Norristown, PA
Census place 4254656 · pop 35,893
Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
42.7% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities
2.17% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
18.5% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
27 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
23.5% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
94/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$66,701 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
90.5% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$1,772/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+4.2% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
1 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$213,900 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
40 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 0.43 · better than most cities
Gini 0.41 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
2.9% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
Not measured for Norristown: Crime, Obesity, Mental, Inactive, Smoking, Uninsured, Property crime. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.
Frequently asked
- Is Norristown, PA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Norristown scores 48/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 15 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is unemployment rate and its weakest is homeownership. Pennsylvania overall ranks #37 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- Is Norristown, PA expensive to live in?
- Norristown has a median home value of $213,900 and typical rent around $1,772/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Norristown, PA?
- Its weakest measured area is homeownership (42.7%) — 6/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Norristown, PA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is unemployment rate (2.9%) — 83/100, better than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.)
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.