Situated along the prestigious Main Line in the Philadelphia suburbs, Lower Merion is one of the major inner-ring suburbs of Philadelphia and one of the wealthiest areas in its state. The picturesque township boasts a 97% graduation rate, low crime, and median household income that tops $117,000 a year.
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Among the public school system’s illustrious alumni: Kobe Bryant, who attended Lower Merion High School, leading the Aces to the state championship in 1996, and former U.S. Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers, who graduated from Harriton High School. There are several centers of higher education in the area as well, including Bryn Mawr, Harcum, and Rosemont colleges; Haverford College and Saint Joseph’s University are also nearby.
For recreation, Lower Merion residents can choose from playgrounds, swimming pools, picnic areas, and nature parks that are spread out over 25 facilities and 665 acres. The township also runs supervised recreation programs during the summer and winter.
The town’s big employers include many of the local universities or colleges, Main Line hospitals, financial institutions such as Susquehanna International Group or Maguire Insurance Agency, and medical services like Maxim Healthcare Services or Great Valley Health. —Sergei Klebnikov
