Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Bensalem Township grades C overall, 903rd among Pennsylvania's 1032 graded towns, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. It is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 92% of U.S. towns and it has 10 miles of trail. On the other side, homes are expensive, about $364K for a typical one and 4 times the Philadelphia metro’s $91K median household income. Only 37 of Pennsylvania’s 1,717 towns score lower on civic life. Bensalem Township is home to Strayer University-Pennsylvania. Bensalem Township’s property offense rate is 20.9 per 1,000 residents, above both Pennsylvania’s towns (5.7) and U.S. towns (9.9).
Where Bensalem Township beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Bensalem Township is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Andalusia is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier.
Census counts: 2,499 in 1890, 62,707 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 1794 and 4 maps from 1942 on.
6 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Bensalem Township. Close and well known come first.
Big draw15 mi MuseumUSS New Jersey
Big draw11 mi MuseumLynnewood Hall
Big draw19 mi Stadium & arenaLincoln Financial Field
Big draw15 mi Ancient siteIndependence Hall3.0M visitors a year
Big draw15 mi MuseumEastern State Penitentiary
Big draw19 mi Stadium & arenaXfinity Mobile ArenaUSS New Jersey: Camera Operator: PH3 BRYANT, Public domain · Lynnewood Hall: Shuvaev, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lincoln Financial Field: The original uploader was Betp at French Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0 · Independence Hall: Mys 721tx, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Eastern State Penitentiary: Davidt8, Public domain · Xfinity Mobile Arena: Jen Smith, CC BY 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bensalem Township, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Bensalem Township.
Bensalem Township is safe by national standards but not by Pennsylvania’s; it also has a long record of flood insurance claims.
Across 11 parks and preserves: 9.7 miles of trail. Neshaminy State Park, at 240 acres with 4.1 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Neshaminy State Park | 4.1 mi | 240 |
| 2. Bensalem Central Park | 1 mi | 33 |
| 3. Yezzi Park | — | 30 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Two of its 16 schools are shown below, with the reason for each. Its public schools are run by Bensalem Township SD. The 6 public schools in Bensalem Township teach 3,212 students between them.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valley El SchLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 588 | C− |
| Bensalem Twp HSLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,151 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
At 30.4 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 88% of Pennsylvania’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 1,962 to 1,380 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The violent offense rate for Bensalem Township comes to 0.9 per 1,000 residents.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
265 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 39 properties have flooded more than once.
Compared with 73% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage in Bensalem Township is lower. Paid flood insurance claims here since 1978: 265. FEMA puts 62% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 10% to earthquakes. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Bensalem Township after 5 declared disasters, most recently in 2021.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The range runs from 24° on a January night to 87° on a July afternoon, with about 20 inches of snow a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The share of residents in Bensalem Township who live below the poverty line: 12%. Just 15% of the town’s working residents have a job in town. The average commute in the town is 29 minutes. Half commute less than 11 miles.
| Bensalem Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 15% | 6.3% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 15% | 12% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
In Bensalem Township, 31% of adults have obesity. Among adults here, 39% sleep under 7 hours and 22% have been diagnosed with depression.
| Bensalem Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 35% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 38% | 36% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 24% | 23% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 34% | 35% |
| What stands out | Bensalem Township | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 8% | 5.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Age groups here sit within 4 points of the Pennsylvania average. A bachelor’s degree or higher: nearly a third of adults 25 and older, vs 35% across Pennsylvania. For residents in Bensalem Township, the share who are under 18 is 19%.
| Bensalem Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 19% | 20% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 32% | 29% | 29% |
| Median age | 42.2 years | 43.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 19% | 21% | 18% |
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±1.1 points. Across Pennsylvania, 50.7% of residents are women. Median age: women 42.8, men 41.8.
| Bensalem Township | PA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.6% | 10.8% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.6% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8% | 9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.8% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.8% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.9% | 11.9% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.5% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.4% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.3% | 8.1% | 7% |
| No diploma | 10.3% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 32.8% | 32.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 16.5% | 15.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.2% | 8.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.9% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.3% | 14.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
For Bensalem Township, the midpoint rent is $1,613 a month. Among households here, 62% live in a home they own. Bidding over the asking price: 37% of homes sold in the town.
| Bensalem Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,613 a month | $1,114 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 62% | 78% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
23 within 15 miles of the center of Bensalem Township
About 5 of every 100 Bensalem Township residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Pennsylvania.
6 places in Bensalem Township on the National Register of Historic Places.
5 notable people were born in Bensalem Township.
Township in Pennsylvania, US
Bensalem Township is a township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The township borders the northeastern section of Philadelphia and includes the communities of Andalusia, Bensalem, Bridgewater, Cornwells Heights, Eddington, Flushing, Oakford, Siles, Trappe, and Trevose. Bensalem Township has no other incorporated municipalities within its boundaries. It is located within the Philadelphia metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the township had a population of 62,707, which made it the most populous municipality in Bucks County and the ninth-most populated municipality in Pennsylvania. The township, which was founded in 1692, is almost as old as Pennsylvania itself, which was f…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
10 towns share a border with Bensalem Township.
Philadelphia next door grades lower for schools (D to Bensalem Township’s C) and higher for cost of living (B− to C−).
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bensalem Township | #903 | C | C− | C | C | B |
| Philadelphia | #1011 | D | B− | D− | D | C |
| Andalusia | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Bristol Township | #925 | C− | C | C+ | C− | C+ |
| Middletown Township | #395 | B+ | D | — | B+ | A− |
| Croydon | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Hulmeville | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Lower Southampton Township | #386 | A− | C− | B | B+ | A− |
Middletown Township reports no FBI crime data of its own. Andalusia, Croydon and Hulmeville aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Bensalem Township with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Bensalem Township grades C overall, better than 27% of U.S. towns and #903 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades B for health, C for safety and C for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Yes. The typical home is worth about $364,000, 27% above the Pennsylvania typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
5 notable people were born here, including Ryan Gunderson and Gene DiGirolamo.
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