Chester, PA
Census place 4213208 · pop 33,619
Pennsylvania's oldest city, where William Penn first landed in 1682 and renamed the Swedish settlement of Upland.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$41,342 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
29.0% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
40.0% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
14.4% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities
2.02% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
-1.1% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.46 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
88.6% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
92/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
43 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
2 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
23 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
3.3% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,321/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$83,100 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
Not measured for Chester: Crime, Obesity, Mental, Inactive, Smoking, Uninsured, Property crime. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.
Frequently asked
- Is Chester, PA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Chester scores 45/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 15 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is housing cost and its weakest is median household income. Pennsylvania overall ranks #37 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- Is Chester, PA expensive to live in?
- Chester has a median home value of $83,100 and typical rent around $1,321/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Chester, PA?
- Its weakest measured area is median household income ($41,342) — 4/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Chester, PA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is housing cost ($83,100) — 99/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Pennsylvania's oldest city, where William Penn first landed in 1682 and renamed the Swedish settlement of Upland.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.