Housing & affordability
18% of the score · 47/100
D
Median home value$490,700
Philadelphia $351,900
Median rent$1,731/mo
Philadelphia $1,480/mo
Cost-burdened households42%
Philadelphia 32%
West Chester
Chester County20,666 residentsWest Chester Area SD
69
B−
Suburbgrade score
8th of 50 Philadelphia suburbs. Strong on schools and amenities, held back by employment & income.
69
Philadelphia median 58
0 · F
A+ · 100
Launch-day rule. Residents is not counted for West Chester yet: no poll responses so far. The overall score of 69 is computed on the other six categories, re-normalised to 100%. Answer the poll →
What living here is actually like
Written summary in preparation This page is waiting for its written summary, and for a person to check it. Until then it is excluded from search engines.
What West Chester is like to live in, by category
Bars show West Chester against Philadelphia. Weights are published in full.Schools
18% of the score · 88/100
A
Within-state proficiency89th pct
Philadelphia median 48th pct
Student–teacher ratio12.4
Philadelphia median 13.0
Graduation rate96%
Philadelphia median 89%
Cost of living
14% of the score · 72/100
B−
Housing cost index113
Philadelphia 100
Eff. tax rate0.91%
Philadelphia 1.37%
Local sales tax6.34%
Philadelphia median 6.34%
Commute & transport
14% of the score · 75/100
B
Mean commute20.9 min
Philadelphia 28.7 min
Under 30 minutes72%
Philadelphia 56%
Transit stops / sq mi3.7
Philadelphia median 0.4 · within 2 miles
Amenities
12% of the score · 83/100
A−
Restaurants & cafés111
Philadelphia median 53 · within 2 miles
Groceries7
Philadelphia median 6 · within 2 miles
Parks58
Philadelphia median 41 · within 2 miles
Employment & income
12% of the score · 44/100
D
Median household income$78,385
Philadelphia $91,289
Unemployment7.0%
Philadelphia 5.9%
Professional occupations51%
Philadelphia 49%
Residents
12% of the score · inactive
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No responses yet. Residents is excluded from the score until eight people answer.
Ask the people who live here
Twelve yes/no questions, one tap each. No dataset knows whether the yards are kept or whether anyone talks to their neighbours. Answers feed the Residents grade, which needs eight responses before it counts.
Nobody has answered for West Chester yet. If you live here, you can be the first.
Is it quiet at night?
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Do you feel safe walking after dark?
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Can you walk to a grocery store?
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Is it good for young children?
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Are yards and streets well kept?
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Tap either button to answer — no account neededAll twelve questions →
Better than West Chester on employment & income
West Chester's weakest grade is D. Six suburbs are within 25 miles and score higher on the same four inputs.
SuburbEmploymentOverall
Hockessin13 mi from West ChesterB+ 71 B− King of Prussia15 mi from West ChesterB− 72 B− Ardmore17 mi from West ChesterB− 74 B Bala Cynwyd20 mi from West ChesterB− 75 B Phoenixville13 mi from West ChesterB− 67 C+ Broomall13 mi from West ChesterC+ 71 B− Median household income: ACS 2020–24 · Unemployment: ACS 2020–24
Common questions about living in West Chester
Is West Chester, PA a good place to live?
West Chester scores 69 out of 100, 8th of 50 Philadelphia suburbs. It is strongest on schools and weakest on employment & income. Every weight behind that score is published on the methodology page.
Is West Chester expensive to live in?
Cost of living grades B−. The median home is $490,700, 39% above the Philadelphia median, and the effective property tax rate is 0.91%. $1,731/mo is the median gross rent.
How good are the schools in West Chester?
Schools grade A. The districts serving West Chester sit at the 89th pct within-state proficiency percentile, with a 96% graduation rate and a 12.4 student–teacher ratio. West Chester is served by West Chester Area SD. Proficiency is only ever compared inside the same state.
How long is the commute from West Chester?
The mean commute is 20.9 min, with 72% of workers travelling under 30 minutes and 17% working from home. Transit density is 3.7 stops per square mile.
Can you walk anywhere in West Chester?
Within two miles there are 7 groceries, 111 restaurants and cafés and 58 parks, which grades A− on amenities.
Are the homes in West Chester old or new?
The median home in West Chester was built in 1954 — older than the Philadelphia median of 1966. That is a median, so a town can be half post-war and half new-build and still land there. 49% of homes are houses rather than flats.
Every answer is built from the figures on this page, with their sources and as-of dates on the methodology page.
Six Philadelphia lists
Best Philadelphia suburbs for familiesMost affordable Philadelphia suburbsBest Philadelphia suburbs for schoolsShortest commutes to Downtown PhiladelphiaMost walkable Philadelphia suburbsBest Philadelphia suburbs for young professionalsCompare West Chester
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