What the Median 2-Bedroom Rent Will Get You in Norristown

Norris Hills Apartments image via Berger Rental Communities

Our Tour de Median Rent stops this week in Norristown, the community with the fifth-highest median rent for a two-bedroom apartment listed in the most recent Apartment List rent report.

We plugged in the median rent for a two-bedroom apartment from the Apartment List report — $1,390 — into a Zillow search for rentals with “Norristown” as the filter and the usual $100 per month range in either direction. What we got back were a bunch of rowhomes with four or five bedrooms, one bath — maybe one-and-a-half baths max — and interiors that ranged from just barely habitable to okay condition. The only amenity to speak of was a huge backyard on one of them.

So we decided to broaden our search to include the surrounding townships, East and West Norriton, both of which have Norristown mailing addresses. Here we found several attractive apartment complexes of the garden-apartment variety and a couple of towers-in-the-park communities, all of which had amenities we’d call decent for this price point. You’ll find five of these below — and the good news, pet lovers, is: You’re welcome at all of these.

Norris Hills Apartments (above) | 2-bed, 1-bath apartments range in size from 715 to 1,000 square feet and rent for $1,035 to $1,299 per month. Pets welcome, up to two per unit, with a maximum weight limit of 50 pounds for all pets in the unit; nonrefundable pet fee of $150 and additional monthly rent of $25 apply per pet.

This well-maintained midcentury garden apartment complex has kept up with changing tastes. It has the usual array of amenities one expects to find in communities of this type: a fitness center, a swimming pool, a picnic area with barbecue grills, and a wading pool for the little ones. The complex also offers a community concierge and shared laundry facilities. Apartments in one of the buildings come with heat included in the rent.

Norris Hills Apartments, 1380 North Hills Drive, Norristown, Pa. 19401 [Berger Rental Communities]

Image via Westover Communities

Norriton East Apartments | One two-bed, two-bath apartment is currently available; it contains 1,056 square feet of space and rents for $1,354 per month. Cats welcome, up to two per unit; a deposit and additional monthly rent apply per cat.

This is one of the two towers-in-the-park complexes in this roundup. (Actually, they’re six-story mid-rises, but given their location, that’s pretty tall.) The buildings have elevators, and there is a fitness center, but instead of a swimming pool, there’s a relaxing pond on the property. Laundry facilities are shared, and some of the apartment kitchens could stand updating. If you’d rather not drive, this complex is located on a bus route that runs along DeKalb Pike and offers connections to other bus routes, Regional Rail and the Norristown High-Speed Line at Norristown Transportation Center.

Norriton East Apartments, 2620 DeKalb Pike, East Norriton, Pa. 19401 [Westover Companies]

Image via Eastern Property Group

Rolling Green Apartments | 2-bed, 1-bath cottages with private entrances contain 700 square feet of space and rent for $1,350 per month; 2-bed, 1-bath apartments contain 888 square feet of space and rent for $1,250 per month. Cats and small dogs welcome; contact leasing agent for details about pet policy.

This complex is light on the community amenities: there’s no fitness center or pool, for instance. But it is situated on 26 nicely landscaped acres, so nature surrounds you when you feel like getting out. One amenity this complex offers that many don’t: heat and hot water are included in the rent. The apartments have all been updated with newer kitchens and ceramic tile bathrooms as well. A SEPTA bus route runs along the street this complex sits on as well; it provides convenient service to Regional Rail at Elm Street station and to other services at Norristown Transportation Center.

Rolling Green Apartments, 2622 Swede Rd., East Norriton, Pa. 19401 [Eastern Property Group]

Image via Morgan Properties

Timberlake Apartment Homes | 2-bed, 2-bath apartments currently available contain 1,163 square feet of interior space and rent for $1,400 to $1,570 per month. Pets welcome, up to two per unit; breed and weight restrictions apply. Contact leasing agent for details on pet policy.

The amenities this towers-in-the-park complex offers on-site are pretty snazzy: a clubhouse with fitness center and Wi-Fi, a swimming pool with lounge seating, nature trails, a dog park and a program of social events. And management has more in the works, including a fireside lounge and bar plus workstations in the clubhouse, a practice putting green, a billiards room and grilling stations. But what might be the nicest amenity lies just adjacent to the complex: Norristown Farm Park. Here you’ll find playgrounds, baseball and soccer fields, basketball and tennis courts, and plenty of open green space for you and your pets to roam. Oh, and each apartment has its own laundry facilities. Some units have also been updated with new kitchens and bathrooms as well.

Timberlake Apartment Homes, 2803 Stanbridge St., East Norriton, Pa. 19401 [Morgan Properties]

Image via Westover Properties

Westover Village Apartments | One 2-bed, 1-bath unit is currently available; it contains 950 square feet of space and rents for $1,238 per month. Pets welcome, up to two per unit; breed and weight restrictions apply. A deposit and additional monthly rent apply per pet; contact leasing agent for details.

This complex in the Jeffersonville section of West Norriton Township may not be next to a huge park, but it offers its own park-like amenities, including a tennis court, a playground and a swimming pool. There’s also a clubhouse for the community and shared laundry facilities. The design of the buildings in this complex gives every apartment its own private entrance, and all the units have either patios or balconies for personal outdoor relaxation. The kitchens and bathrooms in the units vary depending on when their buildings were updated, but all are in very good condition and nicely equipped at the minimum. A SEPTA bus route runs on nearby Sterigere Street, and another runs along Marshall Street, a slightly longer walk away; both connect with the Norristown Regional Rail line.

Westover Village Apartments, 1 Meadow Lane, Norristown, Pa. 19403 [Westover Companies]