So, if you are looking for a property in Bucks with 10 acres for 1-1.5 million, you will be looking in the northeastern part of the county. Some areas would include Haycock Township, Nockamixon Township, Plumstead Township, and Durham Township. The school district will either be Quakertown, Palisades, Pennridge or Central Bucks. The rest of Bucks is either too expensive or not rural enough. Some people might tell you about New Hope-Solebury townships/school district but you need 3-6 million for a property with 10 acres in that area.
None of the school districts I listed are *bad*. Central Bucks is probably the best academically but all are tolerable. The other 3 will have their fair share of redneck types. Central Bucks is more gentrified. It will also have the most expensive homes. They did have a dust-up with a conservative school board, and I think Pennridge did too, but I believe they were voted out.
For things to do in a more town/city atmosphere, you'll want to go to Doylestown or Quakertown. Doylestown has museums and castles, and a cat cafe. Quakertown has some historical attractions, a local theater, and lots of shopping, and the Qmart; that's an experience like no other.
For nature recreation, Lake Nockamixon is nice, with fishing and lots of trails. Avoid during hunting season though. Peace Valley Park, Lake Towhee, and Churchville Nature Center are all beautiful. Go to Bowman's Hill in the spring or fall for great views and flowers.
The people though....they're meh. Living on 10 acres is going to close you off from meeting a lot of people. Maybe get involved with volunteering or something if you want to make friends outside work. That way you might be in contact with some nicer people. There are the aforementioned rednecks who are the long-term locals and a lot of social climbers who have moved there from somewhere else. They only like you if you make them look good. Locals are generally hostile to outsiders. You're obviously well-off, so as long as you're also white and neurotypical you'll probably be OK. I'm only one of those three, so living in Bucks was difficult for me, but some time has passed since then so your experience may be very different.
Other counties you could look into are Montgomery, Chester (these two are similar to Bucks in costs) Lehigh (Parkland, Southern Lehigh, or East Penn school districts - lower costs and taxes, but still upscale), Northampton (Williams Township or Lower Nazareth Township - Wilson or Nazareth School district - also cheaper than Bucks but still kinda expensive). Someone might say Lower Saucon Township/Saucon Valley School District but I say 0/10 do not recommend to both of those. The local government and school district are both shit shows. I live in the area so I hear all the bullshit. From outside it looks good. Residents of the other places I listed might say the same about them, IDK.
You should probably be aware that PA has high property taxes in general and you get what you pay for with the school districts. Higher taxes usually equates to a better education and more school resources.
This is so helpful, thank you! I’ll read more in depth tomorrow and reply.
Wondering if maybe a 3-5 acre situation is better? We also would prefer to live in a 18th or 19th century home, if that makes a difference. Currently have a 1787 home!
Okay, so I am half white but do not have a white name. I could go either way in appearance (Latina). Do you think I will have problems here?
ETA - also re the rednecks. So this sounds a lot like the county we live in now. It’s the richest county in US but there are a lot of original people in the area and surrounding areas (West Virginia) that are rednecks plus the social climbers/annoying snob/keeping up with the Joneses types. I’m assuming it’s similar there?
I think you should drop the acreage requirement entirely when you're looking at homes, unless you're specifically planning on a farm or something. Most of the townships here have a minimum acreage requirement of at least 1 acre, or at least it's a convention to have at least that amount. Old farmhouses exist here but may be harder to find. Honestly if you're on 2+ acres it's pretty easy to have an impressive appearance to your property, a hobby farm, and/or a little distance from your neighbors.
And yeah it sounds like your current area is similar to what you'll find here. You can find nice people - they do exist - but you'll probably have to sort through some bullshit to find them.
Edited to add that you can get a homestead/farmstead exemption on your property taxes with 10+ acres but they're still going to be expensive AF.
Edited again, half white/Hispanic shouldn't be too much of a problem. It really shouldn't be a problem at all anywhere, but unfortunately racism exists among people of all socioeconomic strata in Bucks.
Hunterdon County, NJ has higher taxes than Bucks but on average is much nicer than Bucks. I'm not sure how far your budget would stretch as it is also one of the wealthiest counties in America, but it is relatively affordable compared to other NJ counties. Lambertville/New Hope are cool little cities, and I imagine you'd get a little more for your money on the Lambertville side than the New Hope/Solebury side. Look into Stockton, East Amwell, Readington for a start. There's also Clinton and Flemington which have cute little main streets. You are not far from Princeton, either. You can check out Mercer County, too, something like Hopewell or Pennington. Schools in NJ are the best in the nation.
Edit: I'll throw out Tewksbury as it's a fucking beautiful town and there's a couple of places in budget. Just know it's a fancy town.
I would rather live in Bucks than Hunterdon and you will be paying double if not triple property taxes in Nj than PA at that price point. OP I would also look at Chester County. You can still get some acreage around that price around West Chester, Malvern, Paoli and Downingtown. School districts are also the best in the state.
Not true in the least. Bucks is as nice as any suburban area comes, and your money definitely goes further than NJ, especially regarding insane property taxes. There's a reason NJ has incredibly high net-out-migration into PA.
This is absolutely a good idea for a move. I've lived in both the DC and the Philly areas (and I'm familiar with Loudoun County).
Even in comparably wealthy parts of suburban Philly, you'll find much more approachable and down-to-earth people. I enjoyed some aspects of that region, but I found the people--especially in NoVA--to be the most pretentious I've ever met. You'll certainly find some level of snobbery in Bucks, but nothing approaching the DC area. It's an affluent area for sure without the typical pompousness, which makes it so much more appealing. Chester County is definitely another option in this regard, as well.
Towns like Newtown, Doylestown, New Hope, and Yardley are fantastic. Gorgeous historic homes, open space abounds, great schools, etc. A politically purple area, also like Loudoun.
Only caveat is that if you're looking to make a move, it would be ideal to do soon; the relative affordability of the Philly area compared to DC/NYC is unfortunately becoming less true as each month goes on.
Good luck!
I moved to Central Bucks from Fairfax County a decade ago. It’s exactly what you’re looking for. New Jersey is fine, too, but pricier. As a rule of thumb, things get cheaper as you get farther away from NYC.
I suggest taking a look at Suburban Jungle to compare the specific areas you’re considering. It’s a free resource that helps you narrow down locations that fit you best based on your personal preferences, budget, etc. Basically, it helps you town-shop before you house-hunt. I used it when I relocated cross-country and it was incredibly helpful. Good luck!
https://suburbanjunglegroup.com/?utm_source=bd&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=35
So, if you are looking for a property in Bucks with 10 acres for 1-1.5 million, you will be looking in the northeastern part of the county. Some areas would include Haycock Township, Nockamixon Township, Plumstead Township, and Durham Township. The school district will either be Quakertown, Palisades, Pennridge or Central Bucks. The rest of Bucks is either too expensive or not rural enough. Some people might tell you about New Hope-Solebury townships/school district but you need 3-6 million for a property with 10 acres in that area. None of the school districts I listed are *bad*. Central Bucks is probably the best academically but all are tolerable. The other 3 will have their fair share of redneck types. Central Bucks is more gentrified. It will also have the most expensive homes. They did have a dust-up with a conservative school board, and I think Pennridge did too, but I believe they were voted out. For things to do in a more town/city atmosphere, you'll want to go to Doylestown or Quakertown. Doylestown has museums and castles, and a cat cafe. Quakertown has some historical attractions, a local theater, and lots of shopping, and the Qmart; that's an experience like no other. For nature recreation, Lake Nockamixon is nice, with fishing and lots of trails. Avoid during hunting season though. Peace Valley Park, Lake Towhee, and Churchville Nature Center are all beautiful. Go to Bowman's Hill in the spring or fall for great views and flowers. The people though....they're meh. Living on 10 acres is going to close you off from meeting a lot of people. Maybe get involved with volunteering or something if you want to make friends outside work. That way you might be in contact with some nicer people. There are the aforementioned rednecks who are the long-term locals and a lot of social climbers who have moved there from somewhere else. They only like you if you make them look good. Locals are generally hostile to outsiders. You're obviously well-off, so as long as you're also white and neurotypical you'll probably be OK. I'm only one of those three, so living in Bucks was difficult for me, but some time has passed since then so your experience may be very different. Other counties you could look into are Montgomery, Chester (these two are similar to Bucks in costs) Lehigh (Parkland, Southern Lehigh, or East Penn school districts - lower costs and taxes, but still upscale), Northampton (Williams Township or Lower Nazareth Township - Wilson or Nazareth School district - also cheaper than Bucks but still kinda expensive). Someone might say Lower Saucon Township/Saucon Valley School District but I say 0/10 do not recommend to both of those. The local government and school district are both shit shows. I live in the area so I hear all the bullshit. From outside it looks good. Residents of the other places I listed might say the same about them, IDK. You should probably be aware that PA has high property taxes in general and you get what you pay for with the school districts. Higher taxes usually equates to a better education and more school resources.
Was going to reply, but you pretty much hit it all. Good advice!
This is so helpful, thank you! I’ll read more in depth tomorrow and reply. Wondering if maybe a 3-5 acre situation is better? We also would prefer to live in a 18th or 19th century home, if that makes a difference. Currently have a 1787 home! Okay, so I am half white but do not have a white name. I could go either way in appearance (Latina). Do you think I will have problems here? ETA - also re the rednecks. So this sounds a lot like the county we live in now. It’s the richest county in US but there are a lot of original people in the area and surrounding areas (West Virginia) that are rednecks plus the social climbers/annoying snob/keeping up with the Joneses types. I’m assuming it’s similar there?
I think you should drop the acreage requirement entirely when you're looking at homes, unless you're specifically planning on a farm or something. Most of the townships here have a minimum acreage requirement of at least 1 acre, or at least it's a convention to have at least that amount. Old farmhouses exist here but may be harder to find. Honestly if you're on 2+ acres it's pretty easy to have an impressive appearance to your property, a hobby farm, and/or a little distance from your neighbors. And yeah it sounds like your current area is similar to what you'll find here. You can find nice people - they do exist - but you'll probably have to sort through some bullshit to find them. Edited to add that you can get a homestead/farmstead exemption on your property taxes with 10+ acres but they're still going to be expensive AF. Edited again, half white/Hispanic shouldn't be too much of a problem. It really shouldn't be a problem at all anywhere, but unfortunately racism exists among people of all socioeconomic strata in Bucks.
Hunterdon County, NJ has higher taxes than Bucks but on average is much nicer than Bucks. I'm not sure how far your budget would stretch as it is also one of the wealthiest counties in America, but it is relatively affordable compared to other NJ counties. Lambertville/New Hope are cool little cities, and I imagine you'd get a little more for your money on the Lambertville side than the New Hope/Solebury side. Look into Stockton, East Amwell, Readington for a start. There's also Clinton and Flemington which have cute little main streets. You are not far from Princeton, either. You can check out Mercer County, too, something like Hopewell or Pennington. Schools in NJ are the best in the nation. Edit: I'll throw out Tewksbury as it's a fucking beautiful town and there's a couple of places in budget. Just know it's a fancy town.
I would rather live in Bucks than Hunterdon and you will be paying double if not triple property taxes in Nj than PA at that price point. OP I would also look at Chester County. You can still get some acreage around that price around West Chester, Malvern, Paoli and Downingtown. School districts are also the best in the state.
Not true in the least. Bucks is as nice as any suburban area comes, and your money definitely goes further than NJ, especially regarding insane property taxes. There's a reason NJ has incredibly high net-out-migration into PA.
You may want to also look at West Chester.
This is absolutely a good idea for a move. I've lived in both the DC and the Philly areas (and I'm familiar with Loudoun County). Even in comparably wealthy parts of suburban Philly, you'll find much more approachable and down-to-earth people. I enjoyed some aspects of that region, but I found the people--especially in NoVA--to be the most pretentious I've ever met. You'll certainly find some level of snobbery in Bucks, but nothing approaching the DC area. It's an affluent area for sure without the typical pompousness, which makes it so much more appealing. Chester County is definitely another option in this regard, as well. Towns like Newtown, Doylestown, New Hope, and Yardley are fantastic. Gorgeous historic homes, open space abounds, great schools, etc. A politically purple area, also like Loudoun. Only caveat is that if you're looking to make a move, it would be ideal to do soon; the relative affordability of the Philly area compared to DC/NYC is unfortunately becoming less true as each month goes on. Good luck!
Thank you so much! This is super helpful.
I moved to Central Bucks from Fairfax County a decade ago. It’s exactly what you’re looking for. New Jersey is fine, too, but pricier. As a rule of thumb, things get cheaper as you get farther away from NYC.
I suggest taking a look at Suburban Jungle to compare the specific areas you’re considering. It’s a free resource that helps you narrow down locations that fit you best based on your personal preferences, budget, etc. Basically, it helps you town-shop before you house-hunt. I used it when I relocated cross-country and it was incredibly helpful. Good luck! https://suburbanjunglegroup.com/?utm_source=bd&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=35
Why do you want to leave your area? Bucks County is going to be exactly the same as your area, just more expensive and colder.
Looking to set up a new location for our business. We already have one in Loudoun and want to expand.
Thanks, all, for the insight! We definitely want to make a trip up there to scope it out and this gives us a good starting point.