Burb vs. burb

Coatesville Jenkintown

Chester County against Montgomery County, $129K apart on a typical house, and two different ideas of a Saturday. The tale of the tape:

Quick verdict

  • Your dollar goes further in Coatesville: homes around $395K against $524K.
  • Jenkintown wins the commute.
  • Jenkintown wins the browse. The shops are the afternoon.
  • Jenkintown has the better main-street walk.

The read, side by side

Food scene
Nights out
Shops & browsing
Arts & festivals
Trails & outdoors
Family Saturdays
Train to the city
Main-street walk
Peace & quiet

Scored 0–5 by us, the way we’d brief a friend. Not by a formula.

The numbers

Coatesville Jenkintown
CountyChesterMontgomery
Typical home$395K$524K
TrainCoatesville, about 60 minJenkintown-Wyncote, about 25 min
Drive to Center City~55 min~25 min
SchoolsCoatesville AreaJenkintown
Population13,3504,719
In our guide80 places74 places

Home values: typical figures checked against Zillow and Redfin, mid-2026. Train times: typical scheduled rides to Jefferson Station, rounded. Verify before you commit to anything with a mortgage on it.

A Saturday in each

Coatesville

  • Taqueria El Korita Birria y pastor: Taqueria El Korita builds its menu around birria and al pastor, on the east end of Lincoln Highway in Coatesville.
  • Primos mini market Carnicerías: A neighborhood mini market and carnicería on Strode Avenue, with a butcher counter and the pantry staples the big stores skip.
  • Hibernia County Park: More than 900 acres of woods, meadows, and trails wrapped around a 19th-century ironmaster's mansion just north of town.

The full Coatesville guide →

Jenkintown

  • Philly Cheesecake Lady: Cheesecake as the whole point, in more flavors than you'd expect one bakery to carry.
  • Mine By Design Etsy Shop: A West Ave maker's shop that moved from Etsy to a storefront, selling handmade goods and gifts you can hold before you buy.
  • The Sewing Room: A sewing studio on the lower level at Homestead Road, running classes for kids and grown-ups who want to actually learn the machine.

The full Jenkintown guide →