Chester County vs Delaware County
A side-by-side comparison of Chester County and Delaware County: population, income, housing, and more.
Chester County and Delaware County are counties in Pennsylvania. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Delaware County has the higher population (576,195 vs 540,896 in Chester County). Chester County has the higher median household income ($123,041 vs $88,576 in Delaware County). Chester County has the higher median home value ($461,800 vs $302,400 in Delaware County).
Population, income & housing
| Chester County | Delaware County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 540,896 | 576,195 |
| Median age | 40.7 yrs | 39.0 yrs |
| Median household income | $123,041 | $88,576 |
| Median home value | $461,800 | $302,400 |
| Median gross rent | $1,691 | $1,315 |
| Housing units | 210,730 | 229,390 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.9% | 69.6% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 56.6% | 41.6% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 6.9% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Chester County | Delaware County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 519,560 → 540,896 (+4.1%) | 564,554 → 576,195 (+2.1%) |
| Median household income | $100,214 → $123,041 (+22.8%) | $74,477 → $88,576 (+18.9%) |
| Median home value | $357,100 → $461,800 (+29.3%) | $244,400 → $302,400 (+23.7%) |
| Median gross rent | $1,330 → $1,691 (+27.1%) | $1,078 → $1,315 (+22.0%) |
Chester County
519,560540,896
$100,214$123,041
$357,100$461,800
$1,330$1,691
Delaware County
564,554576,195
$74,477$88,576
$244,400$302,400
$1,078$1,315
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Chester County | Delaware County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 5.4% | 5.7% |
| 5 to 17 | 16.9% | 16.4% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.0% | 9.7% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.4% | 12.8% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.9% | 12.9% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.1% | 12.0% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.9% | 13.5% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.3% | 10.1% |
| 75 and over | 7.0% | 6.9% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Chester County | Delaware County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 76.3% | 63.3% |
| Black or African American | 4.9% | 21.7% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Asian | 6.4% | 6.1% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 0.4% | 0.5% |
| Two or more races | 3.8% | 3.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 8.2% | 4.8% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Chester County | Delaware County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 5.1% | 6.4% |
| High school graduate | 19.3% | 27.2% |
| Some college or associate's | 19.0% | 24.8% |
| Bachelor's degree | 32.9% | 23.5% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 23.7% | 18.1% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Chester County | Delaware County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 66.9% | 66.1% |
| Carpooled | 6.6% | 6.8% |
| Public transit | 1.4% | 6.7% |
| Walked | 1.9% | 3.3% |
| Bicycle | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Worked from home | 21.7% | 15.4% |
| Other means | 1.4% | 1.5% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Chester County | Delaware County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 60.4% | 43.8% |
| 1-unit, attached | 19.1% | 32.0% |
| 2 to 4 units | 4.2% | 8.7% |
| 5 to 19 units | 7.3% | 6.2% |
| 20 or more units | 6.8% | 8.9% |
| Mobile home & other | 2.2% | 0.4% |
Poverty & households
| Chester County | Delaware County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 5.9% | 10.2% |
| Average household size | 2.60 | 2.56 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 27 | 28 |
| Median year structure built | 1983 | 1957 |
Full profiles
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