Safest Places to Live in Montgomery County PA (2026 Relocation Guide)
Montgomery County, PA is generally viewed as a stable, relatively low‑crime suburban area within the Philadelphia region, but safety varies a lot by municipality, neighborhood, and even individual streets, so you need property‑specific data, not broad labels.
How Safe Is Montgomery County Overall?
State crime dashboards show violent crime has been trending down across many Pennsylvania counties, including suburban areas, while clearance rates (cases solved) have improved.
Third‑party safety rankings routinely place several Montgomery County communities on lists of Pennsylvania’s safer or “most secure” towns, highlighting relatively low violent and property crime compared with state baselines.
However, crime and quality‑of‑life issues still exist, and conditions can differ sharply from one township or borough to the next.
How to Evaluate Safety Responsibly
Because of Fair Housing rules, real estate pros cannot label any area as “safe” or “unsafe,” but you can—and should—use objective tools:
State crime dashboard: The Pennsylvania UCR “Crime in Pennsylvania” dashboard lets you filter by county, agency, crime type, and timeframe.
Local police data: Many municipalities publish crime stats and trends; for example, Norristown PD posts regular Part I crime comparisons and notes recent declines in incidents.
Independent safety sites: Tools like CrimeMapping.com and NeighborhoodScout provide maps and crime‑rate estimates; Montgomery, PA, for example, is rated safer than a large share of communities statewide and nationally in some analyses.
Combine this with:
Visiting neighborhoods at different times of day.
Observing lighting, foot traffic, and how comfortable you feel.
Speaking with local residents and checking community forums.
Commonly Researched Towns for Perceived Stability
Online rankings and local coverage often highlight several Montgomery County municipalities when people search for lower‑crime, family‑oriented areas:
Collegeville: Noted in 2026 safety lists for an extremely low overall crime rate (around 3.2 incidents per 1,000 residents) and strong community engagement.
Lower Merion: Cited as a Montgomery County community with a low crime rate (about 5.2 incidents per 1,000) despite proximity to Philadelphia, with good police response and suburban character.
Safety‑ranking sites and “safest places” lists also frequently include a mix of smaller boroughs and townships across the county, ranking them based on reported violent and property crime, but methodologies differ and should be read carefully.
Remember: these are starting points, not guarantees, and some places with low reported crime can still feel different block‑to‑block.
Suburban vs Borough Living
Lower‑density suburbs (cul‑de‑sacs, larger lots, lower traffic) often feel quieter and may have fewer day‑to‑day nuisances, but might offer less walkability or nightlife.
Walkable boroughs and train towns offer more activity, restaurants, and transit, which some families associate with vibrancy and others with congestion or noise.
Neither is inherently safer; it comes down to your comfort level, local data, and how you like to live.
What Relocating Families Often Miss
Many families focus only on crime maps and overlook:
Emergency response times and the visibility of local police.
School and community resource programs (after‑school activities, mental‑health supports, SROs).
Township investment in lighting, sidewalks, parks, and traffic calming.
Strength of neighborhood associations and community events, which can influence cohesion and informal “eyes on the street.”
These factors all shape how safe an area feels day‑to‑day, beyond statistics.
How to Use Safety in Your Home Search
To stay fair‑housing compliant and make a good decision:
Use official data (PA UCR dashboard, local PD reports) and third‑party tools as reference.
Create your own checklist: lighting, sidewalks, traffic speeds, park access, noise, and how you feel walking around.
Consider safety alongside schools, commute, budget, and lifestyle; they all tie into long‑term comfort and resale.
Want Help Narrowing Towns Based on Your Criteria?
We can:
Shortlist townships and boroughs based on your budget, school and commute needs.
Show you how to pull crime stats and local reports for those specific areas.
Build a relocation plan that balances data and your personal comfort.
