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COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Chester County

Pennsylvania · 534,413 residents · 751 sq mi
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The short version

With 534,413 people, Chester County is a county in Pennsylvania. That is roughly 64% ahead of the Pennsylvania median. This is an unusually credentialed place: 54% of adults have a four-year degree. Households take in $104,161 a year at the median, 57% more than the country as a whole. 75% of homes are owner-occupied. The typical home is worth $369,500, having more than doubled since 2000.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $66,278
Mid-age
median age 40.5
US median: 38.8
More educated
54% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 37%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
534,413
+23%since 2000
from 433,501 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
40.5
+10%since 2000
from 36.9 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
751 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
359K411K462K514K565K19902000201020202024Chester County
2024548K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 55.3%(28,252)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.2%(33,282)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 146.9%(37,118)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 197.2%(38,446)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.3%(33,411)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3411.2%(59,871)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4412.3%(65,925)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5413.2%(70,737)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6414.1%(75,243)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 7410.1%(54,007)
US avg: 10%
75 to 845%(26,957)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over2.1%(11,164)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$104,161
+6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $65,295 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$52,711
+67%since 2000
from $31,627 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
63.5%
+8.2 ptssince 2009
from 55.4% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
6.3%
+1.0 ptssince 2000
from 5.2% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Retail trade11.1%
US avg: 10%
Other services10.5%
US avg: 6.6%
Information9.5%
US avg: 11.1%
Public administration8.6%
US avg: 4.7%
Wholesale trade5.8%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance3.3%
US avg: 5.5%
Transportation & warehousing2.9%
US avg: 2.5%
Professional, scientific, technical2.6%
US avg: 4.7%
Arts, entertainment, food2.1%
US avg: 2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing2.1%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction2%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.7%
US avg: 0.8%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$369,500
+37%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $178,900 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,354
+19%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $754 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
74.5%
−1.7 ptssince 2000
from 76.3% in 2000
25.5% rent
Persons per household
2.63 people
−2%since 2009
from 2.68 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
3.5
−10%since 2009
from 3.9 in 2009
2009 – 2024
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-Hispanic87.2%(377,925)
Black6.1%(26,395)
Hispanic / Latino3.7%(16,126)
Asian1.9%(8,400)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic75.9%(405,476)
Black5.3%(28,391)
Hispanic / Latino8.1%(43,542)
Asian6.6%(35,143)
Other2.7%(14,169)
Segregation Score
33
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican3.8%(19,914)
Puerto Rican1.9%(10,142)
South American0.6%(3,109)
Cuban0.3%(1,577)
Central American0.3%(1,577)
Ecuadorian0.2%(1,043)
Spaniard0.2%(966)
Guatemalan0.2%(828)
Colombian0.2%(783)
Dominican0.1%(751)
Argentine0.1%(444)
Venezuelan0.1%(330)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Salvadoran0.1%(320)
Honduran0.1%(282)
Peruvian0%(229)
Chilean0%(167)
Uruguayan0%(39)
Bolivian0%(36)
Asian origin
Asian Indian3.4%(17,660)
Chinese1%(5,469)
Filipino0.3%(1,574)
Korean0.3%(1,331)
Vietnamese0.2%(1,048)
Pakistani0.1%(700)
Japanese0.1%(347)
Indonesian0%(215)
Taiwanese0%(186)
Sri Lankan0%(181)
Laotian0%(161)
Thai0%(141)
+ 5 more asian origin groups with data
Nepalese0%(132)
Cambodian0%(113)
Mongolian0%(13)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(55)
Tongan0%(35)
Samoan0%(34)
Ancestry
Irish21.4%(111,461)
German20.6%(107,616)
Italian14.3%(74,411)
English12.2%(63,684)
Polish5%(26,258)
American3.4%(17,623)
Scottish2.2%(11,528)
French2%(10,364)
Welsh1.6%(8,147)
Dutch1.3%(6,580)
Russian1.2%(6,088)
Scotch-Irish1.1%(5,903)
+ 49 more ancestry groups with data
British0.9%(4,683)
Ukrainian0.8%(4,328)
Swedish0.8%(4,241)
Hungarian0.8%(4,024)
Greek0.7%(3,645)
Slovak0.7%(3,643)
Norwegian0.7%(3,425)
Swiss0.5%(2,720)
Lithuanian0.5%(2,714)
Czech0.4%(2,258)
Austrian0.4%(2,168)
French Canadian0.4%(2,159)
Canadian0.3%(1,802)
Portuguese0.3%(1,455)
West Indian0.3%(1,347)
Armenian0.2%(1,068)
Danish0.2%(973)
Jamaican0.1%(736)
Iranian0.1%(644)
Romanian0.1%(637)
Lebanese0.1%(579)
Belgian0.1%(553)
Brazilian0.1%(551)
Egyptian0.1%(546)
Latvian0.1%(522)
Turkish0.1%(495)
Croatian0.1%(485)
Syrian0.1%(403)
Finnish0.1%(363)
Slovene0.1%(334)
Nigerian0.1%(329)
Australian0.1%(297)
Kenyan0%(233)
Israeli0%(207)
Serbian0%(187)
Guyanese0%(176)
Haitian0%(139)
Iraqi0%(129)
Bulgarian0%(122)
Moroccan0%(68)
Ghanaian0%(61)
Barbadian0%(21)
Arab0%(18)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
54.2%
+11.7 ptssince 2000
from 42.5% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
94.3%
+5.0 ptssince 2000
from 89.3% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
22.3%
+6.5 ptssince 2000
from 15.9% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
28.5 min
+46%since 2000
from 19.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
75.5%
−5.6 ptssince 2009
from 81.1% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
4.4%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 4.6% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.1%
−1.5 ptssince 2011
from 5.6% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
68.3%
−1.0 ptssince 2011
from 69.3% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
76.6%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
53.1%
+6.5 ptssince 2009
from 46.6% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.3%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 49.4% in 2009
Female
50.7%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 50.6% in 2009
Foreign born
9.5%
+2.0 ptssince 2009
from 7.5% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
5.0%
−3.1 ptssince 2013
from 8.1% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
94.2%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
88.0%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married32.4%(71,905)
Married58.9%(130,692)
Widowed2.1%(4,662)
Divorced6.6%(14,685)
Women 15+
Never married28.9%(66,031)
Married54.8%(125,170)
Widowed7.3%(16,679)
Divorced8.9%(20,404)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
5.0%
−3.1 ptssince 2013
from 8.1% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
68.6%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
15.5%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
16.6%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
10.4%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
1.7%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
81.9%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
26.0%
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)15%(3,683)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)15.3%(3,766)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era35.6%(8,741)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War9.7%(2,393)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II4.9%(1,193)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 24,559 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

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Head to head

Compare Chester County to nearby counties

CHESTER COUNTY VS
Delaware County
Income$89,546−14%
Home value$332,200−10%
Population580,937+4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHESTER COUNTY VS
Montgomery County
Income$113,915+9%
Home value$436,700+18%
Population877,643+58%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHESTER COUNTY VS
Lancaster County
Income$86,959−17%
Home value$301,100−19%
Population563,159+1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHESTER COUNTY VS
New Castle County
Income$91,166−12%
Home value$352,200−5%
Population588,026+6%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Chester County, Pennsylvania?

Chester County, Pennsylvania has about 534,413 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Chester County, Pennsylvania earns about $104,161 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 $369,500, and the typical rent is about $1,354 a month.

How educated are people in Chester County, Pennsylvania?

About 54.2% 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 6.3% 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 158,017 residents, a change of about 42 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 →