United States › Pennsylvania › West Chester CITY · 2020 ACS
West Chester Pennsylvania · 18,671 residents · 1.85 sq mi
Time machine
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The short version
West Chester is home to 18,671 people in Pennsylvania. This skews young, with a median age of 26.1. Owners hold 35% of the housing stock. This is an unusually credentialed place: 53% of adults have a four-year degree. People stay put here: 68% were in the same home a year ago. The poverty rate is 25.2%, above the 12.8% national rate.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Younger
median age 26.1
US median: 38.8
More educated
53% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 84%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01
Population & growth from 24.6 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Population, 1990 – 2024
18K 18K 19K 20K 21K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 West Chester Age distribution, 2020
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Section 02
Income & economy $62,092
+9%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $37,803 in 2000
US average: $66,278
from $19,073 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
from 26.7% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
from 21.4% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Public administration 6.4%
Transportation & warehousing 2.4%
Arts, entertainment, food 2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 1.5%
Professional, scientific, technical 1.4%
Education & health services 0.4%
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$389,600
+84%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $141,100 in 2000
US average: $265,253
$1,293
+25%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $691 in 2000
US average: $1,124
from 37.2% in 2000
64.5% rent
from 2.35 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
from 6.9 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 71.6%(12,788)
Hispanic / Latino 8.9%(1,596)
2020
White, non-Hispanic 72.2%(13,473)
Hispanic / Latino 12.4%(2,309)
No data for the years selected.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Hispanic origin
+ 3 more hispanic origin groups with data Ancestry
+ 31 more ancestry groups with data from 39.0% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
from 84.1% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
from 13.1% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 13.9 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
from 70.1% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
from 12.6% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07
Work & employment from 8.0% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
from 66.9% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
US average: 73.3%
from 33.2% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08
People & community from 6.3% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
from 11.8% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
US average: 91.9%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married 67.1%(5,611)
Women 15+
Never married 67.2%(7,209)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 11.8% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Direct-purchase
US average: 13.7%
VA health care
US average: 2.3%
Any private
US average: 68.1%
Any public
US average: 35.2%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans Veterans by period of service, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later) 26.7%(116)
Gulf War (1990s) 14.9%(65)
Share of the 435 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
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Drill deeper
Places similar to West Chester Head to head
Compare West Chester to nearby cities WEST CHESTER VS
Hockessin
Income $171,204 +176%
Home value $568,800 +46%
Population 13,439 −31%
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WEST CHESTER VS
Claymont
Income $74,712 +20%
Home value $276,600 −29%
Population 8,786 −55%
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WEST CHESTER VS
Wilmington
Income $58,671 −6%
Home value $231,400 −41%
Population 73,512 +275%
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WEST CHESTER VS
Pike Creek Valley
Income $102,434 +65%
Home value $340,300 −13%
Population 12,431 −37%
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Frequently asked
How many people live in West Chester, Pennsylvania? West Chester, Pennsylvania has about 18,671 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in West Chester, Pennsylvania? The typical household in West Chester, Pennsylvania earns about $62,092 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is West Chester, Pennsylvania expensive? In West Chester, Pennsylvania, the median home is worth about $389,600, and the typical rent is about $1,293 a month.
How educated are people in West Chester, Pennsylvania? About 53.3% of adults age 25 and over in West Chester, Pennsylvania hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in West Chester, Pennsylvania? About 25.2% of people in West Chester, Pennsylvania live below the federal poverty line.
Has West Chester, Pennsylvania grown since 1990? Yes, West Chester, Pennsylvania has grown since 1990. The population has added about 630 residents, a change of about 3 percent over that period.
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