What it's like to live in Phoenixville
Phoenixville is a small city in Pennsylvania with county unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Phoenixville deals with rent well above the national average and cold winters.
The good
- Low unemployment in the county
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Growing population
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- Cold winters
How Phoenixville compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Phoenixville
Based on Phoenixville's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,470
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $69,400 a year
- 39% of Phoenixville renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$73,920
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $36,960
- Homes cost 3.6× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 23% above US
$1,735/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,735 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices run above average, with a median around $369,600. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $369,600 · 39% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.2% county unemployment
Unemployment in Chester County is 3.2%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Chester County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 82% below US
58 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 545/100k · Phoenixville Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
27 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 27 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 28% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 86°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 25°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 3.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 58% above US
57% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
4 public schools inside the boundary
There are 4 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13:1, 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 Valley Forge National Historical Park (5 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Phoenixville's strongest points are county unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and cold winters. A year of median rent ($1,735/mo) equals 20% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low), anyone prioritizing low crime, and remote workers (28% of workers here already work from home).
See all the data for Phoenixville →·All Pennsylvania cities →
Other places near Phoenixville
All Pennsylvania guides →Moving to King of Prussia →
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Rent $2,077/mo · Income $117,912
Compare with Phoenixville →Moving to Norristown →
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Compare with Phoenixville →Moving to Pottstown →
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Rent $1,260/mo · Income $60,828
Compare with Phoenixville →Moving to West Chester →
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Rent $1,731/mo · Income $78,385
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