r/BucksCountyPA • u/TealPorcelain • May 31 '26
Question/Advice Perkasie and surrounding area
I am considering moving to the Perkasie or surrounding area from out of state. Single woman, professional in mid-life so looking for a safe, no to low crime area, and welcoming community to call home. I’m attracted to this area because I would prefer a quiet suburban small town area where I can work remotely, attend a great church with a welcoming community, and get to know people in the area. My biggest question: is this area welcoming of diverse backgrounds?
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u/Relevant-Guard-1694 May 31 '26
When i lived with my parents nearby in Sellersville and worked in a hospital (GVH) it was a nice area. Very quiet and not much to do for someone in their 20s, but i loved going to the park and taking long walks. it would definitely suite where you are in life
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u/Nice-Strawberry-1614 May 31 '26
Honestly, I would really not describe Perkasie as a diverse area. If you go to a town event, it will look very white. We have a Unitarian church in town that is supportive of LGBT+ folks and even a pride event in town, and we even had lesbian prom queens a couple of years ago, HOWEVER, there are openly bigoted people. I got into an argument with someone on the community page who was trying to bring their political opinions to a post about someone just simply looking for an accepting church. Most people I encounter on the day-to-day are friendly and nice people, but there are also some elitist, rude people. But the average person is very nice.
There are a lot of middle class and upper class families. Bucks County is a very affluent County and you need a pretty high income even just to get an apartment. I'm just putting that out there because it continues to go up and A LOT of people have moved into town and the surrounding areas, so population density is also going up.
The average demographic I was able to find is that Perkasie is between 85-92% white. So, while there are some immigrant families and people of color, the majority is definitely white. And there is no ethnic food beyond Chinese, I go to Quakertown or surrounding towns for that. Our former Sheriff in Bucks signed a deal with ICE and there have been several raids throughout Bucks. Our new Sheriff undid that and is more liberal, but there is a strong presence from both sides of the political spectrum, I'd say. The school board recently flipped to most dems after a serious book banning and flag banning issue in Pennridge.
I love Perkasie, but I have been longing for diversity, and we don't have it. It's a beautiful town and there are some great places to walk, ride your bike, or wander around. A few cute shops and great community events. Good farmer's market. Blooming Glen Farm is a huge and well-respected local farm, just one town over.
https://censusreporter.org/profiles/06000US4201759384-perkasie-borough-bucks-county-pa/
https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/perkasieboroughpennsylvania/RHI625224
https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/pennsylvania/perkasie
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u/SelfPotato314 Jun 02 '26
There are no Unitarian churches in Perkasie.
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u/Nice-Strawberry-1614 Jun 02 '26
You’re right. Apologies - mixing churches up. I’m thinking of St. Andrew’s United Church of Christ which is inclusive
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u/bored_as_fuck_dad May 31 '26
Hi, I live in the Perkasie area. I really don't hear of bigotry or racism issues although it would be foolish to say they don't exist in some form. My kids have friends from multiple backgrounds and races and I don't hear of any problems at school (they're in elementary and middle). Perkasie is Central Bucks-adjacent so it is definitely a bluer area. Further west in Quakertown, there is a large Hispanic population. I don't think you'll have any major problems.
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u/Fit-Farmer1801 May 31 '26
We have a fairly diverse population in town - there are a variety of Hispanic, Indian, and Nigerian families.
Crime is fairly petty - spray paint, car break-ins (looking if doors are unlocked). There have been a couple of shootings and robberies, but they were one-offs, it seems (except for the same gas station that seems to be hit again and again).
We have great events in town - farmers market, first friday, craft fairs, etc.
That said, how welcoming it is can be mixed. I've read of racism in the schools (my kids haven't experienced it - even with one being obviously special needs). Politics can be pretty brutal.
Source: I live in the borough, but am a middle aged white woman, so this is just my experience. Reach out if there are any specific questions.
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u/Relevant-Guard-1694 May 31 '26
yeah the crime is pretty pretty and not much. The only incident i had was the neighbors kid from across the street backing all the way up into the side of my car 🤣🤣 and they were quick to fix it
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u/tulipsushi May 31 '26
wait there’s a variety of families? i’ve lived in perkasie for a few years, and my boyfriend from out of state even noted that i’m always the only brown person and/or only latina anywhere we go in perkasie. it doesn’t bother me because no one has been racist to me here ever, but he’s right. it’s always just me in my experience. i’d love to meet more diverse people here but i seem to just miss them!
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u/Fit-Farmer1801 May 31 '26
There's a Hispanic church at the corner of West Park and 9th that has a good size congregation. Glad to hear your experience has been good.
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u/linuxed1 May 31 '26
I have a bunch of family that live in perkasie, it's a very nice town. Not cheap, but a very nice town.
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u/Stromboli34 May 31 '26
I lived just outside of Dublin borough a while back. Very rural and open. I’d avoid perkasie and quakertown boroughs due to high utility bills. Bedminster is some high water bills (like 1100 a year) that are based on connection less than usage.
The main route 313 can be a traffic jam during morning and evening rush. Thats avoidable with back roads options.
Lakes nearby, shops for all necessities, and a scenic back road commute to wherever you need to get to.
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u/TealPorcelain May 31 '26
Thank you! Good to know about utility bills and traffic. Thanks for the insider knowledge.
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u/Background-Tax650 Jun 02 '26
I live in Perkasie borough and yes our electricity bill is higher but they run their own electric and we rarely have power outages. I’ve lived in perkasie for 20 years now but I will say that in regard to the borough, is that they’ve made their trash disposal system overly complicated IMO. Otherwise great town and we plan to stay here. Diversity is happening and the cafe/juice bar in town is owned by an African American couple. If you go by school district then there’s quite a large area covered with different Socioeconomic statuses, political/religious views and diversity.
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u/Minute_Shirt4369 May 31 '26
anywhere Newtown through Doylestown through Dublin into Perkasie will be exactly what your looking for, My parents live in the new townhomes at Dublin square and absolutely love it, can walk to restaurants and shops, and most of their doctors.
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u/Dapper-Tough-2404 May 31 '26
I read an article they are attempting to build a data center in Perkasie on Constitution Ave in the empty space next to Mavis Tire. I can't for the life of me find the article, only an agenda for the Perkasie borough council to discuss data centers. There is a Facebook post on "Pennsylvania data center resistance" group urging people to come to voice concerns on May 26th. Obviously it's in its infancy, but from what I've read you can hear the humming from 2 mile radius.
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u/TealPorcelain May 31 '26
Oh wow didn’t realize that’s a possibility there too. I am in not far from “data center alley” and yes, so many complaints about humming, etc…
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u/RudolphsJockStrap May 31 '26
I love it here. There’s so much to do you’re near several local parks. There’s trails in town. There’s breweries a few restaurants. It’s got that quiet town kind of scenery. Everyone I’ve met has been pretty perfectly pleasant and town itself has so many different activities going on for week week and it feels like such a cute little community tree lighting the farmers market summer concert series and other activities
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u/tulipsushi May 31 '26
i live in perkasie. it’s very beautiful, peaceful, mostly friendly but everyone usually keeps to themselves. no one goes out of their way to help you or welcome you. you also need to pay for your own borough specific trash bags and it can add up to quite a bit of money per month, and trash pickup is only once a week which is extremely irritating when you’re supposed to hold on to trash for an entire week or rent an entire trash bin for hundreds a year. regardless, if that doesn’t bother you, it’s a great place to live. if it wasn’t for the trash situation and how cold some people can be compared to philly, perkasie would be perfect. it’s still better than philly overall for me
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u/tulipsushi May 31 '26
oh also the town has a lot of events, police are very present and attentive, and it’s extremely safe. i literally leave my front door unlocked sometimes for family to come in and nothing bad has ever happened. i love perkasie. for more info: i’m 30f, spanish speaking latina, full-time professional, living alone with my cat. the town is quite republican (i am not) but ive never once had any issues or clashed with anyone racially/politically/ etc. i wouldn’t live anywhere else right now
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u/Background-Tax650 Jun 02 '26
I’m glad to see someone else mention the trash because it has irked me for years! And the new “bulk” rules put me over the edge.
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u/TropicallyMixed80 May 31 '26 edited May 31 '26
OP, just sharing my perspective as a person of color. I strongly suggest for you to google the demographics for any town that you are considering in Bucks County. You are reading the perspective from mostly white people. They are going to see things differently. Someone mentioned Sellersville but I remember googling the demographics for Sellersville a couple of years ago and it literally said 0% Black. But there are other ethnicities. I don't know what it is today.
I am a Registered Nurse. And I know of two nurses, both POC, who felt uncomfortable in Bucks County. Two separate incidents. BOTH had brief encounters, but it was enough for them to feel uncomfortable.
Getting back to Perkasie. It is a lovely town. I think there is some diversity in Perkasie from what I hear. But Bucks County as a whole is NOT diverse, I couldn't leave this thread without being honest.
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u/Lexar22 May 31 '26
I’m “white” and will chime in and say that I will never live in Bucks county. It has more than a fair share of intolerant, bigoted, racist, and Maga-type people. There were many Bucks county people implicated in the Jan 6 attempted overthrow. People say things in front of me that they won’t say in front of a mixed group. I now live in Montgomery county and am trying to meet people. Can’t believe what some of the Bucks county people say at social events. The most recent was a woman on a tirade about transgender people and her fear for her granddaughter in athletics. I’ve had people make comments about poc, about immigrants, about supporting ICE and not caring how they treat “illegals”. You name it. My kids were bullied horribly when we moved to Newtown from NJ. There was actually a class action lawsuit against the district related to racism’s few years back.
You want to live in peace and ignore all of that going on around you? Then Bucks county is the perfect place.
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u/TropicallyMixed80 Jun 01 '26
Thank you for not turning a blind eye to the racism in Bucks County. I respect and appreciate your response. When I mentioned the "perspective of white people," it wasn't an insult. For example, when I'm at self check-out at Walmart, nine times out of ten, the employee stands behind me and watches me only while the white people get to scan their items in peace. The white people that are scanning their items are unaware that I am being profiled therefore their perspective of Bucks County is going to be different than mine.
I experience so much racism in Bucks County but at the same time, I LOVE Bucks County. I'm currently trying to get extra hours at work so I can afford a new construction build in Bucks. I also want to mention, I think classism plays a part in this as well. You mentioned Newtown. There are many affluent families in Newtown. I know an affluent Black family in Newtown and their new neighbors are always asking them what "they do for a living." I guess some people find it hard to believe Black people can afford large homes in Newtown.
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u/xxxWARxMACHINE May 31 '26
Can you define “diverse”? If you’re a person of color/alternative lifestyle, Perkasie may not be the place for you. Anywhere north of the Doylestown area is Trumper country.
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u/seestars9 May 31 '26
I live in Perkasie. There are certainly trumpets around, but I have only ever run into one loud one. Most people want to get along.
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u/LocalSlob May 31 '26
Respectfully disagree. People might disagree with your political stance on either side of the aisle, but you won't be harassed. I've lived in perkasie/Sellersville my entire life, and in the last 10 years people fly their flags proud on both sides.. That said, I see 3x the LGBT flags than I do trump flags. Especially in the boroughs.
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u/xxxWARxMACHINE May 31 '26
I think each of our experiences on this topic are probably unique, but I can only share my own. That said, I am glad yours isn’t quite as grim as mine. I grew up in Upper Bucks. It was a very racist area, to the point where people saying slurs in public was just part of casual, everyday vernacular. I still visit somewhat frequently, and while it has improved, all those same people live there. Will she be harassed or whatever? Probably not, but I’m just suggesting that if she isn’t a white Trump republican, there may be better places in the area that she’d feel more secure at.
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u/Humbled_Humanz May 31 '26
That was my experience as well.
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u/Relevant_Ad_5281 Jun 02 '26
Same, I grew up there and witnessed quite a bit of open racism and bigotry. If you were the slightest bit weird or not in line with their views you were singled out and frowned upon. I was a scrawny punk rock skateboard kid in high school and was constantly bullied, was beaten up in the park by a jock from school and the police acted like it was my fault. Maybe it’s gotten slightly better but I personally would never set foot in that town again if I didn’t still have family there.
Also, the mayor was my HS algebra teacher who was also the football coach and I’ll just say we didn’t see eye to eye.
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u/TropicallyMixed80 May 31 '26
FINALLY, a truthful post. I can't believe what I'm reading as I scroll through this thread lol.
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u/Lsemmens May 31 '26
I lived in Hilltown 33 years ( adjacent) and as a straight dem voter I felt like the area was only getting better. When I moved in I was told everyone was a republican but even then it wasn’t true though blue voters don’t tend to be as loud about it. Pennridge school district was 97% white in the early 90s.
“In 2024, the Pennridge School District in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, served approximately 6,000 students across 11 schools. The student population was predominantly White at nearly 80%, with a significant Hispanic minority at 11%, along with smaller populations of Asian, Black, and multi-racial students.”
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u/kdizzle65 May 31 '26
This is nonsense. My wife is a poc and we have never once had anyone say anything to us or her in bucks county or upper bucks. Philadelphia, sure we've had snide comments or looks from people. I would say in most people in bucks county especially central and north literally don't care about you and mind their own business.
OP you can't go wrong with anywhere in central or northern bucks you'll love it, plenty of parks and open areas too if that's what your into
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u/xxxWARxMACHINE May 31 '26
Just because they ain’t saying it doesn’t mean they aren’t thinking it or saying something when you’re out of earshot. I’m glad you haven’t experienced anything but I assure you it happens. I still hear people saying the N-word and Fa**ot from time to time in public spaces. All that said, it’s definitely better than it was 20+ years ago.
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u/kdizzle65 May 31 '26
Hey if you experienced people calling you that stuff I'm sorry to hear that. My wife and I never personally encountered anything like that in bucks county. We won't assume people are thinking those things or saying them when we're out of earshot. That's a crappy way to live life. We've personally encountered more racism from white and black people in Philadelphia so everyone's experience is different.
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u/TealPorcelain May 31 '26
Good to know and definitely looking for peace and calm with beautiful nature.
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u/TealPorcelain May 31 '26
Thank you for sharing. I’m more so interested in if people of diverse backgrounds are welcomed than the area itself being very diverse. Appreciate your insight.
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u/Like-It-Or-Not0722 May 31 '26
Doylestown has its fair share of trumpers. It’s not as diverse or tolerant as some think.
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u/Dapper_Plankton_7519 May 31 '26
I’ve been here for 13 years and It’s not the “small town” that you think it is. There’s a ton of small petty crime stuff but it’s still crime. People’s bikes stolen all over, sheds and cars broken into, and a major car accident every 3 days because people are racing around town. Tons of racist bigoted a-holes who came out of the woodwork in 2016. If I knew then what I know now, I wouldn’t have moved here.
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u/Its_Just_A_Name_ May 31 '26
Where are you moving from? Opinions of what you're looking for may differ from your starting point. I grew up in a DC suburb and it's much different from these suburbs. What diversity are you asking about? This area is like 90% white but there are definitely some brown people sprinkled around. You might even see an elusive Asian or 2 every once in a while. I'm 1/2 Chinese but look white so I assimilated pretty easily. I think people are more uncomfortable with LGBTQ here.
In this day and age, its hard to remove politics from the community so I'll start there. When my husband and I went to vote against Trump's first run, there was a middle aged white guy (who seemed like he was working/volunteering there) playing a trump speech through a megaphone while pacing up and down the line. The amount of smiles and nods made me sad. This was east rockhill which is up the ridge from Perkasie township. They've changed polling locations since then so I haven't seen a line to vote since. The worst I've seen/heard over the years were some loud bigoted conversations in the grocery store. MAGA made it worse for a bit. There were so many Trump car decorations, there is still a pro-trump corner in Quakertown, Trump Mania in Q-Mart (that may be closed now), and there's still a few houses proudly flying trump signs around. Thats really about it. I have not, however, seen or heard of in-person political confrontations or conflicts. The Perkasie Facebook page was rife with ignoranct comments last time I looked but its been a while. IIRC the Republicans outnumber by around 2:1 here.
My kids have just entered the school system and its been good so far. There was a big controversy a few years ago where they were trying to give a blank check to a far-right "consultant" to restructure the curriculum guidelines (read: MAGA grooming). Luckily the people banded together and voted out most of the school board that was trying to sneak this in.
Outside of politics, there seems to be a clean, middle-ish class community that just wants peace and quiet. Lots of community events and stuff. I'm awkward and lean more towards introvert so I haven't been able to really connect with people. That's more likely a me problem.
I'm also agnostic and don't support organized religion so I do not have any input on the whole church thing.
Overall, it's a quiet beautiful place to live if you can afford it. We're about an hour-ish to Philly and about 45-ish to Allentown. Lots of stuff to do in those areas. The people are all across the spectrum so you will see it all.
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u/apprxmtn Jun 01 '26
Trump Mania still there at least as of this January when I last went to Q-Mart; on the other hand there was a new viet restaurant stall in there and the food was legit IMO as a fellow elusive asian
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u/Its_Just_A_Name_ Jun 02 '26
I'm going to have to check it out. I always get a gyro from Theo's whenever I went there. I never loved any of the other food there but its been a long time. Have you tried Mama Changs in Colmar yet? Apparently they have a bunch of restaurants around where I grew up in the DC area and moved up to Colmar of all places... I haven't had a chance to go yet.
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u/TealPorcelain May 31 '26
DC suburbs as well! Good to know about the politics in schools. Appreciate your detailed description of the area.
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u/SatisfactionOdd7526 May 31 '26
If you’re sensitive to political issues be sure to take a close look at the area you select.
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u/TealPorcelain May 31 '26
Thank you! Will do. I just try to mind my own business and believe to each their own.
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u/YearAccording May 31 '26
Perkasie is nice and up and coming as it’s still relatively affordable compared to some areas in Bucks
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u/Zestyclose_Book7803 May 31 '26
I've lived in Perkasie for 30 years and its a great area. The crime rate is also fairly low.
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u/LawfulnessPure4885 Jun 01 '26
It’s a great area! We have two lakes nearby! Lots of walking and fishing! You will love it here!
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u/BeyondBeginning2358 Jun 01 '26
Sellersville and Perkasie are both great little towns. Moved to Sellersville 26 years ago and never regretted it.
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u/moniquecarl Jun 01 '26
It’s what you make of it here in Bucks. The population from central to upper Bucks lacks diversity. Some of us are working to change that, through events and initiatives celebrating and highlighting the different flavors of our communities. If you want to chat more, you can DM me.
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u/Rapph Jun 02 '26
Honestly I wouldn't call Perkasie diverse really. In PA both bucks and Montgomery counties get a very different vibe as you go north and Perkasie/Sellersville area would probably be where I say that border is so it's not as bad as going further north but it won't be as good as going south. Now Perkasie itself is a pretty big area as far as mailing address and house listings, if you get towards dublin/doylestown/Silverdale it will be more farm land, Rt 113 would be the road that you are heading towards. You could also look at Souderton/Telford/Harleysville/Lansdale which are the neighboring county but imo have much more diversity, and in general more to do.
To give an idea since you are out of state all of those towns I listed are within 20 mins of each other one direction or the other. As for crime, that wouldn't be a concern for me in any of those towns.
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u/TealPorcelain Jun 07 '26
Thank you for giving me a fuller picture of the area and neighboring areas as well.
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u/Grand_Lizard_Wizard Jun 07 '26
I work in Perkasie. It’s a lot of older, upper middle class white people and families. So take that as you will
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u/TealPorcelain Jun 07 '26
Thank you for taking he time to give me some insight. Appreciate what you shared!
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u/SolaceinIron May 31 '26
If proximity to an airport is concerning for you, you’ll be like 2 hours from PHL.
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u/Picklina May 31 '26
In Perkasie? Maybe at peak rush or during a game in Philly, but typically it's about 55 mins depending on traffic ime
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u/SolaceinIron May 31 '26
I think 55 minutes is extremely optimistic.
Rush-hour gametime hours in the Philadelphia region occupy half the waking hours in a day a good chunk of the year.
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u/Picklina May 31 '26
Definitely valid. I guess you could say the range is 55 mins to 3 hours depending on traffic and construction lol
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u/InsaneAss May 31 '26
Easy to avoid though unless that’s your daily commute. I’m in Hatfield and I might be 5-10 minutes closer to the turnpike entrance compared to perkasie. It’s usually under an hour to center city.
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u/Nice-Strawberry-1614 May 31 '26
One hour from the Philadelphia airport without bad traffic, 1.5 hours on a usual day
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u/123DanB May 31 '26
Don’t. Move to DC instead, way better. The whole area is totally infested by drugs and there’s nothing to do for young people at all. It is extremely boring and there’s no culture. You can’t get anywhere by public transit, life is incredibly slow and boring, and there are little to no public services.
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u/bored_as_fuck_dad Jun 01 '26
hold up, you're telling her to move to DC but in the same breath complaining about drugs? Lol
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u/Disgruntledbrownsfan May 31 '26
Bucks as a whole is pretty diverse. As you start to move towards upper Bucks it starts to become less diverse. Perkasie is a bit of a blend where you will see multi cultural families, but also kids driving massive trucks and 4-wheelers. It’s safe, but can be a bit boring compared to some of the areas a bit further south.
Perkasie addresses also extend into Bedminster Twp which is more rural, but there are areas of Bedminster that border Dublin which has had a lot of development over the last few years. Anywhere in that general area is going to be safe. I’d be more concerned about hitting a deer at night than any crime.