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Cost of living, pay and housing

39.91° N · 75.25° W · GEOID 4215432

Colwyn

Delaware County, Pennsylvania · part of the Philadelphia, PA metro

Limited data population under 5,000

PennsylvaniaColwyn, PAColwynColwyn

The short answer

Colwyn is home to 2,325 people. Median household income is $46,935 a year and median rent is $1,277 a month, 32.6% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). That is above the usual 30% line for cost burden. The median home is valued at $128,100, about 2.7x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$1,277
6% below the median place
Median household income
$46,935
42% below the median place
Median home value
$128,100
60% below the median place
Unemployment
21.2%
334% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Colwyn

  • Unemployment averaged 21.2% over the survey period, higher than in 99% of the 1,242 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 193 Pennsylvania places.
  • After the median rent, and with prices for everything else adjusted to the US average, the median household has about $31,500 a year left, less than in 96% of places its size.
  • 34.9% of residents live below the poverty line, more than in 98% of places its size.
  • Counting remote workers as zero, the average worker spends about 245 hours a year commuting, more than in 96% of places its size.
  • The median rent takes 32.6% of the median household's income, a bigger share than in 97% of places its size.
01

Moving to Colwyn

Delaware County loses about 4.1 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in20,856
Moved out22,803
Net−1,947

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within Pennsylvania, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within PennsylvaniaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$97K
Leavers$91K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Delaware County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
5.0% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 0.0% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Delaware County report $97,200 a year in income on average; those leaving, $91,100, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$51,100 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,277 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,348 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $128,100.
Getting to work
34 minutes each way on average; 4.8% work from home; 25.1% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Oak Grove, KY matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
0.0%
below the median place (median 2.0%)
Income of households moving in8
$97,243
38% above the median place
Income of households moving out8
$91,137
30% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureColwynAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure5.0%13% below
Moved from another state10.0%below (median 2.0%)
Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure-4.1below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in8County figure$97,24338% above
Income of households moving out8County figure$91,13730% above
02

What it costs to live here

Property tax rate is 3.4%, 278% above the median place.

Colwyn32.6%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$51,080
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
32.6%
60% above the median place
Home price to income
2.7x
28% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
33%
over the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$31,600
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Colwyn, $1,277 a month, and local prices for everything else (100.4 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Colwyn, but easier on the budget

Close matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income.

PlaceRent to incomeMore left a year
Oak Grove, KY29.1% vs 32.6%$5,600Compare
Berkeley, MO29.1% vs 32.6%$400Compare
Bensley, VA29.4% vs 32.6%$5,100Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Colwyn.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Colwyn? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Property tax rate1
3.4%
278% above the median place
Median year built1
1951
1% below the median place
Median home value1
$128,100
60% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureColwynAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,2776% below
Rent to income132.6%60% above
Property tax rate13.4%278% above
Home price to income12.7x28% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure102.52% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,86015% above
HUD area median income4County figure$122,70014% above
Property tax paid (median)1$4,40335% above
Median home value1$128,10060% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure4.7%46% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure52.9%3% above
Homeownership144.6%33% below
Renters paying 30%+158.7%16% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,34828% below
Vacant homes1County figure5.6%21% below
Median year built119511% below
03

Work and pay

Unemployment is 21.2%, 334% above the median place.

Unemployment1
21.2%
334% above the median place
Commutes by transit1
25.1%
above the median place (median 0.8%)
Poverty rate1
34.9%
224% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Income per person$21,300 −47%
Median household income$46,935 −42%
Works from home4.8% −61%
Mean commute34 min +36%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureColwynAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$46,93542% below
Income per person1$21,30047% below
Unemployment121.2%334% above
Average annual pay6County figure$74,85213% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure2.3%38% below
Jobs6County figure219,22246% above
Poverty rate134.9%224% above
Mean commute134 min36% above
Works from home14.8%61% below
Commutes by transit125.1%above (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Median age is 27.7, 29% below the median place.

Median age1
27.7
29% below the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
11.9%
63% below the median place
Born abroad1
24.4%
176% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Household size2.9 +18%
High school or higher84.9% −8%
No health insurance10.4% +63%
Homes with broadband92.9% +1%
All 9 people measures
MeasureColwynAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population12,3256646th largest
Population change since 20207-0.3%below (median 1.1%)
Median age127.729% below
Bachelor's or higher111.9%63% below
High school or higher184.9%8% below
Household size12.918% above
Born abroad124.4%176% above
No health insurance110.4%63% above
Homes with broadband192.9%1% above
05

Life in Colwyn

101 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 8 of them National Historic Landmarks.

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents17.2 +69%
Playgrounds per 10k34.4 3.7×
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k0.0 −100%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi42.6 203.0×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars19.4 −7%
Shops26.8 −12%
Arts, recreation and fitness4.0 −2%
Doctors' offices and clinics19.7 −2%
Child care centers3.5 +52%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Public schools12
1
89% below the median place
Public school students12
135
97% below the median place
Students per teacher12
16.9
10% above the median place
All 16 schools and local life measures
MeasureColwynAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12189% below
Public school students1213597% below
Students per teacher1216.910% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure19.47% below
Shops per 10k9County figure26.812% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure4.02% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure19.72% below
Child care centers per 10k9County figure3.552% above
Parks per 10k1017.269% above
Playgrounds per 10k1034.4266% above
Grocery stores per 10k100.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k100.0below (median 11.2)
Libraries per 10k100.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails100.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi1042.6above (median 0.2)
National Register listings11County figure101above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

Wildfire risk is 27.7, 55% below the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Colwyn. Larger places are fetched first.

Wildfire risk14
27.7
55% below the median place
Heat wave risk14
97.6
8% above the median place
Tornado risk14
92.5
14% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureColwynAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure87°F0% above
January average low13County figure25°F1% below
Average temperature13County figure55°F0% above
Annual precipitation13County figure47.0 in7% above
Natural hazard risk14County figure92.90% above
Hurricane risk14County figure88.125% above
Tornado risk14County figure92.514% above
Wildfire risk14County figure27.755% below
Heat wave risk14County figure97.68% above
Median air quality index15County figure442% above
Good air days15County figure65.2%5% below
08

Colwyn in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 34% of the median income in 2030, up from 33% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,277/mo (2024)$1,630/mo$1,340 to $1,990/mo+4.2%
Median household income$46,935 (2024)$58,000$49,000 to $68,500+3.6%
Median home value$128,100 (2024)$188,000$136,000 to $259,000+6.6%
Population2,465 (2025)2,4802,380 to 2,590+0.1%

The median home would be worth 3.2 years of the median income in 2030, against 2.7 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Colwyn

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Oak Grove, KY$1,197$49,354Compare
Berkeley, MO$1,074$44,265Compare
Bridgeton, NJ$1,340$55,781Compare
Bensley, VA$1,238$50,547Compare
Bensley, VABridgeton, NJBerkeley, MOOak Grove, KYColwyn, PAColwynOak GroveBerkeleyBridgetonBensleyColwynOak GroveBerkeleyBensley

Common questions

Is Colwyn a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Unemployment averaged 21.2% over the survey period, higher than in 99% of the 1,242 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 193 Pennsylvania places. After the median rent, and with prices for everything else adjusted to the US average, the median household has about $31,500 a year left, less than in 96% of places its size. On cost, space and class size it scores 21 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Colwyn expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 32.6% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $128,100.

What salary do you need to live in Colwyn?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $51,080 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Colwyn?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Oak Grove, KY, Berkeley, MO, Bridgeton, NJ and Bensley, VA.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  8. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  9. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  10. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  14. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  15. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Colwyn with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Colwyn itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/colwyn-pennsylvania

Citytistics. “Colwyn, Pennsylvania.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/colwyn-pennsylvania/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.