In a 2017, Money Magazine created a list of the top 100 places to live in the US. Lower Merion was in the top 50. In Novebmer of 2022, they rated it #2 in the country for best places to live for remote workers. Their criteria included cost of living, jobs opportunities, quality of education, affordability of housing (and expected appreciation), crime rate, commutability and general location (how convenient is it? ), cultural and recreational amenities and an overall “good feel”. While the article mentions our high average household income, top employers (Comcast,, many hospitals and pharma companies and colleges and universities), remarks on the township’s high school graduation rate of 97% (and lists some of our elite colleges), and touts the parks and programs that the township offers, it couldn’t paint a very clear picture. Obviously, a list like “Top 100 Place to Live” couldn’t possibly give a very strong sense of what any area is really like as the authors, for comparison purposes, stick to their criteria when describing each place.
As a Realtor specializing in relocating buyers to the Main Line, I spend a lot of time educating people about the area and learning, from an outsider’s perspective, what some of the most appealing features are. I think some of the most important omissions from the Money Magazine description were: the history of the area and the charm of our old stone homes and mature plantings, the diversity of the population, the ease of getting to the airport, shopping, world-class museums and arguably the best medical care in the nation, Furthermore, one of the things I like best about Lower Merion and the rest of the Main Line is the “un-generic-ness” of the region. It’s NOT “Anytown, USA”. It’s a very identifiable and unique place where almost every corner is some kind of landmark and the old mills and streams dot the landscape and coexist peacefully with modern buildings and activities. Finally, the Main Line has what I’ve always referred to as a high rate of recidivism–meaning that an unusually high percentage of people who are raised here remain in the area and many who leave for college or a first job often come back. That fact alone says something about the kind of place it is and why it made Money Magazine’s list.
If you want to find out more about the towns of Lower Merion and the rest of the Main Line, please peruse my Guide to Main Line Neighborhoods. If you’d like my complete Main Line Moving Manual, just contact me.
If you are relocating to the Philadelphia/Main Line area, please go to my blog page and search for posts using the relocation tag. Contact me to discuss your Philadelphia area relocation! jen@jenniferlebow.com/610 308-5973
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