Jump to a sectionPrices by home type, train lines, taxes and which town fits which move
I’ve spent years in both Glenside and Jenkintown, and I went to Penn State Abington nearby. On paper they look almost identical: neighboring Montgomery County towns, both on Regional Rail to Center City, with median sale prices about $5,000 apart.
Compare detached houses, though, and the gap is $160,000. The useful comparison is the kind of home you want, its full monthly cost and the trips you’d make from that address. Here’s how I’d weigh the housing figures, stations and everyday details before a move.
About these home-price figures
Source: closed-sale exports I supplied from Bright MLS, a regional property-listing database used by real estate agents. The comparison includes closed listings with Glenside or Jenkintown as the postal city and closing dates from October 21, 2025 through October 20, 2026. No school-district or neighborhood filters were applied. These mailing-address areas extend beyond a single municipality or school district.
Figures were calculated October 21, 2026 from 243 Glenside and 151 Jenkintown records. A median is the middle value, not an estimate for a particular home. Prices and listing days on market are grouped by home type where shown. Property taxes use available listing-reported amounts. Active and pending listings aren’t included, and the exports haven’t been independently checked for complete market coverage.
How do Glenside and Jenkintown home prices compare?
Detached houses sold for a lower median price in the Glenside postal-city sample than in the Jenkintown postal-city sample during October 21, 2025 through October 20, 2026. The overall medians were similar because the two searches contain different mixes of houses, condos and other housing.
| Comparison | Glenside postal-city sample | Jenkintown postal-city sample |
|---|---|---|
| Search area | Glenside mailing addresses, across multiple municipalities and districts | Jenkintown mailing addresses, not just Jenkintown Borough |
| Closed sales in the sample | 243 | 151 |
| Median sale price, all types | $455,000 | $460,000 |
| Detached houses | 216 sales, median $470,000 | 91 sales, median $630,000 |
| Twins and townhouses | 26 sales, median $357,500 | 19 twin sales, median $381,500 |
| Units and condos | One condo sale, too few for a useful market comparison | 32 condos, median $165,000; seven co-ops and two other sales counted separately |
| Median listing days on market | Detached: 7 days; twins/townhouses: 15.5 days | Detached: 8 days; twins: 8 days |
| Train station | Glenside: Warminster and Lansdale/Doylestown lines | Jenkintown–Wyncote: Warminster, Lansdale/Doylestown and West Trenton lines |
| Public schools | District depends on the exact address, not the postal name | District depends on the exact address, not the postal name |
Living in Glenside
Glenside offers a Regional Rail station, the Keswick Theatre and nearby Arcadia University, with detached houses making up most sales in the postal-city sample. Those places can give you a starting point for a visit, but the distance from a particular home matters more than its mailing address.
Glenside isn’t a borough government. Its postal name crosses township and school-district boundaries, so confirm the municipality and district for any home you’re considering.
Homes and prices
Detached houses with Glenside mailing addresses had a median sale price of $470,000 across 216 closed sales from October 21, 2025 through October 20, 2026, using the supplied Bright MLS records. The same search included 26 twins and townhouses with a combined median of $357,500, plus one condo.
Those figures describe completed sales, not homes available at those prices today. Compare condition, likely repairs and the actual tax bill before treating a lower purchase price as a lower-cost move.
How fast homes sell
Glenside postal-city detached houses had a median of seven listing days on market in the supplied Bright MLS sales from October 21, 2025 through October 20, 2026. Twins and townhouses had a median of 15.5 days. Listing days on market measure marketing time, not the time from accepting an offer to closing.
That history doesn’t set a deadline for your purchase. Before touring, discuss financing with a lender and decide what you need to learn about a home before making an offer.
Getting into the city
Glenside station connects to Center City Philadelphia on SEPTA’s Warminster and Lansdale/Doylestown lines. Check SEPTA’s current schedules and alerts for your departure time, destination station and return trip.
Include the trip from the home to the platform, parking if needed and the final leg to work. A station name alone won’t tell you how the commute will feel.
Things to do in Glenside
The Keswick Theatre is a place to check for concerts and comedy in Glenside. Look at the current calendar rather than the marquee in the archival photograph below.
Arcadia University’s Grey Towers Castle is another nearby landmark. The university asks visitors to contact Conference Services in advance to arrange a visit, so check access before planning a stop.
Living in Jenkintown
Jenkintown Borough has a downtown around Old York Road and West Avenue, the Hiway Theater and access to Jenkintown–Wyncote station. A home with a Jenkintown mailing address isn’t necessarily in the borough or within walking distance of those stops.
The Jenkintown School District describes the borough community it serves. The housing figures below cover the broader postal-city search, including addresses with other district labels, not just that borough community.
House prices and condo prices are different comparisons
Detached houses with Jenkintown mailing addresses had a median sale price of $630,000 across 91 closed sales from October 21, 2025 through October 20, 2026, using the supplied Bright MLS records. The 19 twin sales had a median of $381,500, while 32 condo sales had a median of $165,000.
Across all 151 sales, the median was $460,000. That total includes seven cooperative units and two other sales as well as the houses and condos. A co-op is a different ownership arrangement from a condominium, so I wouldn’t combine them into one condo-price figure.
How fast homes sell
Jenkintown postal-city detached houses and twins each had a median of eight listing days on market in the supplied Bright MLS sales from October 21, 2025 through October 20, 2026. Condos had a median of 61 days. Those are historical marketing times, not a promise of extra time or a discount.
For a condo, compare the monthly association fee and what it covers alongside the purchase price. Review the association’s finances and ask about planned special assessments, which are additional charges to owners for expenses such as major repairs.
Schools and property taxes
A Jenkintown mailing address doesn’t establish eligibility for the borough’s school district. Confirm enrollment eligibility with the district for the specific property, and check the municipality separately.
For detached houses sold from October 21, 2025 through October 20, 2026, median listing-reported annual property taxes were $10,223 in the Jenkintown postal-city sample and $6,758 in the Glenside postal-city sample. The supplied Bright MLS records contained usable tax amounts for all 91 Jenkintown detached sales and 215 of 216 Glenside detached sales.
These are different groups of properties, not a comparison of tax rates or a tax quote for your purchase. Obtain the current property bill and ask the relevant tax office or a tax adviser about applicable charges and possible changes.
Getting into the city
Jenkintown–Wyncote station connects to Center City Philadelphia on the Warminster, Lansdale/Doylestown and West Trenton lines. Compare the actual departure and return options in SEPTA’s current schedule rather than assuming an extra line always means a shorter wait.
Things to do in Jenkintown
The Hiway Theater and the borough’s town square are starting points for a visit to downtown Jenkintown. Check the film schedule, then walk the routes between the stops you’d use regularly.
If you’re considering a home nearby, try its route to the station or groceries as well. Notice the walking distance and crossings rather than assuming the whole postal-city area has the downtown’s layout.
Will you save on Philadelphia wage tax?
Moving from Philadelphia to Glenside or Jenkintown doesn’t automatically eliminate Philadelphia wage tax. Non-residents who work in Philadelphia generally owe it too. The City of Philadelphia lists rates of 3.735% for residents and 3.425% for non-residents, effective July 1, 2026 and checked October 21, 2026.
At those constant rates, $90,000 in annual taxable wages produces a $279 difference before other tax considerations. That’s an illustration, not an individual’s actual 2026 tax bill.
Remote work, work outside Philadelphia and local earned income taxes can affect the result. Check applicable rules and credits with Philadelphia’s Department of Revenue or a tax professional before counting on savings.
Which fits your budget and daily routine?
Start with a comparable home and the trips you’d make from it. Glenside’s postal-city detached houses had a lower historical median price, while Jenkintown Borough offers a downtown worth exploring if walking to shops or the theater matters to you. Neither observation tells you what a particular address will cost or how convenient its routes will be.
I’d shortlist actual homes, compare their full monthly costs, then test the commute and a few ordinary errands. If staying in Philadelphia keeps those trips simpler, include that option rather than assuming a suburban move is automatically an improvement.
If you’d like to talk through either area, bring the homes, costs or commute questions you’re comparing. I can help in English or Mandarin. You don’t need to have chosen a location first.
Common questions
Is Glenside its own town?
Glenside is a community and postal name, not a borough government. A Glenside mailing address can cross township and school-district boundaries, so verify the municipality and district for the particular property.
Is Jenkintown walkable?
Downtown Jenkintown Borough has shops, restaurants and the Hiway Theater close together, but walking access depends on the home and route. Check distances, sidewalks and crossings from the specific property rather than assuming every Jenkintown mailing address has the same access.
Which is cheaper, Glenside or Jenkintown?
For postal-city closed sales from October 21, 2025 through October 20, 2026, the supplied Bright MLS records show detached-house medians of $470,000 in Glenside and $630,000 in Jenkintown. Across all home types, medians were $455,000 and $460,000 respectively, so compare the same housing type and include taxes, condition and any association fees.
Which train lines stop in Glenside and Jenkintown?
Glenside station is served by SEPTA’s Warminster and Lansdale/Doylestown lines. Jenkintown–Wyncote station is served by the Warminster, Lansdale/Doylestown and West Trenton lines. Check current schedules and alerts for your trip.
Do I pay Philadelphia wage tax if I live in the suburbs?
Non-residents who work in Philadelphia generally still owe Philadelphia wage tax. The city lists a non-resident rate of 3.425%, effective July 1, 2026 and checked October 21, 2026. Confirm remote-work treatment and other applicable taxes with the city or a tax professional.
What school district is Glenside in?
A Glenside mailing address alone doesn’t identify the school district. The supplied postal-city sales records carry Abington, Cheltenham, Springfield Township and Upper Dublin district labels, but enrollment eligibility must be confirmed for the exact property with the relevant district.
Does a Jenkintown mailing address mean a home is in Jenkintown Borough?
No. The Jenkintown postal-city search extends beyond the borough and includes more than one school-district label. Confirm the property’s municipality and school district separately rather than relying on the mailing address.
How long is the train ride from Glenside or Jenkintown to Center City?
Travel time from Glenside or Jenkintown–Wyncote depends on the train, departure time and Center City destination station. Use SEPTA’s current schedule for a specific outward and return trip, then add the time between the home, station and final destination.
What costs should I compare besides the purchase price?
Compare property taxes, insurance, maintenance and any condominium or association fees alongside the mortgage payment. Use the property’s records and current quotes rather than treating a postal-city median as your budget.
How can I compare Glenside and Jenkintown during a visit?
Try the routes you’d use regularly, such as reaching the station, buying groceries or walking to dinner. Compare specific addresses and trips rather than judging either mailing-address area only by its downtown.
General information, not tax or legal advice. Home-price figures calculated October 21, 2026 from supplied Bright MLS exports. See “About these home-price figures” for the search boundaries and period. Historical listing information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Current listings, schedules, tax rates and conditions can change.
Sources & method
Information in this guide was checked October 21, 2026. Source links appear in the text above. Dates, prices and hours can change, so confirm with the official source before you rely on them.
Photo credits and image details
These photographs were resized and converted to WebP for this website, with no crop or content changes. Source and license links are below. Dates describe the source photos, not current conditions or future events.
- Shuvaev · CC BY-SA 4.0Jenkintown’s town square, March 2020. A dated neighborhood reference, not a current business directory.
- Dough4872 · CC BY-SA 4.0Glenside station, October 2018. Platform reference; check SEPTA for current service and access.
- Smallbones · CC0The Keswick Theatre in Glenside, November 2011. Archival exterior; marquee listings are not current.
- Shuvaev · CC BY-SA 4.0A house on Summit Avenue in Jenkintown, August 2015. Architectural reference, not a current listing or a sale-price example.
- Shuvaev · CC BY-SA 4.0Jenkintown–Wyncote station, March 2020. Station reference; check SEPTA for current service and access.
- Shuvaev · CC BY-SA 4.0The Hiway Theater in Jenkintown, August 2015. Archival exterior; marquee titles are not current.