Burb vs. burb

Malvern Narberth

Chester County against Montgomery County, $89K apart on a typical house, and two different ideas of a Saturday. The tale of the tape:

Quick verdict

  • Your dollar goes further in Narberth: homes around $725K against $814K.
  • Narberth wins the commute.
  • Malvern gets you onto a trail faster.
  • Narberth 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

Malvern Narberth
CountyChesterMontgomery
Typical home$814K$725K
TrainMalvern, about 60 minNarberth, about 25 min
Drive to Center City~40 min~15 min
SchoolsGreat ValleyLower Merion
Population3,4194,492
In our guide68 places55 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

Malvern

  • Common Good Pizza & Tap: Pizza and a rotating tap list on Pennsylvania Ave.
  • Malvern Farmers Market: The Malvern Farmers Market gathers local growers and makers near Burke Park through the warm months, with produce, bread, and things to eat on the spot.
  • Historic Sugartown: Preserved 19th-century crossroads village with a general store, carriage museum, the circa-1805 Garrett House, and a working book bindery.

The full Malvern guide →

Narberth

  • Srinagar Indian Cuisine: Kashmiri and North Indian cooking on N Essex Ave, named for Kashmir's summer capital.
  • Narberth Bookshop: The independent bookshop on Haverford Ave, small and tightly curated by staff who actually read what they shelve.
  • Rolling Hill Park: A 103-acre township nature park in Gladwyne with hiking and equestrian trails.

The full Narberth guide →