Levittown among best places to move to in Pa., according to ConsumerAffairs. Here's why.
Congrats, Levittown. You're among the best places to move to in Pennsylvania.
This designation from ConsumerAffairs, a company that helps people make home-buying decisions, was determined through a review of stats relating to crime, the local job market, education and access to health care.
The company said it also factored in an "emotional decoding of consumer reviews." (Translated: It's what people have to say about the place.)
The post-World War II suburban development, called by its builder 'the new city,' was ranked No. 3 of 20 Pennsylvania towns on the list. No other Bucks County town made the cut.
Levittown's history seeks home Levittown museum owner seeks a new home for his collection — as the 75th anniversary nears
According to consumeraffairs.com: 'Levittown has a history dating back to shortly after World War II, when it was one of several housing developments built by Levitt & Sons for returning veterans. Today, low crime and a strong economy make this large Philadelphia suburb an appealing option for prospective movers."
Also noted by ConsumerAffairs:
Levittown has the third-lowest violent crime rate (1.1 crimes per 1,000 people) in Pennsylvania.
It ranks second overall economically by having the same job growth rate as Drexel Hill (4.1%) and the fourth-lowest share of the population below the poverty line (7.2%).
Approximately 93% of residents have graduated high school, the eighth-highest rate in the state.
Levittown ranks sixth in the state for health care access, with 30.3 health care professionals per 1,000 residents.
According to consumeraffairs.com, winners "were selected based on emotional decoding of consumer reviews collected during the award period. We analyzed reviews to determine topics that consumers cared most about, then evaluated them to determine if the consumer's experience was positive or negative. We then compared each brand's reviews with overall category reviews. Those that provided the best experiences as defined by consumers were selected as winners.'
Quirky facts about Levittown Here's why Levittown doesn't have basements, but does have bomb shelters and lots of lawns
Topping their list at No. 1 was Bethel Park, approximately 10 miles from Pittsburgh.
In second place was Drexel Hill in Delaware County. No. 4 was Altoona, and in fifth place was Plum, another Pittsburgh suburb.
Other best places included Bethlehem, Williamsport, Hazleton, Erie, Pittsburgh and Lancaster. The full list is can be found at consumeraffairs.com.
Levitt & Sons, which was William Levitt, his brother, Alfred, and their father, Abraham, designed, built and sold 17,311 houses in Lower Bucks County between 1952-1958, mostly to World War II and Korean War veterans aiming to start families and live 'someplace green,' Bill Levitt told an interviewer.
Levittown, a middle-class place with strong blue-collar roots, was the second of several Levittowns.
While built for working people, in recent years home prices have soared to the mid-$700,000s. The average home price in Levittown is between $400,000 and $500,00.
'This was the Levitts' golden Levittown,' said Dave Marable, a lifelong Levittowner who has collected enough Levittown memorabilia to create a small museum.
Time capsule Time to remember: For Levittown's 70th anniversary, museum offers rare glimpse into town's storied past
In sales brochures, Bill Levitt called it 'the most perfectly planned community in America.'
While its design and engineering was groundbreaking, it was imperfect. The Levitts sold to whites only.
When the first Black family broke the color line in 1957, it set off cross burnings and public protests.
Today, Levittown is 82% white and 4% Black, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. For comparison, deep-blue Doylestown is 91% white and 0.7% Black.
Doylestown, which is the Bucks County seat, also recently made a World Atlas listing of 'most unconventional towns' in Pennsylvania.
JD Mullane can be reached at jmullane@couriertimes.com.
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Where are the best places to move to in PA? Levittown makes the list
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