Spotlight on Abington/Jenkintown, Pennsylvania
Abington Township, spanning 15.5 square miles, dates back to 18th century and is one the oldest communities in Montgomery County, PA with historic transportation routes, industries, and churches. A northern suburb of Philadelphia, Abington Township is comprised of 15 communities including Abington, Ardsley, Crestmont, Elkins Park, Fitzwatertown, Glenside, Hollywood, Huntington Valley, McKinley, Meadowbrook, Noble, North Hills, Roslyn, Roychester, Rydal, and Willow Grove. Abington Township’s population totaled 55,310 according to the 2010 census, making it the second largest township in Montgomery County. The township boasts some of the best schools in suburban Philadelphia, and in 2011, the Abington school district received the prestigious College Board AP District of the Year award.
Jenkintown is located approximately 10 miles north of downtown Philadelphia, adjacent to Abington Township. The town, originally settled in 1697, totals 0.6 square miles and is home to nearly 4,500 residents. Jenkintown is separated along Old York Road, which comprises the commercial heart of the borough. The name “Jenkintown” is also used to colloquially to describe the surrounding boroughs of Rydal, Jenkintown Manor and Noble, which are technically within Abington Township.
Today, Abington is home to Willow Grove Park Mall, numerous local small businesses, and some of the county’s largest employers including Abington Memorial Hospital, the flagship hospital of Abington-Jefferson Health that employers upwards of 5,000. Additionally, nearby Fort Washington contains McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson that developed Tylenol in the early 1950s, and the Fort Washington Office Park, which is home to over 100 companies and 6 million square feet of office space.
Area attractions include the Abington Art Center, home to innovative contemporary art spaces and a nationally-recognized sculpture garden; the historic Hiway Movie Theater, which features a nightly mix of new releases and classic films; the Jenkins Town Lyceum, which was designated as a National Historic Place and has served as the Jenkintown Library since 1976; and the Keswick Theater, a vibrant, 83-year-old live music space ranked by Pollstar as a Top 50 U.S. music venue.
The Abington/Jenkintown area has convenient access to numerous areas within the City of Philadelphia and its surrounding suburban areas, as the Jenkintown-Wycote train station and Roslyn station are serviced by SEPTA’s Warminster, West Trenton, Airport, and Landsdale/Doylestown lines.
The featured properties in this month’s rent survey represent six communities in Abington/Jenkintown built between 1938 and 1990. Average occupancy rates for these communities range from 94% to 100%. Average rental rates per square foot range from $1.03 to $1.68, with average unit sizes ranging from 646 to 1,000 square feet. Common area amenities include on-site laundry facilities, fitness centers, courtyards, swimming pools, and business centers. Unit amenities feature hardwood flooring or wall-to-wall carpeting, ceiling fans, walk-in closets, and fireplaces in select properties. Residents pay an application fee ranging from $25 to $75 and post security deposits from $500 to one month’s rent. Pets are allowed in the majority of communities with some breed restrictions; residents pay pet deposits of $250 and pet rents ranging from $25 to $50 per month. Residents are responsible for electric in the majority of the communities and landlords are generally responsible for water and sewer, trash removal, and in some cases, fuel/gas expenses.