Regionally, Whitemarsh is one of Philadelphia's inner-ring suburbs, albeit one that has escaped the negative connotations of that much maligned term. Its principle image is of a post World War II bedroom community that grew up between older settlements. Well kept residential neighborhoods with tree-lined streets indicate that this is a community that cares about its appearance. Yet it is also the township that contains more farmland and estates than any of its surrounding municipalities. It is startling to drive out of the City on Stenton Avenue and to be presented with images of cultivated fields and pasture land.
Together, this combination of suburban and rural creates a unique character for a township so close to the city. It gives the township a special charm, one that differentiates it from any other inner ring suburb in the area.