Wayne at a glance
Wayne is the Main Line’s most complete small town: a walkable downtown on Lancaster and Wayne avenues, four train stations, and two well-regarded public school districts. It is also one of the country’s early planned suburbs. In the 1880s, George W. Childs and Anthony J. Drexel bought the land, named it after Revolutionary War general Anthony Wayne, and built it with electricity, sewers, and public water, which was unusual at the time.
Wayne is not a municipality. Its center is in Radnor Township (Delaware County), and it extends into Tredyffrin Township (Chester County) and a small part of Upper Merion Township (Montgomery County). Which township a home is in decides its school district and taxes.
Schools: check the township
| Part of Wayne | Township and county | School district |
|---|---|---|
| Central Wayne | Radnor Township, Delaware County | Radnor Township |
| Western Wayne and Chesterbrook | Tredyffrin Township, Chester County | Tredyffrin/Easttown |
| Small eastern portion | Upper Merion Township, Montgomery County | Upper Merion Area |
The Radnor Township School District includes Radnor High School. The Tredyffrin/Easttown School District includes Conestoga High School; Chesterbrook students mostly attend Valley Forge Elementary and Valley Forge Middle School before Conestoga.
Downtown Wayne
Downtown Wayne, a historic district since 2012, is the reason many people choose it. Highlights include:
- The Wayne Hotel, built in 1906 and listed on the National Register.
- Wayne Art Center, founded in 1931 as the first art center on the Main Line, which hosts the CraftForms international craft show each year.
- Lancaster County Farmers Market, an indoor market in Wayne since 1951.
- The Anthony Wayne Theater, an Art Deco movie house that opened in 1928 and closed in 2020. A nonprofit is raising money to restore it.
Parking is changing as downtown grows: a new West Avenue lot opened in late 2025, and township lots are moving to pay-by-plate.
Homes and prices
Wayne’s housing includes Victorian-era homes from its early planned-suburb days, larger single-family homes on tree-lined streets, and townhome communities in Chesterbrook, which was approved in 1978.
In ZIP 19087, Zillow’s typical single-family home value was about $1.01 million in August 2026, up about 7 percent over the year. Across all home types, the least expensive third of homes was valued at about $484,000 and the most expensive third at about $1.44 million. That wide range reflects the mix, so compare homes within the same township and housing type.
Getting around
Wayne has excellent rail access. SEPTA’s Paoli/Thorndale Line stops at Radnor, St. Davids, Wayne, and Strafford, with Wayne station about 14.5 miles from Center City.
By car, I-476 connects to Lancaster Avenue at Exit 13, and US 202 and US 422 are close by in Tredyffrin. Without traffic, King of Prussia is about 11 minutes away and Center City about 30 minutes.
Institutions and employers
Wayne is home to the headquarters of companies including Teleflex, and Chesterbrook hosts one of Ionos’s headquarters. Eastern University’s main campus is in nearby St. Davids. Valley Forge Military College remains open in Wayne, although Valley Forge Military Academy, its high school, closed in May 2026. Cabrini University in Radnor closed in 2024, and its campus is now part of Villanova University.
Things to know before you buy
- School district by township. Radnor and Tredyffrin/Easttown are both highly regarded, but they are different districts with different calendars and boundaries.
- Different counties, different tax systems. Delaware County reassessed in 2021; Chester County uses its own base. Compare actual tax bills.
- Downtown parking is busy and in transition.
Working with Karen in Wayne
Karen Langsfeld works with buyers and sellers across the Main Line. In Wayne, she helps buyers sort out township and school district, compare downtown homes with Chesterbrook and the surrounding neighborhoods, and weigh the full cost of ownership. For sellers, she prices homes against sales in the same township and housing type.
Reach Karen directly at (215) 495-2914 or through the contact page.