Westmont vs Philadelphia

Which is the better fit for you?

Westmont, NJ
68
Area Score
Top 19% nationally
Philadelphia, PA
60
Area Score
Top 44% nationally

Want a third or fourth place beside these? Open them in the shortlist and add more.

Westmont receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.

If you are moving

What the difference in prices, rent, homes and weather comes to, using the published figures for the two places. Add your income to see what it would take to keep pace.

Moving from Westmont to Philadelphia

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Everyday prices
About the same
Regional price level 102.4 against 102.4 (US = 100). Both places sit in the same price region, so the index cannot tell them apart.
Income to keep the same purchasing power
Enter your household income to see it.
A new two-bedroom lease
−$366 a month
HUD benchmarks it at $1,434 in Philadelphia against $1,800 in Westmont.
The median home
42% less
$243,100 in Philadelphia against $422,200 in Westmont.
The weather you would swap
Winters 1°F milder
Normal January lows are 27°F in Philadelphia against 26°F in Westmont; July highs are 88°F against 88°F (summers the same).

These are differences between published figures, not a forecast of your budget. Income and sales taxes, commuting, schools, insurance and the job you would actually get are not in them, and a price index describes a metropolitan area, so two places in one metro read the same. HUD’s rent is a benchmark for a new lease, not a listing.

Signals

Westmont
Philadelphia
Opportunity: Westmont is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
69 · Top 26%
vs
60 · Top 41%
Growth: Philadelphia is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
40 · Bottom 28%
vs
59 · Top 30%
Climate
71 · Top 46%
vs
71 · Top 45%
Physical resilience: Westmont is the more favorable of the two.
Physical resilience
77 · Top 28%
vs
71 · Top 34%
Housing affordability: Westmont is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
73 · Top 31%
vs
69 · Top 44%
Schools: Westmont is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
60 · Top 36%
vs
21 · Bottom 14%
Access: Westmont is the more favorable of the two.
Access
100 · Top 4%
vs
99 · Top 16%
Economic stability: Westmont is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
77 · Top 9%
vs
36 · Bottom 16%

Measured values

MetricWestmontPhiladelphiaSource period
Population14,1951,579,7062024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income$115,317 — more favorable$61,9532024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income$60,438 — more favorable$38,9052024 ACS 5-Year
Population density6,380/sq mi11,760/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$422,200$243,1002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent$1,754$1,397 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$1,800$1,434 — more favorableFY2026
Cost of living index102.4102.42023
Homeownership rate65.4%51.8%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate5.1%4.9% — more favorableJuly 2026
Employment change (year over year)+2.1%+2.7% — more favorableJuly 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher59.9% — more favorable35.4%2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate6.0% — more favorable20.5%2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)7594,59912 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents1.42.9 — more favorable12 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)−27.3%+72.8% — more favorable12 months ending July 2026
Average July high88°F88°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low26°F27°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation44.1"45.0"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport10 mi — more favorable11 miNASR current cycle
Average commute28.1 min — more favorable34.1 min2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age41.135.32024 ACS 5-Year
Public schools113002024-25 school year
Students per teacher12.8 — more favorable15.02024-25 school year
Math proficiency45.1%27.5%2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency60.0%43.0%2018-19 school year
Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility25.1%91.5%2024-25 school year

A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.

The number of units permitted is not marked because the larger place always permits more; the per-resident rate is the fair comparison.

New Jersey and Pennsylvania do not give the same test. Each state writes its own assessment and sets its own passing score, so the two proficiency rows above are not directly comparable — the difference between them partly measures which standard is harder. Students per teacher and the school count are unaffected, and each profile ranks its own proficiency within its own state.

Your best match

Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.

Westmont
—
Westmont: Your Score
68
Area Score
Philadelphia
—
Philadelphia: Your Score
60
Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Full profiles: Westmont, NJ · Philadelphia, PA · How this is calculated: methodology