Pottstown receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Pottstown
Chester
Opportunity
75 · Top 14%
vs40 · Bottom 17%
Growth
31 · Bottom 19%
vs43 · Bottom 36%
Climate
64 · Bottom 33%
vs71 · Top 46%
Physical resilience
91 · Top 10%
vs91 · Top 10%
Housing affordability
82 · Top 48%
vs69 · Bottom 33%
Schools
28 · Bottom 21%
vs6 · Bottom 1%
Access
84 · Bottom 28%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
49 · Bottom 29%
vs28 · Bottom 5%
Measured values
| Metric | Pottstown | Chester | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 23,476 | 33,619 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $60,828 | $41,342 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $32,682 | $23,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,838/sq mi | 6,956/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $195,400 | $83,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,260 | $1,091 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 55.1% | 40.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2% | 7.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 2.9% | 2.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.1% | 14.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 17.5% | 29.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 0 | 7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.0 | 0.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 88°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 22°F | 26°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 45.3" | 44.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 34 mi | 7 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.7 min | 25.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.6 | 33.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 11 | 7 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.95 | 17.41 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 12.9% | 4.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 32.8% | 14.9% | 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: Pottstown, PA · Chester, PA · How this is calculated: methodology