Rose Tree Media School District, Delaware County, PA
Media
Performance Tier
Below Average
Median Sold
$577,500
Avg. Appreciation
80%
Avg. $ Gain
$228,083
2025 Sales
23
High Activity
Compared to the Rose Tree Media district average, Media is
underperforming by 17%.
Based on 33 years of public sales records across 2418 neighborhoods in 4 counties.
About
Media Borough — incorporated by Special Act of the Pennsylvania General Assembly on March 11, 1850, and simultaneously named the county seat of Delaware County — was purpose-built on a rectangular grid platted around the new courthouse, with lots initially sold at public auction. Covering just 0.8 square miles, the borough’s geographic boundaries have not changed since that founding year, and a mid-19th-century ordinance banning wood-frame construction after a factory fire established brick as the prevailing building material across the commercial and residential core. Today the borough hosts a mix of Victorian, Colonial Revival, American Foursquare, and bungalow-era single-family homes alongside brick twins, row homes, and apartment conversions — all within walking distance of State Street, where SEPTA trolley Route 101 terminates at the Delaware County Courthouse and the weekly ‘Dining Under the Stars’ event closes the street to traffic every Wednesday evening from May through September.
Specifications
Home Stock
The housing stock spans roughly 170 years of construction. The dominant types are late Victorian, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, and American Foursquare single-family homes built from the 1850s through the early 20th century, along with brick twins and row homes along the denser blocks near State Street. Bungalows added in the early-to-mid 20th century represent a secondary layer. More recent infill — condos, apartment conversions, and small-scale new construction — appears primarily along and near the commercial corridor. Official borough materials confirm the mix includes ‘late Victorian houses, bungalows, and eclectic historic buildings.’
Location & Access
Route 252 (Providence Road) runs north–south along the borough’s eastern border. Baltimore Avenue (former U.S. Route 1, bypassed in 1960) bisects the borough east–west. I-476 (Blue Route) is accessible just outside borough limits via the Media bypass interchange. The SEPTA Media/Elwyn Regional Rail line serves the Media station on Orange Street; SEPTA trolley Route 101 (D1) runs down the center of State Street and connects to the 69th Street Transportation Center in Upper Darby.
Location Anchors
What Makes This Distinct
Media Borough has been ‘largely built-out for decades,’ with very few undeveloped parcels remaining inside its fixed 0.8-square-mile boundary; new housing supply is constrained to small-scale infill and conversions, which structurally limits inventory relative to demand from buyers seeking walkable transit-served locations in Delaware County.
For Buyers & Sellers
If You’re Buying
$578k median price point. historically strong appreciation. move fast – homes go quickly. high turnover means more inventory.
If You’re Selling
Strong appreciation – sellers gained $228k on average. solid 80% return on investment. homes selling quickly (quickly). median sale price $578k.
Worth Asking
Have you considered that a Media mailing address (ZIP 19063) can place a buyer in any of nine different municipalities and up to five different school districts — meaning the Rose Tree Media School District enrollment, Media Borough tax rates, and borough-specific regulations may not apply to a property that simply carries a ‘Media’ address?
Common Questions
What school does a child living in Media Borough attend?
Students whose primary residence is within Media Borough proper are zoned to Media Elementary School (K–5), Springton Lake Middle School (6–8), and Penncrest High School (9–12), all within the Rose Tree Media School District. Penncrest ranks among the top 40–42 high schools in Pennsylvania by SchoolDigger and holds a 5-star rating. However, ZIP code 19063 crosses into at least four other school districts; district assignment must be verified by the specific property address, not the mailing city.
How do residents commute from Media Borough to Philadelphia or other regional employment centers?
Media Borough offers two distinct SEPTA connections: the Media/Elwyn Regional Rail line, with a station on Orange Street, provides service toward Center City Philadelphia; and SEPTA trolley Route 101 (the D1 line) runs down the center of State Street, connecting to the 69th Street Transportation Center in Upper Darby and the broader SEPTA subway and rail network. By car, I-476 (the Blue Route) is accessible just outside borough limits, linking to I-95 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
Does Media Borough have a homeowners association?
Media Borough as a whole is not governed by a single homeowners association. Individual condo and townhome communities within the borough may have their own HOAs with separate fee structures covering maintenance of common areas, certain utilities, or shared amenities. Buyers should request and review HOA documents, budgets, and reserve studies for any specific property before making an offer, as obligations vary significantly by building or community.
Items to Verify with Your Agent
A few specifics on this page are sourced from secondary aggregators or older filings. Confirm before relying:
- Approx Homes — No verified total residential unit count for Media Borough found in named sources. The borough’s 0.8 sq mi footprint and 2020 census population of 5,991 suggest a relatively small housing stock, but an authoritative unit count was not locatable without fabrication.
- Interior Sqft Range Text — No verified square footage range for Media Borough housing found across named public records or borough sources. The stock is too heterogeneous (studio condos through large Victorian singles) to characterize with a defensible range without a data source.
- Hoa Name — No single borough-wide HOA exists. Individual condo and townhome communities have their own HOAs but no consolidated registry was located.
- Flood Plain Risk — Media Borough’s zoning code includes a ‘Steep Slope Conservation Overlay District’ (eCode360), suggesting some topographic constraints, but specific FEMA flood zone designations for borough parcels were not verifiable through this research. Buyers with properties near Ridley Creek or steep slopes should verify flood zone status by address via FEMA’s Map Service Center.
- Avg Year Built (Structural Note) — The MI tool reports avg_year_built = 1951. Given that the borough has homes dating from the 1850s onward with significant mid-century infill from surrounding townships (which share the 19063 ZIP), a 1951 average is plausible for the broader public sales data set but may not represent the borough’s oldest residential blocks. No anomaly flag triggered — the number is defensible given the mixed-era stock and ZIP-wide data capture.
School District
Media is served by the Rose Tree Media School District. Buyers should verify current school assignments directly with the district.
View Rose Tree Media School District Information
Sources Consulted
Public deed records · Delaware County Recorder · en.wikipedia.org · mediaborough.com · philadelphiaencyclopedia.org · phillyyimby.com · mariadoylerealtor.com · homes.com · schooldigger.com · livelovelocale.com · visitmediapa.com · thecyrteam.com · phillyvoice.com · brettfurman.com · rtmsd.org
Data refreshed: April 25, 2026 (median sold, appreciation, performance tiers, narratives) · Content reviewed: April 25, 2026 (overview, structural insight, FAQs)
The Cyr Team · 2418 neighborhoods · 4 counties · 33 years of public sales records