Chester County, PA

County

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2024 Population

547,840

US Senator

John Fetterman

Democratic Party

US Senator

Dave McCormick

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

40.8

0.246% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

5.98%

0.691% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$127,208

3.39% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$485,600

5.15% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

288,154

1.01% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Chester County, PA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

95% of the residents in Chester County, PA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Chester County, PA are West Chester University of Pennsylvania (4,740 degrees awarded in 2023), Immaculata University (517 degrees), and Universal Technical Institute of Pennsylvania Inc (510 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Chester County, PA was $485,600, and the homeownership rate was 75.1%.

Most people in Chester County, PA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 26.9 minutes. The average car ownership in Chester County, PA was 2 cars per household.

Chester County, PA borders New Castle County, DE, Cecil County, MD, Berks County, PA, Delaware County, PA, Lancaster County, PA, and Montgomery County, PA.

Photo by likeaduck

United States Pennsylvania Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD

Population & Diversity

Chester County, PA is home to a population of 548k people, from which 95% are citizens. As of 2024, 10% of Chester County, PA residents were born outside of the country (55k people).

In 2024, there were 11.2 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (413k people) in Chester County, PA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 36.9k Asian (Non-Hispanic) and 26.7k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

95%

2024 Citizenship

95.1%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 95% of Chester County, PA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Chester County, PA was 95.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Chester County, PA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Chester County, PA

White (Non-Hispanic)
413k ± 984
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
36.9k ± 759
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
26.7k ± 1.18k

8.39%

Hispanic Population

46k people

8.39% of the people in Chester County, PA are hispanic (46k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Chester County, PA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Pennsylvania.

Most Common Origin

India
99,504 ± 7,715 people
Dominican Republic
93,569 ± 7,483 people
China
70,789 ± 6,514 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Pennsylvania was India, the natal country of 99,504 Pennsylvania residents, followed by Dominican Republic with 93,569 and China with 70,789.

Foreign-Born Population

10%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

55k people

9.63%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

52.1k people

As of 2024, 10% of Chester County, PA residents (55k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Chester County, PA was 9.63%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Chester County, PA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
8,028 ± 588
Gulf War (2001-)
3,834 ± 418
Gulf War (1990s)
2,302 ± 350

Chester County, PA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.09 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Chester County, PA.

Economy

The economy of Chester County, PA employs 288k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Chester County, PA were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (39,713 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (35,283 people), and Manufacturing (30,842 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($144,063), Information ($117,984), and Finance & Insurance ($116,077).

Employment

Occupations

288k

2024 Value

± 4,073

1.01%

1 Year growth

± 2.03%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Chester County, PA grew at a rate of 1.01%, from 285k employees to 288k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Chester County, PA, are Management Occupations (45,249 people), Business & Financial Operations Occupations (28,496 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (26,993 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Chester County, PA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Pennsylvania.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Pennsylvania (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

288k

2024 Value

± 4,073

1.01%

1 Year growth

± 2.03%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Chester County, PA grew at a rate of 1.01%, from 285k employees to 288k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Chester County, PA, are Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (39,713 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (35,283 people), and Manufacturing (30,842 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Chester County, PA, though some of these residents may live in Chester County, PA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$84,769

Median earning men ± $1,622

$56,517

Median earning women ± $1,389

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($137,768), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($130,047), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($115,191).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Manufacturing ($90,507), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($90,255), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($76,461).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Pennsylvania.

Y-Axis

2.78%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 6.03M people employed in Pennsylvania. This represents a 2.78% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 18.1%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Pennsylvania.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

1,675
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
979
Construction
892
Other Services (except Public Administration)

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$3.87M
Finance and Insurance
$3.22M
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
$2.1M
Management of Companies and Enterprises

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Pennsylvania went to Donald J. Trump with 50.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (48.7%), followed by Jill Stein (0.491%).

John Fetterman and Dave McCormick are the senators currently representing the state of Pennsylvania. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Pennsylvania is currently represented by 17 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Chester County, PA. Showing the available data for Pennsylvania.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (50.4%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (48.7%)
Democratic Party
Jill Stein (0.491%)
Green Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Pennsylvania went to Donald J. Trump with 50.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (48.7%), followed by Jill Stein (0.491%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Pennsylvania for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Pennsylvania

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Pennsylvania.

John Fetterman

Senator from Pennsylvania

Assumed office on January 3, 2023

Dave McCormick

Senator from Pennsylvania

Assumed office on January 3, 2025

John Fetterman and Dave McCormick are the senators currently representing Pennsylvania.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Pennsylvania over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2023, universities in Chester County, PA awarded 6,589 degrees. The student population of Chester County, PA in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 9,718 male students and 13,897 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Chester County, PA are White (4,491 and 69.1%), Black or African American (975 and 15%), Hispanic or Latino (545 and 8.39%), and Two or More Races (201 and 3.09%).

The largest universities in Chester County, PA by number of degrees awarded are West Chester University of Pennsylvania (4,740 and 71.9%), Immaculata University (517 and 7.85%), and Universal Technical Institute of Pennsylvania Inc (510 and 7.74%).

The most popular majors in Chester County, PA are General Business Administration & Management (629 and 9.55%), Automobile Mechanics Technology (458 and 6.95%), and General Psychology (347 and 5.27%).

The median tuition costs in Chester County, PA are $25,400 for private four year colleges, and $8,308 and $17,071 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Chester County, PA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 78.8%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 20.6%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 23,615 (41.2% men and 58.8% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 23,615 students enrolled in Chester County, PA, 41.2% men and 58.8% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 15,458 records, of which 59.2% were women and 40.8% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Registered Nursing
321 degrees awarded
General Psychology
305 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
334 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Chester County, PA was Registered Nursing with 321 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Chester County, PA according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

West Chester University of Pennsylvania
4,740 degrees awarded
Immaculata University
517 degrees awarded
Universal Technical Institute of Pennsylvania Inc
510 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was West Chester University of Pennsylvania with 4,740 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 2,789 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Chester County, PA, which is 0.734 times less than the 3,800 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 4,491 degrees mean that there were 4.61 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 975 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($25,400) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($3,291) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,833) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Chester County, PA was $485,600 in 2024, which is 1.46 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $461,800 to $485,600, a 5.15% increase. The homeownership rate in Chester County, PA is 75.1%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Chester County, PA have an average commute time of 26.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Chester County, PA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 12.1% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Chester County, PA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.63%.

Housing

Property

$485,600

Median Property Value 2024

±$4,003

$153,693

Median Property Taxes

±$2,232

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Chester County, PA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Chester County, PA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

75.1%

Homeownership

2024

63.5%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 75.1% of the housing units in Chester County, PA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 74.9%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Chester County, PA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$127,208

Median Household Income

± $2,511

205k

Number of Households

± 3,276

In 2024, the median household income of the 205k households in Chester County, PA grew to $127,208 from the previous year's value of $123,041.

The following chart displays the households in Chester County, PA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Chester County, PA is from Pennsylvania.

0.463

2023 Wage GINI in Pennsylvania

0.466

2022 Wage GINI in Pennsylvania

In 2023, the income inequality in Pennsylvania was 0.463 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.564% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Pennsylvania was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Pennsylvania in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Pennsylvania across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (64.6%)
Worked At Home (24.1%)
Carpooled (6.4%)

In 2024, 64.6% of workers in Chester County, PA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (24.1%) and those who carpooled to work (6.4%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

26.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Chester County, PA have a longer commute time (26.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.95% of the workforce in Chester County, PA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Chester County, PA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Chester County, PA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Chester County, PA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 12.1% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Chester County, PA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.63%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

5.98% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Chester County, PA (31.9k out of 534k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Males 18 - 24 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Chester County, PA is White, followed by Hispanic and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 6.5% of the children was living in poverty in Chester County, PA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 135 in Chester County, PA. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 31.8 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

95.6% of the population of Chester County, PA has health coverage, with 60.9% on employee plans, 7.73% on Medicaid, 13.3% on Medicare, 12.9% on non-group plans, and 0.814% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Chester County, PA see 1,250 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,250 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1433 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 320 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.5% were men and 50.5% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,250 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Chester County, PA

Primary care physicians in Chester County, PA see an average of 1,250 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,250 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Chester County, PA in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.7% under 18 years, 19.2% between 18 and 34 years, 39.8% between 35 and 64 years, and 17.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.5% were men and 50.5% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

4.41%

Uninsured

60.9%

Employer Coverage

7.73%

Medicaid

13.3%

Medicare

12.9%

Non-Group

0.814%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Chester County, PA declined by 0.391% from 4.42% to 4.41%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Chester County, PA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 33.8 in Chester County, PA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Chester County, PA.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 29.5% in Chester County, PA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Chester County, PA.