These Are The Best Places To Live In Montgomery Co., New Ranking Says

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA — Several Montgomery County communities have been named one of the best places to live in America in 2026, according to a new ranking released this week by the review site Niche.

More than 18,000 communities were included in the full ranking. A total of 35 communities in Montgomery County cracked the top 3,000 nationwide, with 10 in the top 1,000.

They were headlined by Ardmore (7th) and Penn Wynne (9th) earning some of the top rankings in the nation. Off the Main Line, places like Conshohocken (131st) and King of Prussia (290th).

Niche said this year's top-ranked places are smaller, walkable communities within major metro areas, giving residents access to jobs, amenities, and transit while maintaining connected neighborhoods.

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Niche says the rankings are based on data from a wide range of public data sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, combined with millions of resident reviews.

Niche also produces popular lists and rankings of school districts every year, and their rating ideology has been heavily criticized by some who say it relies too heavily on the very subjective "resident review" portion.

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Other criticisms say that relying only on data and Internet reviews leaves out a human element. For instance, the lists claim to prioritize walkable communities, but local areas like Chesterbrook (12th nationally) and Penn Wynne are surrounded by highways and are without walkable access to groceries and restaurants.

Beyond walkability, other traits not easily quantified by data include bikeability, arts, culture, diversity, and community building initiatives.

Here's a glance at the 35 Montgomery County communities that cracked the top 3,000, with their national rank in parenthesis.

1. Ardmore (7)
2. Penn Wynne (9)
3. Conshohocken (131)
4. Narberth (237)
5. King of Prussia (290)
6. Jenkintown (350)
7. Spring House (418)
8. Blue Bell (596)
9. West Conshohocken (649)
10. Fort Washington (715)
11. Trappe (1008)
12. Wyndmoor (1031)
13. Wyncote (1047)
14. Upper Providence (1076)
15. Glenside (1176)
16. Bryn Athyn (1249)
17. Plymouth Meeting (1369)
18. Bridgeport (1402)
19. Oreland (1582)
20. Ambler (1616)
21. North Wales (1658)
22. Montgomeryville (1727)
23. Upper Providence (1787)
24. Collegeville (1975)
25. Flourtown (2055)
26. Perkiomen Township (2232)
27. Maple Glen (2235)
28. Lower Moreland (2265)
29. Trooper (2388)
30. Springfield Township (2431)
31. Audubon (2607)
32. Evansburg (2685)
33. Limerick (2721)
34. Skippack (2815)
35. Hatfield (3010)