Stone and brick homes on a tree-lined Delaware County street at golden hour

Greater Philadelphia Community Guide

Understand what Delaware County means for your real estate decision.

From rowhome boroughs next to Philadelphia to Main Line townships and more open western areas, property types, ownership costs, access, and market activity can change quickly across Delaware County. Use this guide to understand which parts of the county matter to the decision in front of you.

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Delaware County at a Glance

Start with the part of Delaware County connected to your decision.

Delaware County includes 49 municipalities between Philadelphia, the Main Line, and the Delaware River. Dense boroughs near the city, established suburban townships, riverfront communities, and more spacious western areas do not behave like one market.

Property type, access, ownership costs, buyer demand, and current inventory can change enough from one municipality to the next to affect how a property is bought, sold, held, or evaluated.

Delaware County Overview

County Seat: Media
Municipalities: 49 Boroughs, Townships & a City
Primary Corridors: I-95, I-476 (Blue Route), US-1 (Baltimore Pike), US-30 (Lancaster Avenue), PA-3 (West Chester Pike), US-322
Rail Transit: SEPTA Regional Rail, SEPTA Metro (L, M, and D lines)
River Bridge: Commodore Barry Bridge
Adjacent Areas: Philadelphia, Montgomery, and Chester Counties in Pennsylvania; New Castle County, Delaware; Gloucester County, New Jersey

Access and Daily Use

See how access changes the way a property works.

Rail service, highways, the river, and local commercial corridors can shape daily use, buyer interest, tenant demand, and how a property is positioned in the market.

Regional Rail and the 69th Street hub

SEPTA's Media/Wawa, Wilmington/Newark, Paoli/Thorndale, and Airport lines serve different parts of the county. In Upper Darby, the 69th Street Transportation Center connects the L to Center City with the M toward Norristown and the D trolleys toward Media and Sharon Hill. How close a property sits to these lines can matter to a commute, a sale, or tenant demand.

The Blue Route and major roads

I-476 (the Blue Route) runs north and south through the middle of the county, while I-95, Baltimore Pike, West Chester Pike, Lancaster Avenue, and US-322 connect its communities with Philadelphia, Delaware, and the western suburbs. The value of that access depends on the property and the places someone needs to reach most often.

The riverfront, the airport, and New Jersey

Along the Delaware River, communities such as Chester, Eddystone, Marcus Hook, and Tinicum combine residential areas with industrial and port uses, and Philadelphia International Airport extends into Tinicum Township. The Commodore Barry Bridge connects Chester with Gloucester County, New Jersey.

Current Market

See what the Delaware County market looks like right now.

Current listings and market data help show where inventory is concentrated, how properties are positioned, and how activity differs across the county. County-wide numbers are a starting point, not a substitute for comparing the municipality and property involved.

Current Delaware County Market Activity

Review active and coming-soon listings and current county-level market indicators from Bright MLS through Buying Buddy.

Active & Coming Soon Properties

See where properties are available now.

Explore current residential listings across Delaware County, then use the local context on this page to understand what the map alone cannot tell you.

Property Patterns

Know where different property types are concentrated.

Delaware County includes rowhomes, twins, older single-family neighborhoods, larger Main Line properties, condominiums and townhomes, and newer subdivisions. Those choices are not distributed evenly across the county.

Rowhome and twin boroughs near Philadelphia

Upper Darby, Lansdowne, Yeadon, Darby, and nearby boroughs include older attached and twin housing, smaller lots, and close access to Philadelphia and SEPTA lines.

Main Line and central suburban townships

Radnor, Haverford, Springfield, and Marple include established single-family neighborhoods, larger lots in many locations, and a range of older and newer suburban homes.

Western townships

Middletown, Concord, Chadds Ford, Thornbury, and Edgmont include more spacious residential settings, newer subdivisions, townhome communities, and access to US-1, US-322, and US-202.

Local Communities

Compare the municipalities tied to your decision.

These communities represent different property, access, and market patterns across Delaware County. Use them as starting points for a closer comparison, not as rankings.

Media Borough

The county seat, with a walkable State Street business district, older housing stock, and access to the Media/Wawa Regional Rail line and the D trolley.

Radnor Township

A Main Line township that includes the Wayne, Radnor, and Villanova areas, with established single-family neighborhoods, Villanova University, and access to the Paoli/Thorndale line, the M, and I-476.

Haverford Township

A large township, including Havertown, with twins and single-family homes, neighborhood commercial areas, and access to the M and major roads.

Upper Darby Township

A large township next to West Philadelphia with rowhomes, twins, apartments, and the 69th Street Transportation Center, where the L, the M, and the D trolleys meet.

Springfield Township

An established suburban township with single-family neighborhoods, Baltimore Pike commercial areas, and access to I-476 and the D trolley.

Swarthmore Borough

A small borough around Swarthmore College, with older single-family homes, a compact town center, and Media/Wawa Regional Rail service.

Chadds Ford and Concord Townships

Western townships along US-1 and US-202 with larger residential properties, newer subdivisions, townhome communities, and a more spread-out setting.

Browse current listings

Understand the tradeoffs before you narrow the map.

Rail-connected communities

Boroughs and townships near Regional Rail and SEPTA Metro lines can offer transit access, established commercial districts, and older housing patterns. The tradeoff may include smaller lots, older building systems, and fewer newer-construction options.

Larger township markets

Main Line, central, and western townships contain a broader mix of single-family neighborhoods, townhome communities, commercial corridors, and driving routes. The specific neighborhood and property may matter more than the township name alone.

Ownership costs remain property-specific

Property taxes in Delaware County combine county, municipal, and school district rates, so the bill can change from one municipality to the next. The county completed a countywide reassessment that took effect in 2021. Most municipalities charge a 2% total realty transfer tax (1% state and 1% local), but some, including Radnor Township, Upper Darby Township, Upper Providence Township, and the City of Chester, charge a higher local rate. Compare the actual tax bill, transfer tax, association fees when applicable, insurance, utilities, condition, and expected maintenance instead of relying on a county-wide assumption.

Your Next Step

Choose the next step that fits the decision in front of you.

The same Delaware County information can matter differently depending on the property, the goal, and the decision being considered.

Let's talk through what Delaware County means for your decision.

We'll help you compare the local market, property options, ownership costs, and tradeoffs tied to the property or goal in front of you.

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