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COUNTY · 2000 CENSUS

Chester County

Pennsylvania · 433,501 residents · 751 sq mi
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The short version

With 433,501 people, Chester County is a county in Pennsylvania. Households here earn about 63% more than in Pennsylvania as a whole. This is an unusually credentialed place: 42% of adults have a four-year degree. Households take in $65,295 a year at the median, 53% more than the country as a whole. The typical home is worth $178,900. 76% of homes are owner-occupied.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $42,589
Mid-age
median age 36.9
US median: 35.2
More educated
42% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
More affordable
home values down 12%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
433,501
+15%since 1990
from 376,396 in 1990
1990 – 2025
Median age
36.9
+9%since 1990
from 33.9 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Land area
751 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
359K411K462K514K565K19902000201020202024Chester County
2024548K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 56.8%(29,330)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 97.5%(32,556)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 147.6%(33,105)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 196.8%(29,600)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 245.4%(23,410)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3412.6%(54,720)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4417.7%(76,903)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5414.9%(64,406)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 648.9%(38,794)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 746.3%(27,128)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 844.1%(17,782)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over1.3%(5,767)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$65,295
+9%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $45,642 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$31,627
+54%since 1990
from $20,601 in 1990
US average: $21,522
Poverty rate
5.2%
+0.5 ptssince 1990
from 4.7% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$178,900
−12%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $154,900 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$754
−1%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $581 in 1990
US average: $602
Owner-occupied
76.3%
+1.7 ptssince 1990
from 74.6% in 1990
23.7% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

1990
White, non-Hispanic91.7%(345,233)
Black6.4%(23,911)
Hispanic / Latino2.1%(8,030)
Asian1.1%(4,013)
2000
White, non-Hispanic87.2%(377,925)
Black6.1%(26,395)
Hispanic / Latino3.7%(16,126)
Asian1.9%(8,400)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin
Mexican3.7%(20,160)
Puerto Rican2%(11,095)
South American0.8%(4,255)
Central American0.4%(2,258)
Dominican0.4%(2,248)
Cuban0.4%(2,109)
Spaniard0.2%(1,348)
Colombian0.2%(1,148)
Ecuadorian0.2%(1,125)
Guatemalan0.2%(874)
Peruvian0.1%(495)
Venezuelan0.1%(484)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Argentine0.1%(437)
Honduran0.1%(433)
Salvadoran0.1%(359)
Costa Rican0.1%(313)
Chilean0.1%(288)
Nicaraguan0%(174)
Uruguayan0%(161)
Panamanian0%(105)
Bolivian0%(75)
Asian origin
Asian Indian3.8%(20,982)
Chinese1.4%(7,564)
Vietnamese0.4%(2,013)
Korean0.3%(1,887)
Filipino0.3%(1,398)
Pakistani0.1%(638)
Japanese0.1%(613)
Taiwanese0.1%(345)
Sri Lankan0%(204)
Cambodian0%(173)
Thai0%(122)
+ 7 more asian origin groups with data
Kazakh0%(111)
Nepalese0%(82)
Mongolian0%(31)
Laotian0%(24)
Uzbek0%(6)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(70)
Chamorro0%(53)
Ancestry
Irish20.8%(114,109)
German18.8%(103,020)
Italian14.2%(77,640)
English12.8%(70,230)
Polish4.4%(24,010)
American3.2%(17,664)
Scottish2%(11,057)
French1.5%(8,334)
Welsh1.1%(6,118)
Russian1%(5,700)
Scotch-Irish1%(5,661)
Dutch0.9%(5,020)
+ 51 more ancestry groups with data
Ukrainian0.9%(4,825)
Swedish0.7%(4,005)
Swiss0.7%(3,642)
Hungarian0.6%(3,554)
Greek0.6%(3,299)
Norwegian0.6%(3,210)
Slovak0.6%(3,075)
Arab0.5%(2,988)
Lithuanian0.5%(2,715)
British0.5%(2,667)
Czech0.3%(1,902)
French Canadian0.3%(1,855)
Austrian0.3%(1,600)
West Indian0.3%(1,596)
Canadian0.3%(1,485)
Portuguese0.3%(1,457)
Danish0.2%(1,053)
Jamaican0.2%(1,012)
Armenian0.2%(908)
Nigerian0.1%(818)
Croatian0.1%(743)
Iranian0.1%(698)
Lebanese0.1%(695)
Romanian0.1%(578)
Brazilian0.1%(555)
Egyptian0.1%(516)
Latvian0.1%(483)
Finnish0.1%(464)
Syrian0.1%(450)
Turkish0.1%(448)
Moroccan0.1%(435)
Belgian0.1%(388)
Slovene0.1%(320)
Australian0.1%(311)
Ghanaian0.1%(276)
Serbian0%(253)
Ethiopian0%(221)
Haitian0%(213)
Bulgarian0%(148)
Jordanian0%(144)
Kenyan0%(141)
Israeli0%(138)
Iraqi0%(109)
Somali0%(108)
Barbadian0%(28)
Guyanese0%(21)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
42.5%
+7.8 ptssince 1990
from 34.7% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
89.3%
+4.4 ptssince 1990
from 84.9% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
Graduate degree
15.9%
+3.5 ptssince 1990
from 12.3% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
19.5 min
−18%since 1990
from 23.7 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status
Men 15+
Never married27.3%(44,627)
Married64.7%(105,896)
Widowed2.2%(3,576)
Divorced5.9%(9,633)
Women 15+
Never married23%(40,281)
Married60.1%(105,073)
Widowed9.1%(15,880)
Divorced7.8%(13,666)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
4.4%
−3.7 ptssince 2013
from 8.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
68.6%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 68.6% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
15.7%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 15.5% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
17.6%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 16.6% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
10.9%
+0.5 ptssince 2020
from 10.4% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.6%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 1.7% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
81.6%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 81.9% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
27.2%
+1.2 ptssince 2020
from 26.0% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

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, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)18.6%(3,834)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)15.4%(3,180)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era40.1%(8,272)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War6.3%(1,304)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.3%(273)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 20,620 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.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper

Places similar to Chester County

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Pop 603,380
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Pop 640,482
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Pop 651,035
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Pop 524,251
Places similar to Chester County
Head to head

Compare Chester County to nearby counties

CHESTER COUNTY VS
Delaware County
Income$89,546+37%
Home value$332,200+86%
Population580,937+4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHESTER COUNTY VS
Montgomery County
Income$113,915+74%
Home value$436,700+144%
Population877,643+58%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHESTER COUNTY VS
Lancaster County
Income$86,959+33%
Home value$301,100+68%
Population563,159+1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHESTER COUNTY VS
New Castle County
Income$91,166+40%
Home value$352,200+97%
Population588,026+6%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Chester County, Pennsylvania?

Chester County, Pennsylvania has about 433,501 residents according to the 2000 Census.

What is the median household income in Chester County, Pennsylvania?

The typical household in Chester County, Pennsylvania earns about $65,295 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Chester County, Pennsylvania expensive?

In Chester County, Pennsylvania, the median home is worth about $178,900, and the typical rent is about $754 a month.

How educated are people in Chester County, Pennsylvania?

About 42.5% of adults age 25 and over in Chester County, Pennsylvania hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Chester County, Pennsylvania?

About 5.2% of people in Chester County, Pennsylvania live below the federal poverty line.

Has Chester County, Pennsylvania grown since 1990?

Yes, Chester County, Pennsylvania has grown since 1990. The population has added about 57,105 residents, a change of about 15 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →