Pottstown receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Chester
Pottstown
Opportunity
40 · Bottom 17%
vs75 · Top 14%
Growth
43 · Bottom 36%
vs31 · Bottom 19%
Climate
71 · Top 46%
vs64 · Bottom 33%
Physical resilience
91 · Top 10%
vs91 · Top 10%
Housing affordability
69 · Bottom 33%
vs82 · Top 48%
Schools
6 · Bottom 1%
vs28 · Bottom 21%
Access
99 · Top 14%
vs84 · Bottom 28%
Economic stability
28 · Bottom 5%
vs49 · Bottom 29%
Measured values
| Metric | Chester | Pottstown | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 33,619 | 23,476 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $41,342 | $60,828 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $23,100 | $32,682 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 6,956/sq mi | 4,838/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $83,100 | $195,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,091 | $1,260 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 40.0% | 55.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 7.1% | 3.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 2.8% | 2.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.4% | 21.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 29.0% | 17.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 7 | 0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.2 | 0.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 88°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 26°F | 22°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 44.1" | 45.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 7 mi | 34 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.2 min | 28.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.9 | 36.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 11 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.41 | 12.95 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 4.0% | 12.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 14.9% | 32.8% | 2019-20 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Full profiles: Chester, PA · Pottstown, PA · How this is calculated: methodology