment with an unemployment rate of 6.9 percent versus a county average of 7.3 percent and a national average around 9.2 percent.  Future job growth is expected to run at 23.4 percent versus 21.6 percent nationally.  Spending averages $7,200 per student in public schools versus a national average of $5,700.

Lansdale-Montgomeryville is also considered good in terms of scenery/open space, things to do, close proximity to major cities, and quality of health care.

The area is average regarding crime and climate.  Violent crime is slightly higher than the national average.  The climate, with four distinct seasons and low levels of natural disasters, has a higher than average annual precipitation.

Where Lansdale-Montgomeryville falls short is in the areas of unsafe roadways, cost of living, and pollution.  The area’s older road systems coupled with a high population density and seemingly endless road construction create bad traffic, long commuting times, aggressive drivers, and accidents.

The cost of living is 12.5 percent higher than the national average.  Utility bills are 15 percent higher than the national average.  Property taxes are considered high with residents of Montgomery County paying on average $3,700 versus a state average of $2,200.  Overall, residents of Pennsylvania pay 3.6 percent of their income toward property taxes versus 2.8 percent nationally.  However income tax in Lansdale-Montgomeryville is 3.57 percent compared to a national average of 6.25 percent.  Sales tax is 6 percent compared to a national average of 6.5 percent.

The air and water quality are considered poor; according to Sperling’s Best Places, using 100 as a best score, Lansdale-Montgomeryville scored a measly 31 for air quality and a jaw-dropping 2 for water quality versus national averages of 83 for air quality and 55 for water quality.

So the results for Lansdale-Montgomeryville are mixed, but the grass isn’t always greener elsewhere, (New Jersey residents pay a whopping $6,300 on average in property taxes).  While Lansdale-Montgomeryville may not be the “best” place to live, it is a good place to live and it is home.

For more information on this topic, contact Lisa Loper at (215) 256-1200 ext. 212 or visit www.scottloperteam.com.