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Data on this report is based on areas within the legal city boundary, outlined in black on the map. Any additional neighborhoods shown on the map are associated with the city by name and are included for reference only.

West Chester, PA
Real Estate & Demographic Data






West Chester profile


Living in West Chester



West Chester is a medium-sized borough located in the state of Pennsylvania. With a population of 19,531 people and 25 constituent neighborhoods, West Chester is the 46th largest community in Pennsylvania. West Chester has an unusually large stock of pre-World War II architecture, making it one of the older and more historic boroughs.

West Chester home prices are not only among the most expensive in Pennsylvania, but West Chester real estate also consistently ranks among the most expensive in America.

Also of interest is that West Chester has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US.

A relatively large number of people in West Chester telecommute to their jobs. Overall, about 8.88% of the workforce works from home. While this may seem like a small number, as a fraction of the total workforce it ranks among the highest in the country. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

West Chester is a small town with a large college student population. Because of this, there is a real youthful, hip vibe to the place, and much of the life in the town is centered on the college. This has helped West Chester to buck the trend of other small towns that have suffered declining populations over the past 20 to 30 years. Spending by students, and faculty and staff jobs, are a big part of the local economy.

West Chester, while not large, also appears to be attractive to some younger, educated professionals, who help shape the character of the borough.

If knowledge is power, West Chester is a pretty powerful place. 54.26% of the adults in West Chester have earned a 4-year college degree, masters degree, MD, law degree, or even PhD. Compare that to the national average of 21.84% for all cities and towns.

The per capita income in West Chester in 2018 was $37,170, which is upper middle income relative to Pennsylvania and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $148,680 for a family of four. However, West Chester contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.

West Chester is a very ethnically-diverse borough. The people who call West Chester home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of West Chester residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. West Chester also has a sizeable Hispanic population (people of Hispanic origin can be of any race). People of Hispanic or Latino origin account for 12.37% of the borough’s residents. Important ancestries of people in West Chester include German, Irish, Italian, English, and Polish.

The most common language spoken in West Chester is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Langs. of India.