Chester County vs Montgomery County
A side-by-side comparison of Chester County and Montgomery County: population, income, housing, and more.
Chester County and Montgomery County are counties in Pennsylvania. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Montgomery County has the higher population (861,225 vs 540,896 in Chester County). Chester County has the higher median household income ($123,041 vs $111,521 in Montgomery County). Chester County has the higher median home value ($461,800 vs $409,900 in Montgomery County).
Population, income & housing
| Chester County | Montgomery County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 540,896 | 861,225 |
| Median age | 40.7 yrs | 41.1 yrs |
| Median household income | $123,041 | $111,521 |
| Median home value | $461,800 | $409,900 |
| Median gross rent | $1,691 | $1,612 |
| Housing units | 210,730 | 348,696 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.9% | 71.7% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 56.6% | 52.3% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 4.4% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Chester County | Montgomery County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 519,560 → 540,896 (+4.1%) | 823,823 → 861,225 (+4.5%) |
| Median household income | $100,214 → $123,041 (+22.8%) | $91,546 → $111,521 (+21.8%) |
| Median home value | $357,100 → $461,800 (+29.3%) | $316,100 → $409,900 (+29.7%) |
| Median gross rent | $1,330 → $1,691 (+27.1%) | $1,295 → $1,612 (+24.5%) |
Chester County
519,560540,896
$100,214$123,041
$357,100$461,800
$1,330$1,691
Montgomery County
823,823861,225
$91,546$111,521
$316,100$409,900
$1,295$1,612
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Chester County | Montgomery County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 5.4% | 5.3% |
| 5 to 17 | 16.9% | 16.2% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.0% | 8.0% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.4% | 12.3% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.9% | 13.3% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.1% | 12.7% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.9% | 13.9% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.3% | 10.5% |
| 75 and over | 7.0% | 7.8% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Chester County | Montgomery County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 76.3% | 72.4% |
| Black or African American | 4.9% | 9.1% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Asian | 6.4% | 7.8% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 0.4% | 0.5% |
| Two or more races | 3.8% | 3.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 8.2% | 6.5% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Chester County | Montgomery County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 5.1% | 5.1% |
| High school graduate | 19.3% | 22.0% |
| Some college or associate's | 19.0% | 20.6% |
| Bachelor's degree | 32.9% | 29.2% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 23.7% | 23.0% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Chester County | Montgomery County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 66.9% | 66.6% |
| Carpooled | 6.6% | 6.1% |
| Public transit | 1.4% | 3.0% |
| Walked | 1.9% | 2.0% |
| Bicycle | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Worked from home | 21.7% | 21.1% |
| Other means | 1.4% | 1.0% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Chester County | Montgomery County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 60.4% | 53.6% |
| 1-unit, attached | 19.1% | 20.1% |
| 2 to 4 units | 4.2% | 6.8% |
| 5 to 19 units | 7.3% | 6.5% |
| 20 or more units | 6.8% | 12.1% |
| Mobile home & other | 2.2% | 0.8% |
Poverty & households
| Chester County | Montgomery County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 5.9% | 6.5% |
| Average household size | 2.60 | 2.52 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 27 | 28 |
| Median year structure built | 1983 | 1970 |
Full profiles
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