What You’re Renting: Age, Size, and Floor Plans
Salem Harbour sits on 75 acres along the Delaware River in Bensalem, built in 1962 and split across garden-style and mid-rise buildings, 810 units in total across 3 stories, per the Apartments.com listing. A 1962 build means original plumbing risers, electrical panels, and building envelopes in any unit that hasn’t been individually renovated, worth confirming directly rather than assuming from photos alone.
Twelve distinct floor plans exist, from a 730 sq ft junior one-bedroom to a 1,175 sq ft two-bedroom, two-bath unit.
| Floor plan | Beds/baths | Size | Current status |
|---|---|---|---|
| One Bedroom Junior Garden | 1 bd / 1 ba | 730 sq ft | $1,625, 1 unit available |
| One Bedroom One Bath Garden | 1 bd / 1 ba | 836 sq ft | Call for rent |
| One Bedroom Large Den Garden | 1 bd / 1 ba | 921 sq ft | Call for rent |
| Two Bedroom One Bath Garden | 2 bd / 1 ba | 1,066 sq ft | Call for rent |
| Two Bedroom Two Bath Den Garden | 2 bd / 2 ba | 1,175 sq ft | Call for rent |
Only one of twelve floor plans carries a posted price at any given moment; the rest require a call to the leasing office, which is the main reason the headline number moves between visits.
Right now that one priced unit is Harbour Drive-HD542A: 730 sq ft, $1,625 a month, listed as available August 24.
What year was Salem Harbour built? 1962, making it one of the older large apartment communities in Bensalem; the community has since added a fitness center, updated eat-in kitchens in some units, and a Wi-Fi-equipped clubhouse.
Why the Starting Price Differs by Site
Apartments.com’s live listing shows a starting rent of $1,625. Apartment Finder shows the same property, same address, same 1962 build year, and same 730 to 1,175 sq ft range, starting at $2,034.
Base rent also excludes required fees. Application runs $40 per applicant, and pet owners add a one-time fee plus monthly rent per animal, covered next.
The Amenity Package and the Cost of Adding a Pet
The amenity list is broad for the price point: a pool, a clubhouse with a snack bar, a fitness center, tennis and basketball courts, a volleyball court, a sundeck, and a private 9-hole golf course on site, an amenity rarely found at a garden-apartment community this size.
Pet costs, per unit type:
- Cats: $175 one-time fee, plus $25 per month.
- Dogs: $300 one-time fee, plus $25 per month.
- Application: $40 per applicant, due at application, non-refundable.
Is Salem Harbour pet-friendly? Yes, both cats and dogs are accepted, each carrying its own one-time and monthly fee; the property does not publish a breed list, so confirming any breed restriction directly with the office before applying is worth the phone call.
What 27 Reviews Show
The aggregate rating is 3.3 out of 5 across 27 reviews. That single number hides the actual shape of the feedback: 8 five-star reviews, 7 four-star, 3 three-star, 3 two-star, and 6 one-star.
| Rating | Count | Share of 27 |
|---|---|---|
| 5 stars | 8 | 30% |
| 4 stars | 7 | 26% |
| 3 stars | 3 | 11% |
| 2 stars | 3 | 11% |
| 1 star | 6 | 22% |
Fifteen of 27 reviews land at 4 or 5 stars, and 9 land at 1 or 2, with only 3 in the middle: opinions cluster at the extremes far more than the 3.3 average suggests, so reading a handful of the actual one-star and five-star reviews on Apartments.com will tell you more than the number itself.
Lease Terms and Move-In Basics
Salem Harbour offers 12-month leases only, with no shorter or month-to-month option published. Utilities are billed separately and are not included in the base rent. As of this listing, there’s no active move-in special, though that changes without notice.
Location Reality: Walkability, Noise, and Getting Around
Walkability scores disagree across data providers: Apartments.com’s Local Logic data puts it at 40 out of 100, while Zillow lists 33. Either way, this is a car-dependent location, confirmed by a drivability score of 100 out of 100 on the same Apartments.com data set.
Noise sits at a Soundscore of 73 out of 100, driven by active vehicle traffic and airport flight paths, with calm noise from nearby businesses. Torresdale commuter rail station is a 0.4-mile, 8-minute walk away, and the property runs a weekday shuttle to SEPTA Regional Rail service into Center City and Trenton, an advantage for car-free commuters despite the low walk score. The nearest hospital, Jefferson Torresdale, is 1.8 miles away.
Is Salem Harbour walkable? Not for daily errands: the walk score sits in the 30s to low 40s depending on source, and the surrounding roads aren’t built for pedestrians. The rail shuttle offsets this for commuters heading into Philadelphia or Trenton.
How It Compares to the Nearest Real Alternative
The closest genuinely comparable waterfront community is Delaire Landing, about 0.7 miles away in Northeast Philadelphia.
| Salem Harbour | Delaire Landing | |
|---|---|---|
| Built | 1962 | 1975 |
| Units | 810, 3 stories | 396, 3 stories |
| Starting rent | $1,625 (lowest open unit) | $1,527 to $1,991 |
| Pools | 1 | 2 |
| Security | Not published | Gated, 24/7 guard reported |
| Golf course | Yes, 9-hole | No |
| Pet policy | Cats and dogs accepted, fees apply | Disputed across listing sites |
Delaire Landing is smaller and newer by 13 years, with a reported gate and 24/7 guard. Salem Harbour holds twice the unit count and the only golf course of the two. Delaire Landing’s dog policy is genuinely unclear from public listings, worth a direct call before ruling either property in or out on that basis alone.
Who This Fits and Who Should Look Elsewhere
- Fits a driver, not a walker: with a drivability score of 100/100 and a walk score in the 30s to low 40s, this works best for residents with a car; the rail shuttle helps if your destination is Center City or Trenton specifically.
- Fits a river-view, amenity-heavy budget renter: at $1,625 for the cheapest open unit, a renter needs roughly $65,000 in annual income to comfortably qualify under the standard 30%-of-income guideline.
- Doesn’t fit someone who wants a fixed, comparable price today: eleven of twelve floor plans are unpriced online, so real comparison shopping means calling the office, not just reading listing sites.
- Doesn’t fit someone who wants security features spelled out: gate and guard status isn’t published for Salem Harbour, unlike the reported 24/7 guard at Delaire Landing.
How much income do I need to rent at Salem Harbour? See the income guideline above: it’s based on the cheapest unit currently listed, and it moves whenever that unit changes.
The building has stood on this stretch of the Delaware River since 1962.
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