Pennsylvania's 'Best Place To Move To' Is A Charming Borough With Parks, A Wave Pool, And Personality

Enjoy suburban countryside vibes with loads of trees and community events just 10 miles away from Pittsburgh. Bethel Park was voted the No. 1 best place to move to in Pennsylvania in 2025 by Consumer Affairs because of its affordability, safety, and accessible healthcare, but that's not all this vibrant forested town has to offer.

Despite being a fairly large suburb with a population of over 32,000 people, Bethel Park is a charming, leafy borough where many homes have spacious yards, front porches, and plenty of surrounding trees. There's a range of architectural styles available for people looking to move to the area, and you may find that you get more rooms for less money in Bethel Park when compared to nearby boroughs.

Bethel Park has a charming, wholesome vibe where you can soak up some small-town charm without leaving the big city behind. Those with children can benefit from the highly rated schools, light rail and bus connections to Pittsburgh, and wholesome activities, including nature treks and hobby clubs. It's a good hub for family adventures, too, as the thrilling DelGrosso's Park & Laguna Splash offers affordable family fun just two and a half hours away from Bethel Park.

Considering the name, you'd expect Bethel Park to have at least one green area, but you might be surprised to hear that there are a grand total of 14 parks! Among these are Splash Park, for those warm sunny days when all you want to do is be sprayed with water and run through sprinklers; Millennium Park, with a trail, baseball fields, and pickleball courts; and Miner's Park, which has a playground and concession stand as well as basketball and baseball courts. There's also the no-cars-allowed 47-mile Montour Trail past jade green vegetation, through otherworldly archways, and across luscious countryside. If you fancy even more hiking while you're in Pennsylvania, venture to the scenic trails of Mount Davis, under two hours away from Bethel Park.

No trip to Bethel Park would be complete without a visit to South Park. This is one of the largest green spaces in the area, with a golf course, a BMX bike track, free concerts in the summer, and an ice rink. There is a wave pool in South Park, too, for when you want to experience being in the sea without actually having to go to the beach. South Park is also home to the Oliver Miller Homestead, a living museum that provides visitors with rich American history. This rustic former whiskey rebellion site features guides in full colonial get-up who will tell you all about the Pennsylvanian frontier.

Bethel Park offers family-friendly community events throughout the year, including movies in the park, fireworks nights, and scavenger hunts. Want a night off from cooking? Bethel Park Farmers' Market hosts No Cook Tuesdays, where you can buy prepared meals to feed your whole family! The market runs next to the ice skating rink (yes, there's also an ice rink) in South Park every Tuesday between May and mid-October. You can also enjoy baked goods and sample the selection of cheese, meat, flowers, wine, and so on from 50-plus vendors.

Alongside the outdoors stuff, you can enjoy the great indoors by visiting Bethel Park's Village Square Mall, South Hills Village, and/or the Industrial Park for shopping, restaurants, and movie theaters. A key part of Bethel Park's personality is the focus on community and people getting together to do activities. It's pretty easy to meet fellow citizens at the Bethel Park Public Library, which runs various events for children and adults. These include clubs dedicated to Scrabble, cosplay, belly dancing, and crocheting as well as a conversation salon that runs every other Friday.