Swarthmore, PA
Census place 4275648 · pop 6,550
Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$633,800 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.48 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities
1.58% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$2,075/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
26 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
92/100 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 42 AQI · better than most cities
43 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 1 days · better than most cities
2 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 +2.4% · better than most cities
+3.7% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
3.3% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities
76.0% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
97.1% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$152,361 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities
1.8% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
81.5% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Not measured for Swarthmore: 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 Swarthmore, PA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Swarthmore scores 56/100 — a D (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 15 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is bachelor's degree or higher and its weakest is housing cost. 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 Swarthmore, PA expensive to live in?
- Swarthmore has a median home value of $633,800 and typical rent around $2,075/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Swarthmore, PA?
- Its weakest measured area is housing cost ($633,800) — 12/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Swarthmore, PA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is bachelor's degree or higher (81.5%) — 99/100, better than most U.S. cities.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.