What it's like to live in Darby
Darby is a small city in Pennsylvania with home prices that remain within reach, schools with smaller class sizes than the national average, and public transit that many commuters actually use. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Darby deals with household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, long average commutes, and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks.
The good
- Affordable home prices
- Low student-teacher ratio
- Public transit that many commuters use
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Long commutes
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
- High poverty rate
How Darby compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Darby
Based on Darby's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,616
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $52,320 a year
- 59% of Darby renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$23,580
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $11,790
- Homes cost 3.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,308/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,308 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $117,900. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $117,900 · 59% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.2% county unemployment
Unemployment in Delaware County is 4.2%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Delaware County (county-wide)
Safety▲ 145% above US
808 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is a real factor here, with violent rates significantly above the national average. That doesn't make the whole city a write-off, but it does mean specific neighborhoods deserve real research before signing a lease.
Property crime 1886/100k · Darby Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 41% above US
37 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 36.6 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 6 in 10 workers drive to work; 25% take public transit; 11% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 86°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 28°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 2.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 57% below US
16% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
3 public schools inside the boundary
There are 3 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 11:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Gloria Dei Church National Historic Site (6 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Darby's strongest points are home prices that remain within reach and public transit that many commuters actually use; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and crime rates above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,308/mo) equals 39% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people who would rather not drive. It may be a harder fit for people who dread long commutes.
Other places near Darby
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