Español

Este sitio también está en español. Leer en español

City · 20,666 residents · Chester County, Pennsylvania

West Chester , Pennsylvania

In West Chester, a typical home is worth $490,700 and typical rent is $1,731 a month. Compared with all of Chester County, typical household income is 38% lower and the share of households that own their home is 40 points lower.

WhatsApp

  • Typical home value

    $490,700

    About the same as the county

    93% above Pennsylvania

    • West Chester
    • Chester
    • Pennsylvania

  • Typical rent

    $1,731a month

    About the same as the county

    43% above Pennsylvania

    • West Chester
    • Chester
    • Pennsylvania

  • Typical household income

    $78,385a year

    38% below the county

    About the same as Pennsylvania

    • West Chester
    • Chester
    • Pennsylvania

  • Households that own their home

    35%

    40 points below the county

    34 points below Pennsylvania

    • West Chester
    • Chester
    • Pennsylvania

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

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$662,917
3.4% more than 12 months ago
Typical rent
$2,277 a month
3% more than 12 months ago

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

West Chester 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 West Chester apart

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

  1. 35% of households in West Chester own their home, against 75% in Chester County.

  2. The typical household income in West Chester is $78,385, 38% less than in Chester County as a whole ($127,208).

  3. Nearby, in Downingtown, the typical home value is $353,800: 28% less than in West Chester ($490,700).

  4. Nearby, in Kennett Square, the typical rent is $1,396: 19% less than in West Chester ($1,731).

  5. West Chester has the 18th highest typical home value of the 273 cities in Pennsylvania with more than 5,000 people ($490,700).

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

The homes here

Housing in West Chester

What homes there are in West Chester, 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 West Chester, the apartment is the most common kind of home: 34%, against 14% in Chester County.

Year built

There are fewer big homes in West Chester than in Chester County: 42% have 3 bedrooms or more, against 73%.

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

$2,341 a month

Chester County: $2,660 a month

Without a mortgage

$907 a month

Chester County: $977 a month

Owners with a mortgage

68%

Chester County: 68%

The typical cost for an owner with a mortgage in West Chester is $2,341 a month, less than in Chester County ($2,660); without one, $907.

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 West Chester rose 30%; in Chester County, it rose 36%.

Much as in Chester County, the typical rent in West Chester rose 34% since 2015–2019.

While home values in West Chester changed +30% and rent +34%, the typical household income rose 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

MeasureWest ChesterChester 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 2.002.602.392.53
Drive alone 60%65%68%69%
Carpool 6%6%8%9%
Public transit 2%1%4%3%
Walk or bike 14%2%4%3%
Work from home 17%24%16%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate1%1%2%
Typical commute Unreliable estimate20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

Households in West Chester are smaller: 2.00 people on average; in Chester County, 2.60.

In West Chester, 14% of workers walk or bike to work; in Chester County, 2%.

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 West Chester?

A typical home costs more than the typical income allows

We start with a typical home in West Chester, worth $490,700, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 63% of the typical household income in West Chester, which is $78,385 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $175,473 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 West Chester. 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 $17,175 (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

$4,094

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$481,812
Total interest
$693,214
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $8,287 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $1,829 a month

  • Tight

    $1,829 to $2,352 a month

  • Hard

    more than $2,352 a month

    Your payment · 63%

Compared with the typical household income in West Chester ($78,385 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$4,094
Principal & interest$3,264
Property tax$409
Home insurance$205
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$217

You need at least $17,175 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

West Chester and Chester County

West Chester 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).

West Chester's own numbers

Typical home value
$490,700
Typical monthly rent
$1,731
Typical yearly household income
$78,385
Households that own their home
35%
Effective property tax rate
1%

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 West Chester

A typical home in West Chester is worth $490,700: about the same as the county and 93% above Pennsylvania. With the typical household income in West Chester ($78,385 a year), a typical home costs 6.3 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.

  • West Chester 6.3 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

West Chester 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
  • West Chester $490,700
  • Chester $485,600
  • Pennsylvania $254,500
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • West Chester $1,731
  • Chester $1,763
  • Pennsylvania $1,209
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • West Chester $78,385
  • Chester $127,208
  • Pennsylvania $77,971
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
West Chester next to Chester County and Pennsylvania
Measure West Chester Chester County Pennsylvania U.S.
Typical home value $490,700 $485,600 $254,500 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $1,731 $1,763 $1,209 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $78,385 $127,208 $77,971 $80,734
Households that own their home 35% 75% 69% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $4,890 $6,308 $3,311 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 1% 1.3% 1.3% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 54% 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 West Chester

For a typical $490,700 home in West Chester, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, West Chester's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $4,094a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $17,175
    Cash to close
    $31,896
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $217

  • Conventional, 5% down $4,004a month

    Down payment
    $24,535
    Cash to close
    $39,256
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $233

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $3,273a month

    Down payment
    $98,140
    Cash to close
    $112,861
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $3,726a month

    Down payment
    $73,605
    Cash to close
    $88,326
    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 West Chester and for Chester County.

Property tax

Effective rate in West Chester

1%of the home’s value each year

$4,890 a year for the typical owner in West Chester.

  • West Chester 1%
  • 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 West Chester

Typical rent in West Chester is $1,731 a month: about the same as the county. In West Chester, 54% 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 West Chester

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). West Chester has 2 ZIP codes with their own.

For 2 bedrooms it runs from $2,210 in 19382 to $2,620 in 19380.

2 of the 2 are above the fair market rent for Chester County ($1,860).

  • 19380 $2,620$3,120
  • 19382 $2,210$2,630

2 of these ZIP codes cross the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for West Chester 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 West Chester

HUD lists 6 buildings with rents for lower incomes in West Chester. These are the largest.

  • 222 N CHURCH & Locust, Maple, Spruce CTS 222 N Church St, West Chester 19380 109 homes, 108 low-income · Run by Housing Authority of the County of Chester · Average payment: $450 a month · Average wait: 7 months (610) 436-9200
  • Apartments for Modern Living 201 S Matlack St, West Chester 19382 95 low-income homes · For families (610) 431-4455
  • WC Oak Place Housing Project 601 Downingtown Pike, West Chester 19380 31 low-income homes · 2 bd: 6 · 3 bd: 15 · 4 bd: 10 · In service since 2002 · For families
  • Breaking New Ground 103 Garfield Ave, West Chester 19380 13 low-income homes · 3 bd: 13 · In service since 2005 · For families, people experiencing homelessness
  • Melton Center Apartments 503 E Miner St, West Chester 19382 51 homes, 6 low-income (484) 302-8572

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

Free help

Help to buy or rent in West Chester

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 leans over the armchair where a girl is reading a book.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in West Chester

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

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in Pennsylvania

Housing counselors near West Chester

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of West Chester, 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 · 6 miles away · Spanish

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

  • Media Fellowship House

    302 S Jackson St, Media · 12 miles away

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

  • Chester Community Improvement Project

    23 E 5th St, Chester · 15 miles away

    • Budget and financial counseling
    • Budget and credit workshops
    • and 4 more
    (610) 876-8663

Every agency in Chester County All counseling agencies in Pennsylvania

Help in Spanish near West Chester

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 West Chester

HUD’s record names them for West Chester 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 West Chester, 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 West Chester.

All guides
A mother holding her baby watches her daughter blow bubbles outdoors.

Questions

Housing questions about West Chester

Short answers with the numbers for West Chester 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 West Chester?

The typical home value in West Chester is $490,700, 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 West Chester?

Typical rent in West Chester is $1,731 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 West Chester?

West Chester 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 West Chester?

The typical homeowner in West Chester pays $4,890 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 1% of the home’s value; in Chester County, the rate is 1.3%.

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

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).