Bucks County vs Montgomery County
Bucks County, Pennsylvania versus Montgomery County, Pennsylvania: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US counties.
Bucks County and Montgomery County score about the same overall (53 vs 50 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Bucks County | Montgomery County |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $108k | $107k |
| Cost of Living | $58k | $60k |
| Home Value | $396k | $382k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.45% | 1.48% |
| Income Tax | 3.48% | 3.39% |
| Sales Tax | 6.34% | 6.34% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 10.90% | 10.74% |
| Unemployment | 4.6% | 4.5% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 32°F | 31°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 76°F | 75°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 49.3 in | 48.6 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 19.1 in | 17.7 in |
| Sunny Days | 239 days | 225 days |
| Summer Humidity | 64°F | 64°F |
| Comfortable Days | 82 days | 88 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 94.8 | 96.8 |
| Air Quality | 39 AQI | 44 AQI |
| School Quality | 95.0 | 100.0 |
| Violent Crime | 151/100k | 318/100k |
| Property Crime | 531/100k | 1301/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 645,163 | 856,399 |
| Median Age | 44.0 | 41.2 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.29 | 0.41 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.98 | 0.96 |
| Political Leaning | Even | D+27 |
| White (%) | 81.7% | 73.6% |
| Black (%) | 3.7% | 9.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 5.9% | 5.7% |
| Asian (%) | 4.9% | 7.8% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.8% | 4.0% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 30 min | 28 min |
| Walkability | 9.6/20 | 11.1/20 |
| Airport Distance | 32 mi | 24 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 93.0% | 93.0% |
| Amenities Nearby | 2.82 | 1.80 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Good |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US counties: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Bucks County or Montgomery County more affordable?
- Bucks County has the lower cost of living: its index is $58k, compared with Bucks County's $58k and Montgomery County's $60k. Median rent is $1k in Bucks County versus $2k in Montgomery County.
- Is Bucks County or Montgomery County safer?
- Bucks County has the lower violent crime rate. Bucks County reports 151/100k and Montgomery County reports 318/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Bucks County or Montgomery County?
- The median home value is $396k in Bucks County and $382k in Montgomery County, so homes are more affordable in Montgomery County.