Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. West Chester grades B+ overall, 475th among Pennsylvania's 1032 graded towns. It is among the most walkable places in the country. Its public schools beat 90% of Pennsylvania towns on state tests and graduation. What holds it back is price: the typical home is worth about $663K, 7.3 years of the Philadelphia metro’s $91K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 98% of U.S. towns, with 15 places on the National Register. 9% of residents are under 18 in West Chester, where Pennsylvania’s towns sit at 20% and U.S. towns at 22%. On hazard risk, just 92 of Pennsylvania’s 1,751 towns do better. West Chester is home to West Chester University of Pennsylvania.
Where West Chester beats most towns.
Its 15 National Register listings are more than in 98% of Pennsylvania towns with a listing.
Census counts: 374 in 1800, 18,671 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 1891 and 6 maps from 1901 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far West Chester is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for walkability (better than 99% of comparable towns) to D for cost of living (better than 7%), so the B+ overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around West Chester. Close and well known come first.
Big draw25 mi MuseumUSS New Jersey
Big draw24 mi Stadium & arenaLincoln Financial Field
Big draw23 mi Stadium & arenaXfinity Mobile Arena
Big draw24 mi Ancient siteIndependence Hall3.0M visitors a year
Big draw23 mi MuseumEastern State Penitentiary
Big draw26 mi MuseumLynnewood HallUSS New Jersey: Camera Operator: PH3 BRYANT, Public domain · Lincoln Financial Field: The original uploader was Betp at French Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0 · Xfinity Mobile Arena: Jen Smith, CC BY 3.0 · Independence Hall: Mys 721tx, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Eastern State Penitentiary: Davidt8, Public domain · Lynnewood Hall: Shuvaev, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in West Chester, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in West Chester.
West Chester is shaped by its college students and is safe by national standards but not by Pennsylvania’s; it also has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Pennsylvania.
At 7.3 years of the Philadelphia metro’s $91K median household income, the typical home (about $663K) costs more against local pay than in 98% of Pennsylvania towns; that ratio is one input to its D for cost of living.
35% of households own their home in West Chester. The typical West Chester home is worth about $663,000, up 3.4% in a year, more than twice the Pennsylvania typical home. West Chester’s median rent is $1,731 a month.
| West Chester | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 35% | 78% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,731 a month | $1,114 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its A for schools comes with a D for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $663K.
Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Agnes Catholic School PrivateLargest elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 366 | – |
| Riverstone United Christian Academy PrivateLargest high schoolGrades 6–11 | Grades 6–11 | 25 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
1.8 miles of trail in 12 parks and preserves. The trail density in West Chester is 1.0 miles per square mile.
| West Chester | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.0 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.9% | 8.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Everhart Park | 0.6 mi | 11 |
| 2. Marshall Square | 0.6 mi | 5 |
| 3. Hoopes Park | 0.1 mi | 16 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
94 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 10 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 95% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 94 flood insurance claims have been paid out in West Chester.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
West Chester has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 23° and about 31 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
West Chester has about as many jobs (8,577) as working residents, but only 674 people both live and work here.
17% of West Chester workers work from home. The top destinations are West Goshen Township (10%), Philadelphia (9%) and Tredyffrin Township (5%). Half commute less than 13 miles.
| West Chester | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 17% | 12% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 9.1% | 6.3% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Among 1,035 Pennsylvania towns, just 4 have a lower share of adults who have diabetes than West Chester. West Chester beats the Pennsylvania average on 9 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 7. Among 1,035 Pennsylvania towns, just 2 have a lower share of adults who had a checkup this year than West Chester.
| West Chester | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 16% | 17% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 7.1% | 11% | 12% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 73% | 79% | 79% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 24% | 23% |
| What stands out | West Chester | PA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 4.8% | 8.8% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 4.2% | 7.4% |
| More uninsured adults | 9.3% | 5.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
At 20.3 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 76% of Pennsylvania’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 307 to 274 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
15 within 15 miles of the center of West Chester
College town 37 of every 100 West Chester residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
15 places in West Chester on the National Register of Historic Places.
37 notable people were born in West Chester.
Borough in Pennsylvania, US
West Chester is a borough and the county seat of Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. Located in the Philadelphia metropolitan area, the borough had a population of 18,671 at the 2020 census. West Chester is the mailing address for most of its neighboring townships. Much of the West Chester University North Campus and the Chester County government are located within the borough. The center of town is located at the intersection of Gay and High Streets.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with West Chester.
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Chester | #475 | B+ | D | B− | A | B |
| West Goshen Township | #288 | A− | D | B− | A | A |
| East Bradford Township | #184 | A | D | — | A | A |
East Bradford Township reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare West Chester with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. West Chester grades B+ overall, better than 68% of U.S. towns and #475 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades B for health, B− for safety and A for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Pennsylvania has less crime than most states, so among its own towns West Chester sits nearer the middle.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
37 notable people were born here, including Samuel Barber and Matisyahu.
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