Main Line

The communities, east to west

Closest to the city line are Bala Cynwyd, Merion Station, Narberth and Wynnewood, then Ardmore, Haverford and Bryn Mawr. Gladwyne sits north of them along the Schuylkill River. Rosemont, Villanova, Radnor and St. Davids follow in Radnor and Lower Merion townships, then Wayne, Strafford, Devon, Berwyn, Paoli and Malvern to the west in Chester County.

Towns nearer Philadelphia tend to have smaller lots, more twins and apartments, and quicker trips into the city. Farther west, lots generally get larger and the rail stations more spread out. Each town has its own guide below.

Historic housing and architecture

Much of the Main Line was built in waves that followed the railroad: country estates and summer houses in the late 19th century, then streets of single homes and twins near the stations in the early 20th century, and postwar subdivisions farther from them.

Local stone is everywhere. Many older houses are faced in Wissahickon schist or fieldstone, and you will see Colonial Revival and Georgian Revival stone colonials, Tudor Revival houses with half-timbering, Queen Anne and Shingle Style Victorians with porches and towers, Dutch Colonials, and Arts and Crafts twins. Mid-century ranches and split-levels, and newer custom homes, fill in between.

• Older stone houses often have plaster walls, slate or tile roofs, steam or hot-water heat and original windows. Budget for specialist trades.
• Ask how the house is heated and cooled, and the age of the roof, wiring, plumbing and sewer line.
• Additions and renovations from different decades are common, so confirm permits were closed out with the township.

Luxury homes and estate properties

Larger houses on bigger lots are found throughout the Main Line, particularly in Gladwyne, Villanova, Haverford, Bryn Mawr and the western townships. They range from Gilded Age and early-20th-century estates and carriage houses to recently built custom homes.

Estate properties raise questions that ordinary sales do not: whether the lot can be subdivided or is limited by conservation easements, what outbuildings and pools are permitted, how private water, septic or long driveways are maintained, and how the property was assessed.

Residential investment

Investment property on the Main Line is mostly small-scale: twins, duplexes, converted older houses and small apartment buildings near the train stations and Lancaster Avenue, plus condominiums. Colleges in Villanova, Bryn Mawr, Haverford, Rosemont and St. Davids, and hospitals in Bryn Mawr, Wynnewood and Paoli, shape rental demand nearby.

Rules differ by township. Before buying, check rental licensing and inspection requirements, limits on the number of unrelated occupants, parking rules and whether an existing multifamily use is legally permitted or nonconforming.

Public and private schools

Public school assignment follows the township or borough, not the mailing address. The Main Line is served by the Lower Merion School District (Lower Merion Township and Narberth Borough), Radnor Township School District, the School District of Haverford Township, Tredyffrin/Easttown School District and Great Valley School District. Confirm the district and assigned schools for any specific address.

There are also many independent and parochial schools in the area. Admission to them is by application and is not tied to where you live. We do not rate or rank schools; the Pennsylvania Department of Education publishes school data.

SEPTA rail and commuting

The SEPTA Paoli/Thorndale Line stops at Merion, Narberth, Wynnewood, Ardmore, Haverford, Bryn Mawr, Rosemont, Villanova, Radnor, St. Davids, Wayne, Strafford, Devon, Berwyn, Daylesford, Paoli and Malvern on its way to Center City. Amtrak Keystone Service also stops at Ardmore and Paoli.

The Norristown High Speed Line runs north-south from 69th Street Transportation Center through Haverford, Bryn Mawr, Rosemont and Villanova, and the SEPTA Cynwyd Line serves Bala Cynwyd. By car, I-76, I-476, Lancaster Avenue (U.S. 30), Montgomery Avenue and City Avenue carry most traffic.

Property taxes and township differences

A Pennsylvania real estate tax bill combines county, municipal and school district taxes, each applied to the assessed value. Because the Main Line spans three counties and several townships, two similar houses a few streets apart can have noticeably different tax bills.

Assessment practices also differ by county. Delaware County completed a countywide reassessment that took effect in 2021, while Montgomery and Chester counties use older base years. Always look up the current assessment and tax bill for the specific parcel, and ask whether any appeal or exemption is in effect. Realty transfer tax rates also vary by municipality.

Historic preservation and zoning

Several Main Line areas are on the National Register of Historic Places, including the North Wayne and South Wayne historic districts, the Gladwyne and Mill Creek historic districts and the Narbrook Park Historic District in Narberth. National Register listing on its own rarely limits what a private owner can do; local ordinances are what matter.

Townships such as Lower Merion and Radnor maintain historic resource inventories or local historic districts with design review, and some restrict demolition of listed buildings. Zoning also sets minimum lot sizes, setbacks, steep-slope and stream-buffer protections, and what can be added to a lot. If you plan to renovate, add on, subdivide or rebuild, check with the township before you buy.

Lifestyle and amenities

Downtowns in Ardmore, Bryn Mawr, Narberth, Wayne and Malvern have independent shops, restaurants and services, and Suburban Square in Ardmore is a long-established shopping center. Gardens and preserves include Chanticleer in Wayne, Stoneleigh in Villanova, Jenkins Arboretum in Devon and Riverbend in Gladwyne, and the Radnor Trail and Cynwyd Heritage Trail follow former rail lines.

Main Line market intelligence

We publish market figures only from authorized, dated sources, and none is available for this area right now. For a buying or selling decision, we prepare an analysis of recent comparable sales for the specific town, price range and property type, including days on market and sale-to-list price, from data we are licensed to use.