Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 3,422, settled in 1869.
Because it does well by almost any measure. North Wales earns an A+, 76th among Pennsylvania's 1032 graded towns. The median household earns $128K, residents are healthier than 83% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates, and its public schools beat 80% of Pennsylvania towns on state tests and graduation. The exception is cost of living: homes are expensive, about $540K for a typical one and 5.9 times the Philadelphia metro’s $91K median household income. Few places in the country are easier to get around without a car. Only 54 of Pennsylvania’s 1,751 towns score higher on hazard risk. North Wales's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 86% of U.S. towns.
Where North Wales beats most towns.
Where North Wales’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far North Wales is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 407 in 1870, 3,426 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1833 and 7 maps from 1894 on.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around North Wales. Close and well known come first.
Big draw12 mi MuseumLynnewood Hall
Big draw20 mi MuseumUSS New Jersey
Big draw22 mi Stadium & arenaLincoln Financial Field
Big draw18 mi MuseumEastern State Penitentiary
Big draw19 mi Ancient siteIndependence Hall3.0M visitors a year
Big draw22 mi Stadium & arenaXfinity Mobile ArenaLynnewood Hall: Shuvaev, CC BY-SA 3.0 · USS New Jersey: Camera Operator: PH3 BRYANT, Public domain · Lincoln Financial Field: The original uploader was Betp at French Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0 · Eastern State Penitentiary: Davidt8, Public domain · Independence Hall: Mys 721tx, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Xfinity Mobile Arena: Jen Smith, CC BY 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in North Wales, 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 North Wales.
North Wales has less tooth loss than most of Pennsylvania, has household incomes well above the Pennsylvania norm and sees little violent crime.
At $1,506 a month, North Wales’ median rent is above both the Pennsylvania town median ($1,114 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). The typical North Wales home is worth about $540,000, up 2.6% in a year, 88% above the Pennsylvania typical home.
| North Wales | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,506 a month | $1,114 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 74% | 78% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by North Penn SD. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Wales El SchLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 484 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 97% of U.S. communities. Since 2004, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in North Wales.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its widest gap with Pennsylvania is tooth loss: 5.9% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 14.5% statewide. Against the 4,742 U.S. towns with household incomes like North Wales’s, it is healthier than 55%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
21% of North Wales adults binge drink, where Pennsylvania’s towns sit at 18% and U.S. towns at 16%. 11% of North Wales adults report frequent physical distress. North Wales beats the Pennsylvania average on 10 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 0.
| North Wales | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 18% | 16% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 14% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 24% | 25% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 19% | 19% |
| What stands out | North Wales | PA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.9% | 14.5% |
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 2.8% | 3.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Most working residents leave North Wales for work: only 4% work in town. Jobs based in North Wales grew to 710 in 2023, 109 more than in 2013. 5% of residents live below the poverty line in North Wales.
| North Wales | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $128,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 16% | 12% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 5% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Violent crime is rare: 1 reported in 2025, 0.3 per 1,000 residents.
North Wales’ violent crime rate is 0.3 per 1,000 residents. Pennsylvania has less reported crime than most states, so among its own towns North Wales sits closer to the middle. North Wales’ property crime rate is 11 per 1,000 residents.
| North Wales | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.3 per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 11 per 1,000 residents | 5.7 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
North Wales has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 22° and about 8 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The median household earns $128,056, against $77,971 across Pennsylvania, one input to its A+ for jobs and income.
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Pennsylvania average. 40% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 35% across Pennsylvania. The median age in North Wales is 39.2 years.
| North Wales | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 40% | 29% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 16% | 21% | 18% |
| Median age | 39.2 years | 43.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 21% | 20% | 22% |
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±6.4 points. Across Pennsylvania, 50.7% of residents are women.
| North Wales | PA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.6% | 10.8% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.6% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.2% | 9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 17.3% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.7% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 14.2% | 11.9% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 9.9% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 6.9% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.7% | 8.1% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.8% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 31% | 32.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 17.9% | 15.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 6.7% | 8.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.9% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 17.7% | 14.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,400, single groups can be off by several points
| North Wales | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.8 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.9% | 8.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Weingartner Park | 0.2 mi | 3 |
| 2. Ninth Street Park | 0.1 mi | 2 |
| 3. Hess Park | 0.1 mi | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
25 within 15 miles of the center of North Wales
About 3 of every 100 North Wales residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
3 notable people were born in North Wales.
Borough in Pennsylvania, US
North Wales is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It is a suburb of Philadelphia and is one of the three historic population centers that make up the North Penn Valley, which is centered on the borough of Lansdale. It is approximately 27 miles (43 km) north of Center City Philadelphia. The population was 3,426 as of the 2020 census. Like many small boroughs in Pennsylvania, North Wales' boundaries have not kept pace with population growth. In similar fashion, many businesses and residences with North Wales addresses are located in outlying townships that were never annexed by the borough, such as the Montgomery Mall in Montgomery Township. North Wales is in the North Penn School …
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. North Wales grades A+ overall, better than 97% of U.S. towns and #76 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 C−.
Yes, by national standards. Pennsylvania has less crime than most states, so among its own towns North Wales sits nearer the middle.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
3 notable people were born here, including Timothy C. Senior and Joe McKeehen.
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