Chester, Pennsylvania Housing Market Prices

Chester Home Prices and Rent at a Glance

The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.

  • Median home price 26% below the Pennsylvania median
    $113,586
  • Median rent 10% below the Pennsylvania median
    $1,091

Housing Market Overview

Metric Chester Pennsylvania Avg US Average
Median Home Price $113,586 $152,469 $248,835
Price Trend (Annual %) 13.4% 3.7% 7.5%
Median Gross Rent $1,091 $1,208 $1,407
Rent Trend (Annual %) 3.8% 4.4% 5.1%
Household Income Trend (Annual %) — — —

The median home price in Chester is about 26% lower than in Pennsylvania. Rent is about 10% lower than the Pennsylvania average.

Median Home and Rent Price Trends

Median Home Prices, 2015-2024

Chester
Pennsylvania
United States
Year Chester Pennsylvania United States

Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024

Chester
Pennsylvania
United States
Year Chester Pennsylvania United States

Both home prices and rent are rising in Chester, up about 13.4% and 3.8% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.

Median rent in Chester rose about 35.6% between 2015 and 2024, from $804 to $1,091. Over the same span, rent in Pennsylvania rose about 43.9%.

Affordability

On average, housing unit costs 2.7 yearly household incomes in Chester.

Buying the median-priced home in Chester costs roughly 8.7 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in Chester. The price-to-rent ratio in Pennsylvania is about 10.5.

Metric Chester Pennsylvania Avg US Average
Median Home Price $113,586 $152,469 $248,835
Median Household Income $42,237 $78,249 $80,455
Price-to-Income Ratio 2.7 1.9 3.1

Home Prices vs Income Over Time

Home Prices
Household Income

Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Chester rose about 93.4%, while median household income rose about 52.4% between 2009 and 2025 — the home price grew faster than income.

Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)

Compare income and housing cost trends.

Household Income Growth %
Housing Cost Growth %
Year Income Growth % Housing Cost Growth % Gap (Cost - Income)

Occupancy & Tenure

Metric Chester Pennsylvania Avg US Average
Homeownership Rate 33.6% 63.0% 58.5%
Rental Rate 50.4% 27.9% 31.2%
Vacancy Rate 16.0% 9.1% 10.2%
Median Tenure (years) 14.0 17.0 15.0
Median Year Moved In 2012 2009 2011

Chester has a homeownership rate of 33.6%, lower than the Pennsylvania average of 63.0%. Its housing vacancy rate is 16.0%, compared with 9.1% in Pennsylvania.

Housing Stock

Metric Chester Pennsylvania Avg US Average
Average Household Size 2.45 people 2.39 people 2.53 people
Median Structure Built Year 1952 1966 1978
Median Number of Rooms 5.7 6.0 5.5

The typical housing unit in Chester was built around 1952. On average, 2.4 people live in a home with about 5.7 rooms, staying for about 14.0 years on average.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about the housing market in Chester, Pennsylvania.

What is the median home price in Chester, Pennsylvania?

The median home price in Chester, Pennsylvania is $113,586, lower than the Pennsylvania average of $152,469.

What is the average home price in Chester, Pennsylvania?

The typical home price in Chester, Pennsylvania, reported as the median sale price, is $113,586. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.

What is the median rent in Chester, Pennsylvania?

The median gross rent in Chester, Pennsylvania is $1,091 per month, lower than the Pennsylvania average of $1,208.

What was the median gross rent in Chester in 2020?

In 2020, the median gross rent in Chester, Pennsylvania was $877 per month.

What is the price-to-rent ratio in Chester, Pennsylvania?

The price-to-rent ratio in Chester, Pennsylvania is about 8.7, meaning it would take roughly 8.7 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in Chester.

Are home prices or rent rising faster in Chester, Pennsylvania?

Both home prices and rent are rising in Chester, up about 13.4% and 3.8% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.

What is the homeownership rate in Chester, Pennsylvania?

33.6% of households in Chester, Pennsylvania own their home, lower than the Pennsylvania average of 63.0%.

What is the vacancy rate in Chester, Pennsylvania?

The housing vacancy rate in Chester, Pennsylvania is 16.0%, higher than the Pennsylvania average of 9.1%.

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