Yes, Haverford is a good place to live if you want the historic Main Line close to the city. It offers stone homes and estates, a college campus that doubles as a public arboretum, two rail lines, and well-known schools, about 22 minutes from Center City by car. It suits buyers who value history and setting. The trade-offs are cost, the upkeep of older homes, and a township line that changes your schools and taxes.
First, Haverford versus Haverford Township
This trips up many buyers. Haverford (ZIP 19041) is a small community of about 6,500 people. It is split between Lower Merion Township in Montgomery County and Haverford Township in Delaware County.
Haverford Township is a separate, much larger municipality of about 50,000 people that includes all of Havertown and parts of Ardmore, Wynnewood, and Bryn Mawr. When you look at a Haverford home, find out which township it is in. That answer sets the school district, the county tax system, and local services.
Schools
- Lower Merion School District serves the Lower Merion side, with two high schools: Lower Merion High School and Harriton High School. Assignment depends on the address.
- School District of Haverford Township serves the Haverford Township side, with Haverford High School in Havertown.
The area is also known for private schools. The Haverford School, a boys’ school founded in 1884, is in Haverford, with The Baldwin School and The Shipley School in Bryn Mawr, The Agnes Irwin School in Rosemont, and Episcopal Academy in Newtown Square.
Daily life
Haverford College is the community’s centerpiece. Founded in 1833 by Philadelphia Quakers, it opens its entire 216-acre campus, an accredited arboretum, to the public every day at no charge. The 2.2-mile nature trail around the campus is a favorite local walk.
Haverford is also home to historic clubs. Merion Cricket Club, founded in 1865, and Merion Golf Club, whose East Course has hosted five U.S. Opens and uses wicker baskets instead of flags on its pins, are both National Historic Landmarks. In Haverford Township, the Haverford Reserve offers more than five miles of trails.
What homes cost
In ZIP 19041, Zillow’s typical single-family home value was about $1.55 million in August 2026, up about 7.5 percent over the year. Across all home types, the least expensive third of homes was valued at about $605,000 and the most expensive third at about $2.24 million.
The wide range reflects Haverford’s variety: smaller homes and apartments near the main roads at one end, and historic estates designed for Philadelphia’s Gilded Age families at the other.
Getting around
Haverford is one of the closest Main Line communities to Center City:
- Haverford station on SEPTA’s Paoli/Thorndale Line is about 9 miles from Suburban Station.
- Haverford South on the Norristown High Speed Line, now called the M, connects to 69th Street.
- By car, Center City is about 22 minutes away and King of Prussia about 19 minutes without traffic.
Taxes
Because Haverford spans two counties, its homes are taxed under two systems. Delaware County reassessed every property in 2021, its first countywide reassessment in about two decades. Lower Merion Township raised its tax rate in 2025 and again in 2026. Compare actual tax bills when weighing homes on different sides of the line.
What to weigh
- High prices for single-family homes.
- Older homes with older systems and higher upkeep.
- Two townships, with different schools and tax systems.
- Busy main roads along Lancaster and Montgomery avenues.
Who Haverford is right for
Haverford suits buyers who love historic homes, families who want Lower Merion or Haverford Township schools or the area’s private schools, Center City commuters who want a short train ride, and anyone who would enjoy a college arboretum as their neighborhood park. For a quieter, more wooded setting nearby, compare Gladwyne. For more local detail, see the Haverford community page.
Working with Karen
Karen Langsfeld is a REALTOR® and Pricing Strategy Advisor (P.S.A.) with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, working with buyers and sellers across the Main Line.
If you own a home here, the Haverford home valuation page explains how she prices historic and estate properties.
Contact Karen at (215) 495-2914 or through the contact page.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index, August 2026. Drive times are estimates without traffic.