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City · 8,255 residents · Chester County, Pennsylvania

Downingtown , Pennsylvania

In Downingtown, a typical home is worth $353,800 and typical rent is $1,518 a month. Compared with all of Chester County, the typical home value is 27% lower, typical household income is 24% lower, and the share of households that own their home is 27 points lower.

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  • Typical home value

    $353,800

    27% below the county

    39% above Pennsylvania

    • Downingtown
    • Chester
    • Pennsylvania

  • Typical rent

    $1,518a month

    14% below the county

    26% above Pennsylvania

    • Downingtown
    • Chester
    • Pennsylvania

  • Typical household income

    $96,228a year

    24% below the county

    23% above Pennsylvania

    • Downingtown
    • Chester
    • Pennsylvania

  • Households that own their home

    48%

    27 points below the county

    21 points below Pennsylvania

    • Downingtown
    • Chester
    • Pennsylvania

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$593,662
2.7% more than 12 months ago
Typical rent
$2,452 a month
4.4% more than 12 months ago

From Zillow (ZHVI/ZORI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).

Downingtown is in Chester County. The FHA loan limit ($630,200 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Chester County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets Downingtown apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. 48% of households in Downingtown own their home, against 75% in Chester County.

  2. Nearby, in Coatesville, the typical home value is $194,000: 45% less than in Downingtown ($353,800).

  3. The typical home in Downingtown is worth $353,800, 27% less than in Chester County as a whole ($485,600).

  4. The typical household income in Downingtown is $96,228, 24% less than in Chester County as a whole ($127,208).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).

The homes here

Housing in Downingtown

What homes there are in Downingtown, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

In Downingtown there is a bit of everything: no kind of home reaches half. The most common are attached houses (townhouses) (35%), more than in Chester County (19%).

Year built

In Downingtown, half of the homes were built before 1968; in Chester County, before 1983.

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes
Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$2,183 a month

Chester County: $2,660 a month

Without a mortgage

$877 a month

Chester County: $977 a month

Owners with a mortgage

63%

Chester County: 68%

The typical cost for an owner with a mortgage in Downingtown is $2,183 a month, less than in Chester County ($2,660); without one, $877.

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

From 2015–2019 to 2020–2024, the typical home value in Downingtown rose 46%; in Chester County, it rose 36%.

Since 2015–2019, the typical rent in Downingtown rose 27%, less than in Chester County (33%).

The typical household income in Downingtown rose 45% over that time; home values changed +46% and rent +27%.

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureDowningtownChester CountyPennsylvaniaUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimate3.6%4.9%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimate0.5%0.8%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimate1.4%1.6%3.4%
People per household 2.312.602.392.53
Drive alone 73%65%68%69%
Carpool 9%6%8%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimate1%4%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimate2%4%3%
Work from home 16%24%16%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate1%1%2%
Typical commute 20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

Fewer people live in each home here: 2.31 on average, against 2.60 in Chester County.

To get to work, 73% of workers in Downingtown drive alone; in Chester County, 65%.

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in Downingtown?

A typical home costs more than the typical income allows

We start with a typical home in Downingtown, worth $353,800, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 38% of the typical household income in Downingtown, which is $96,228 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $130,309 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Chester County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Downingtown. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $12,383 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$3,041

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$347,392
Total interest
$499,815
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $5,975 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $2,245 a month

  • Tight

    $2,245 to $2,887 a month

  • Hard

    more than $2,887 a month

    Your payment · 38%

Compared with the typical household income in Downingtown ($96,228 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$3,041
Principal & interest$2,353
Property tax$383
Home insurance$147
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$156

You need at least $12,383 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

Downingtown and Chester County

Downingtown is in Chester County, Pennsylvania. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

Downingtown's own numbers

Typical home value
$353,800
Typical monthly rent
$1,518
Typical yearly household income
$96,228
Households that own their home
48%
Effective property tax rate
1.3%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Chester County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$630,200
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,860
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+52%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
0.8%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Chester County.

Everything about Chester County

Buying

Buying a home in Downingtown

A typical home in Downingtown is worth $353,800: 27% below the county and 39% above Pennsylvania. With the typical household income in Downingtown ($96,228 a year), a typical home costs 3.7 times what the household earns in a year.

Years of income to pay for a typical home

The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.

  • Downingtown 3.7 years
  • Chester 3.8 years
  • Pennsylvania 3.3 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Chester County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Chester County rose 77% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Chester County.

Period County Pennsylvania U.S.
Last year (2025) +4.7% +4.7% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +52% +48% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +77% +77% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

Downingtown next to Chester County, Pennsylvania and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical home value
  • Downingtown $353,800
  • Chester $485,600
  • Pennsylvania $254,500
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Downingtown $1,518
  • Chester $1,763
  • Pennsylvania $1,209
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Downingtown $96,228
  • Chester $127,208
  • Pennsylvania $77,971
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Downingtown next to Chester County and Pennsylvania
Measure Downingtown Chester County Pennsylvania U.S.
Typical home value $353,800 $485,600 $254,500 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $1,518 $1,763 $1,209 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $96,228 $127,208 $77,971 $80,734
Households that own their home 48% 75% 69% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $4,583 $6,308 $3,311 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 1.3% 1.3% 1.3% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 39% 48% 48% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Chester County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in Downingtown

For a typical $353,800 home in Downingtown, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Downingtown's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $3,041a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $12,383
    Cash to close
    $22,997
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $156

  • Conventional, 5% down $2,976a month

    Down payment
    $17,690
    Cash to close
    $28,304
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $168

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $2,448a month

    Down payment
    $70,760
    Cash to close
    $81,374
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $2,775a month

    Down payment
    $53,070
    Cash to close
    $63,684
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.

  • Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
  • Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
  • The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for Downingtown and for Chester County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Downingtown

1.3%of the home’s value each year

$4,583 a year for the typical owner in Downingtown.

  • Downingtown 1.3%
  • Chester 1.3%
  • Pennsylvania 1.3%

What Pennsylvania publishes Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program (PTRR) (Pennsylvania Department of Revenue)

Exemptions and deadlines in Pennsylvania

Flood risk in Chester County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Chester County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
0.8%
1,279
Of those, with NFIP insurance
40%
County Pennsylvania U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 0.8% 2% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 40% 23% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Downingtown

Typical rent in Downingtown is $1,518 a month: 14% below the county. In Downingtown, 39% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Chester County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,860 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $35.77 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Chester County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $1,438 $27.65 $57,520
1 bedroom $1,558 $29.96 $62,320
2 bedrooms $1,860 $35.77 $74,400
3 bedrooms $2,216 $42.62 $88,640
4 bedrooms $2,445 $47.02 $97,800

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

Fair market rent by ZIP code in Downingtown

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Downingtown is in ZIP code 19335.

For 2 bedrooms it is $2,130: $270 more than the fair market rent for Chester County ($1,860).

  • 19335 $2,130$2,540

1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Downingtown when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Low-income apartments

Low-income apartments in Downingtown

HUD lists 2 buildings with rents for lower incomes in Downingtown. These are the largest.

  • ST. James Place Apartments 350 E Pennsylvania Ave, Downingtown 19335 40 low-income homes · For older adults (610) 269-9366
  • Brians House-Price Lane 1203 Price Ln, Downingtown 19335 3 low-income homes · For people with disabilities (610) 399-1175

See all 51 buildings in Chester County Source: HUD, Retrieved November 6, 2026

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Downingtown

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

There is 1 HUD-approved agency with an office in Chester County; 1 says it serves in Spanish.

A man shakes hands with the specialist who helped him with his loan, in the kitchen of his new home.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Downingtown

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Downingtown or Chester County. The ones below are statewide in Pennsylvania: they work in Downingtown the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in Pennsylvania

Housing counselors near Downingtown

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of Downingtown, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • Housing Partnership of Chester County

    41 W Lancaster Ave, Downingtown · 0 miles away · Spanish

    • Budget and financial counseling
    • Predatory lending workshops
    • and 2 more
    (610) 518-1522

  • Media Fellowship House

    302 S Jackson St, Media · 18 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Pre-purchase counseling
    • and 1 more
    (610) 565-0434

  • Genesis Housing Corporation

    1430 Dekalb St, Norristown · 21 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 5 more
    (610) 275-4357

Every agency in Chester County All counseling agencies in Pennsylvania

Help in Spanish near Downingtown

1 of the 3 agencies on this list says it serves in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of Downingtown

HUD’s record names them for Downingtown or Chester County. They run public housing or Section 8 vouchers. Ask whether their waiting list is open.

  • Housing Authority of the County of Chester Public housing and Section 8 vouchers (610) 436-9200

All housing agencies in Pennsylvania Source: HUD

Cities

Other cities in Chester County

These cities are also in Chester County. They share its loan limits and fair market rents, but home values and rent change from one to the next.

Everything about Chester County Housing in Pennsylvania

Nearby cities

The cities closest to Downingtown, with the typical home value.

Neighboring counties

If Chester County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in Downingtown.

All guides
A family roasts marshmallows over a campfire at a forest campsite.

Questions

Housing questions about Downingtown

Short answers with the numbers for Downingtown and all of Chester County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does a typical home cost in Downingtown?

The typical home value in Downingtown is $353,800, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Chester County it is $485,600.

How much does it cost to rent in Downingtown?

Typical rent in Downingtown is $1,518 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Chester County is $1,860.

What is the FHA loan limit in Downingtown?

Downingtown uses the FHA limit for all of Chester County (2026): $630,200 for a one-unit home and $1,211,950 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in Downingtown?

The typical homeowner in Downingtown pays $4,583 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 1.3% of the home’s value; in Chester County, the rate is 1.3%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Downingtown?

There is 1 HUD-approved counseling agency with an office in Chester County. 1 says it serves in Spanish. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).