March 28, 2024

The No. 1 neighborhood in America has once again been determined to be this 5,400-person locale just outside of Philadelphia. 

Chesterbrook has a 1.5% poverty rate, a 2.4% unemployment rate and has, for the fourth consecutive year, taken the top slot in ranking site Niche’s survey of the best place to live in America. 

“Living in Chesterbrook offers residents a dense suburban feel and most residents own their homes,” the site describes the area, adding that it also boasts highly rated public schools, plenty of restaurants, a median home value of $350,200 and residents who tend to “have moderate political views.” 

Several factors were considered by Niche in determining which of 17,932 American locales deserved the gold: Affordability, walkability, area public schools, neighborhood diversity and the local housing market, CNBC reported

This suburban nabe won based on its top-tier education system, proximity to multiple respected universities (such as the elite liberal arts institution Swarthmore College and the Ivy League University of Pennsylvania) and stellar reviews from current residents, although it lost points for being low in affordability and having dreary East Coast weather. 

In second place came Arlington, Virginia’s Colonial Village neighborhood, which was built in the late 1930s and was “the first large-scale rental housing project in America insured by the Federal Housing Administration.”

It “has proven to be a well-rounded place for residents of all ages,” Niche data analyst Cortland Reed commented to CNBC of its appeal. 

In third place came yet another Pennsylvania suburb, which Reed described as “a lot like its neighbor, Chesterbrook”: Ardmore. 

As with Chesterbrook, Ardmore’s “weaker factors are affordability and weather, but very high scores in every other factor outweigh those weaknesses.”

Also on the list, Hyde Park – Spanishtown Creek in Tampa, Florida. Not a single New York City borough or neighborhood made it into the top 25 slots on the list.