Narberth is located on a parcel of land originally deeded to Edward Rees, which later became “Prees” and eventually “Price”, who arrived from Wales in 1682. A portion of this original tract became the 100-acre (0.40 km2) farm of Edward R. Price, who founded Elm as a Quaker-friendly town in 1881. The town name changed to Narberth in 1893, and Narberth was incorporated in 1895.[3] In 1995, the borough celebrated its 100th birthday with a year-long celebration.
As of the 2010 census, the borough was 90.4% White, 1.9% Black or African American, 4.4% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian, and 2.7% were two or more races. 2.4% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.[6]
As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 4,233 people, 1,904 households, and 1,037 families residing in the borough. The population density was 8,571.7 inhabitants per square mile (3,309.6/km2). There were 1,981 housing units at an average density of 4,011.5 per square mile (1,548.8/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 95.23% White, 1.18% African American, 0.12% Native American, 2.27% Asian, 0.14% from other races, and 1.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.39% of the population.
There were 1,904 households, out of which 26.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.9% were married couples living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.5% were non-families. 37.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the borough, the population was spread out, with 22.3% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 34.9% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.6 years.[8] For every 100 females there were 85.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.0 males.
In 2021, the median estimated income for a household in the borough was $133,475.[8] Males had a median income of $59,076 versus $41,518 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $35,165. About 2.6% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.5% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.
The borough has many square blocks of fine old Victorian homes and apartment buildings, and most of its families live north and west of downtown areas, extending north along Montgomery Avenue to North Wynnewood Avenue.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 0.5 square miles (1.3 km2), all land.
Narberth is an enclave surrounded by Lower Merion Township, close to the western edge of the city of Philadelphia. It is part of the Philadelphia Main Line, a string of leafy, picturesque suburbs with quaint Welsh names extending west from Philadelphia along the old Pennsylvania Railroad's "main line" from Merion through Ardmore, Bryn Mawr, Villanova, Devon and Wayne among other towns and municipalities. Narberth is unique among those locations in that it is fairly enclosed; no major thoroughfares run through the town, but Montgomery Avenue runs northwest–southeast along the borough's northern border.
Because of its small size, many of Narberth's shopping and recreational facilities are within walking distance of residents' houses. SEPTA's "Main Line" railroad tracks separate North Side from South Side. Narberth is mostly a residential community, with a central business district along Haverford, Narberth, Forrest, and Essex Avenues. The borough is bordered by the towns of Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, Merion, and Penn Valley, Pennsylvania.
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Narberth has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[9]
Average monthly temperatures range from 32.2 °F in January to 77.2 °F in July. [10]
Shopping and entertainment
Narberth's business district has a variety of small, generally independent businesses. Some have been there for decades, including The Cheese Company and Real Pizza.[11] Narberth also has an independent movie theater located in its downtown. Many borough businesses belong to the Narberth Business Association, which promotes the town as a shopping destination and also puts on occasional events, including the Spring Sidewalk Sale and the Narberth Dickens Festival.[12]
Recreation
The Borough of Narberth maintains two recreational facilities: The Narberth Playground and the Sabine Avenue Playground. The Narberth Playground has two basketball courts, three tennis courts, a field area, a junior basketball court (once volleyball), and a playground for younger children. The Sabine Avenue Tot Lot, on the grounds of the former Narberth Elementary School, is the smaller of the two and was recently renovated with new playground equipment. In addition, the borough sponsors a Fall soccer program, a Spring baseball program, a Summer basketball program, and many other sports and recreation activities.
Narberth has a city manager form of government with a mayor and a seven-member borough council. The mayor is Andrea Deutsch, a Democrat. The members of Borough Council, all of whom are Democrats, are Fred Bush (president), Cyndi Rickards (vice president), Jean Burock, Ira Winston, Michael Gaudini, Jim Speer, and Mike Salmanson.[14] The Borough Manager is Matt West. The Solicitor is John Walko.
The borough is part of Pennsylvania's Fifth Congressional District (represented by Mary Scanlon). In the US Senate, the Borough is represented by Senator Bob Casey, Jr. (senior senator) and John Fetterman (junior senator). In the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the Borough is part of the 148th State House District (represented by Rep. Mary Jo Daley) and the 17th State Senate District (represented by Sen. Amanda Cappelletti).[15][16]
As of 2009 there were 11.06 miles (17.80 km) of public roads in Narberth, of which 0.32 miles (0.51 km) were maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and 10.74 miles (17.28 km) were maintained by the borough.[17]
No numbered highways directly serve Narberth. Main streets traversing the borough include Narberth Avenue, Wynnewood Road and Haverford Avenue. The nearest state highways are Pennsylvania Route 23, U.S. Route 30, U.S. Route 1, and Interstate 76, all traversing the surrounding township of Lower Merion.
Nearby Wynnewood is also home to one of the three principal teaching hospitals that serve Philadelphia's Main Line. Along with the eponymous Bryn Mawr and Paoli Memorial hospitals, Lankenau Medical Center, on Lancaster Pike (Route 30) in Wynnewood near the Overbrook border, has traditionally been affiliated with either Jefferson or Hahnemann (now Drexel) colleges of medicine and is always (with Bryn Mawr and Paoli) on the list of the nation's top community hospitals. Saunders House, a rehabilitation facility, can be found on Lankenau's premises, as is a large and busy medical office building that is home to many of the private practices of the hospital's attending physicians.
Press
Local events are covered by The Main Line Times and the newer Main Line Life print newspapers.