West Chester receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
West Chester
Chester
Opportunity
86 · Top 2%
vs40 · Bottom 17%
Growth
44 · Bottom 39%
vs43 · Bottom 36%
Climate
65 · Bottom 35%
vs71 · Top 46%
Physical resilience
85 · Top 16%
vs91 · Top 10%
Housing affordability
51 · Bottom 11%
vs69 · Bottom 33%
Schools
92 · Top 2%
vs6 · Bottom 1%
Access
92 · Top 48%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
55 · Bottom 39%
vs28 · Bottom 5%
Measured values
| Metric | West Chester | Chester | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,666 | 33,619 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $78,385 | $41,342 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $44,502 | $23,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 11,195/sq mi | 6,956/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $490,700 | $83,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,731 | $1,091 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 35.4% | 40.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.0% | 7.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 2.9% | 2.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 59.1% | 14.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 20.4% | 29.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1 | 7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.0 | 0.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 0.0% | -30.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 88°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 23°F | 26°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 47.1" | 44.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 20 mi | 7 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.2 min | 25.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 25.3 | 33.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 17 | 7 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.85 | 17.41 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 53.0% | 4.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 76.4% | 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.
Physical risk tradeoff
West Chester
Elevated or high exposure: drought.
Chester
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
West Chester
71
Your Score
73
Area Score
Chester
56
Your Score
55
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: West Chester, PA · Chester, PA · How this is calculated: methodology