Chester, Pennsylvania Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Chester, PA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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C
Health Below average
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F
Income Well below average
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Chester | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 33,618 | 13,004,688 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 5597.8 | 282.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.15% | 0.21% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 32.7 | 41.6 | 37.3 |
| Households | 12,536 | 5,268,760 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Chester declined by 8.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 33,618 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Chester is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 27.5% of residents. That is 7.3 points above Pennsylvania as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 9,240 27.5% +7.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 6,673 19.9% -1.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,696 16.9% -3.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,873 14.5% -4.5 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Pennsylvania, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.7% of the people living in Chester and men 48.3%.
- Women 51.7% Pennsylvania 50.8%
- Men 48.3% Pennsylvania 49.2%
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Economy
Chester has a the economy index of F, which means it scores poorly in the economy.
| Metric | Chester | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $42,237 | $78,249 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.55% | 4.43% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 17.6% | 5.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Chester is about 46% lower than in Pennsylvania.
Housing
| Metric | Chester | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $113,586 | $152,469 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,091 | $1,208 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 40.0% | 69.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Chester is about 8.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,091 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Chester spend about 41 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 172 hours, about 7.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Chester | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.6 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 41.2 | 44.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 172 | 186 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,323 | $5,779 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.5% | 15.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 25,193 | 6,862 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,871 | 1,152 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Chester is 21 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in Pennsylvania.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Chester has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Chester | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12.4% | 31.4% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.45 | 2.39 | 2.53 |
Health
Chester has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Chester | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 72.7 | 78.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 25.8% | 15.7% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 25.0% | 20.1% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Chester, Pennsylvania.
How many people live in Chester, Pennsylvania?
About 33,618 people live in Chester, Pennsylvania, in 12,536 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 32.7, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Chester, Pennsylvania urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Chester, Pennsylvania has 5,598 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 65 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Chester, Pennsylvania?
The median home costs 2.7 times the median household income ($113,586 against $42,237), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,091 a month takes about 31% of the median household's income, above the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Chester, Pennsylvania?
Unemployment in Chester, Pennsylvania is 17.6%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How educated are people in Chester, Pennsylvania?
12.4% of adults in Chester, Pennsylvania hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 8), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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