Cherry Hill vs Voorhees vs Marlton for Philly Commuters

If you commute to Philadelphia several days a week, Cherry Hill and Voorhees generally give you more direct access to PATCO, while Marlton usually means a more car-dependent commute. The right choice depends on where you work, how often you commute, your budget, and what you want your daily life to look like after the move.

One of the first questions I hear from relocating buyers is:

“Dennis, where should we live if we still work in Philly?”

My response is usually another question:

Where in Philly?

Center City? The Navy Yard? University City?

And are you actually commuting five days a week—or going in two or three days and working from home the rest of the time?

Those details matter.

A house can look perfect online and still become the wrong house if you hate getting to work every morning.

Woodcrest PATCO Station in Cherry Hill is one of the transportation options relocation buyers may want to test before choosing a neighborhood.

How practical is PATCO from Cherry Hill and Voorhees?

Woodcrest Station is in Cherry Hill, while Ashland Station is in Voorhees. Both offer parking and direct PATCO service toward Philadelphia, which makes them important considerations for buyers who expect to commute regularly rather than rely exclusively on driving.

PATCO identifies Woodcrest as a major park-and-ride station just off I-295 and lists both free and preferred paid parking. Ashland in Voorhees also provides commuter parking and accessibility features.

That does not mean every Cherry Hill or Voorhees home automatically gives you an easy commute.

The real question is:

How long will it take from this specific house to the station at the time I actually leave for work?

That is a much better question than simply saying, “Cherry Hill has PATCO.”

Ashland Station in Voorhees gives buyers another PATCO option when comparing South Jersey communities for a Philadelphia commute.

Should you drive the commute before buying?

Yes. If commuting is a major part of your week, test it before making an offer. Drive from the neighborhood during the hours you normally leave for work. If PATCO is part of your plan, test the drive to the station, parking, train ride, and last leg to your office.

This is something I think relocation buyers should take seriously.

Online directions can tell you distance.

They cannot tell you whether you're going to hate your Tuesday morning.

If both adults work outside the home, test both commutes.

If you work from home two days a week, think about whether a slightly longer commute on the other three days gives you something important in return:

• a bigger yard,
• an extra bedroom,
• a home office,
• more parking,
• or a neighborhood you simply like more.

Is Marlton a bad choice for a Philadelphia commuter?

No. Marlton can work very well for Philadelphia commuters, especially hybrid workers, but the transportation strategy is different because Marlton does not have its own PATCO station. Buyers will typically rely more on driving or travel to another station depending on where they work.

That difference does not automatically make Marlton worse.

It just means I want to understand your priorities before we start comparing houses.

For somebody commuting one day a week, a more car-dependent location may be a perfectly reasonable tradeoff.

For somebody commuting five days a week, it may carry much more weight.

Marlton offers a different lifestyle and commute equation than Cherry Hill or Voorhees, which is why buyers should compare the home and the routine—not just the town name.

Does a $350,000 to $500,000 budget change the answer?

Absolutely. Your budget can affect whether you prioritize transit access, home condition, yard size, or location. Buyers should not assume $450,000 purchases the same type of house in Cherry Hill, Voorhees, and Marlton.

This is where a detailed search becomes important.

If you tell me:

“We need three bedrooms, a driveway, a yard for our dog, and a reasonable Philadelphia commute,”

that gives me something useful to work with.

If you tell me:

“Show us everything under $500,000,”

we may spend a lot of time looking at houses that do not fit your actual life.

That is not how I like to work with buyers.

I would rather narrow the search intelligently and show you fewer homes that make more sense.

What should relocating buyers compare besides commute time?

The best decision comes from looking at your full weekly routine—not one number from a map. Consider your work schedule, household needs, pets, future plans, home-office requirements, shopping patterns, and how often you expect to travel into Philadelphia outside of work.

Before deciding, I would compare:

• your real door-to-door commute,
• access to PATCO or major roads,
• the type of home available in your budget,
• yard and parking needs,
• remote-work requirements,
• proximity to family and friends,
• and what you actually want to do on evenings and weekends.

The goal is not to find the town someone on the internet calls “best.”

The goal is to find the place that works for your situation.

So which town should a Philly commuter choose?

There is no universal winner. Cherry Hill may make sense for buyers prioritizing Woodcrest PATCO access. Voorhees may work well for buyers who value Ashland Station and the housing options around it. Marlton can make sense for buyers willing to accept a more car-oriented commute in exchange for the particular home or lifestyle they want.

That is why our buyer process starts with a detailed discovery conversation.

I want to know the commute.

I want to know the dogs.

I want to know whether you're engaged, starting a family, working remotely, or relocating for a new job.

The more specific we are at the beginning, the better the home search becomes.

Download the South Jersey Buyer Guide

Moving from Philadelphia, North Jersey, New York, or another market?

Download my South Jersey Buyer Guide before you start touring homes.

It will help you understand the process, prepare for the South Jersey market, and start narrowing down which community fits the way you actually live