Lower Merion Township does the important things well, at a cost. Schools are its strong suit (A+). Overall, Lower Merion Township earns an A: better than 89% of U.S. towns, and 204th of 1032 in Pennsylvania. Health is another plus (A+). The catch is cost of living: the typical home is worth about $810K, 8.9 years of the Philadelphia metro’s $91K median household income. Its National Register listings include Merion Cricket Club and Woodmont. 79% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more locally, above both Pennsylvania’s towns (29%) and U.S. towns (29%). History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 98% of U.S. towns, with 20 places on the National Register.
Figures: schools, state test and graduation results · health, CDC PLACES · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · National Register of Historic Places.
Merion Cricket Club · National Register of Historic Places
Lower Merion Township’s story
344 years in pictures
Merion Cricket Club is one of 4 National Historic Landmarks here, the National Register’s top tier. Its founding year, 1682, comes before those of 97% of the Pennsylvania towns we grade with a known year.
Census counts: 13,271 in 1900, 63,633 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1888 and 7 maps from 1894 on.
20 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Ordered by what stands out in Lower Merion Township.
Lower Merion Township is among the three healthiest towns in Pennsylvania, has schools in the top 5% of Pennsylvania and draws workers from Philadelphia and beyond.
Trails run 42 miles in 44 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Mill Creek Valley Park, 109 acres with 4.2 miles of trail. Lower Merion Township’s trail density is 1.8 miles per square mile.
Its A+ ranks #1 of the 1,037 Pennsylvania towns we grade for schools. Its A+ for schools comes with a D− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $810K.
Its public schools are run by Lower Merion SD. Three of its 35 schools are below, each with the reason it’s listed. The 6 public schools in Lower Merion Township teach 2,961 students between them.
It ranks #3 of the 1,035 Pennsylvania towns we grade on the CDC estimates behind the Health Grade. Its widest gap with Pennsylvania is tooth loss: 5.8% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 14.5% statewide.
CDC measures, 26 in all: Lower Merion Township beats Pennsylvania on 19 and trails on 1. The share of adults in Lower Merion Township who get no exercise outside work: 15%. Among 1,035 Pennsylvania towns, just 8 have a lower share of adults who have obesity than Lower Merion Township.
48,298 jobs are based in Lower Merion Township, 1.8 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. 31.6% of workers work from home, against 15.6% across Pennsylvania.
The top destinations are Philadelphia (37%), Upper Merion Township (3%) and Tredyffrin Township (3%). 6.3% of Lower Merion Township residents live below the poverty line. Jobs in Lower Merion Township grew by 8,714 from 2013 to 2023, reaching 48,298. Its average commute stands at 29 minutes.
13%work in town
Lower Merion Township
Pennsylvania towns
U.S. towns
Work from home
32%
12%
11%
Median household income
$177,000
$81,000
$80,000
Average trip to work
29 minutes
26 minutes
25 minutes
Working residents who work in town
13%
6.3%
8%
Where working residents work
In Lower Merion Township13%
Philadelphia37%
Upper Merion Township3%
Tredyffrin Township3%
Radnor Township3%
8 mi
median commute distance
48,298
jobs based in Lower Merion Township
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
A+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 98% of U.S. towns
234 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 37 properties have flooded more than once.
FEMA puts 66% of Lower Merion Township’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 9% to cold waves. On expected storm and flood damage, Lower Merion Township sits below 73% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, Lower Merion Township has seen 234 flood insurance claims paid out.
Reported crimes fell from 1,063 to 956 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. Violent crime is rare: 28 reported in 2025, 0.4 per 1,000 residents.
Pennsylvania has less reported crime than most states, so among its own towns Lower Merion Township sits closer to the middle. Its rate of thefts and burglaries comes in at 14.3 per 1,000 residents.
Lower Merion Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Philadelphia Main Line. The township's name originates with the county of Merioneth in north Wales. Merioneth is an English-language transcription of the Welsh Meirionnydd. A number of Main Line suburbs are located in Lower Merion, west of Philadelphia, the sixth largest city in the United States as of 2020. With a population of 63,633, Lower Merion Township is the ninth-most populous municipality in Pennsylvania as of the 2020 U.S. census. The center of Lower Merion Township is located 11.9 miles (19.2 km) northwest of central Philadelphia, Pennsylvania's largest city-county, and parts …
West Conshohocken has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Bala Cynwyd and Penn Wynne aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Lower Merion Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Lower Merion Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Lower Merion Township, PA a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Lower Merion Township grades A overall, better than 89% of U.S. towns and #204 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades A+ for health, B− for safety and A+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Lower Merion Township, PA safe?
Yes, by national standards. Pennsylvania has less crime than most states, so among its own towns Lower Merion Township sits nearer the middle.
Is Lower Merion Township, PA expensive?
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.
What is Lower Merion Township, PA known for?
9 notable people were born here, including Garett Williamson and Taylor Buchholz.
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