• county
  • FIPS 42029
  • Largest town: West Chester

Chester County, Pennsylvania

Chester County had 560,745 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 750.6 square miles of land. It ranks 7th of 67 in Pennsylvania by population and 28th by land area.

Population
560,745
#7 of 67 in Pennsylvania · #128 in US
Area
750.6 sq mi
#28 of 67 in Pennsylvania · #1,175 in US
Density
747 / sq mi
#8 of 67 in Pennsylvania · #206 in US
Median household income
$120,925
#1 of 67 in Pennsylvania · #37 in US

Census Vintage 2024 estimates · SAIPE 2023 income · 2024 Gazetteer land area

Chester County within Pennsylvania. Pin: Harrisburg.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Chester County

Chester County population, land area and income

Chester County had 560,745 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 750.6 square miles of land. It ranks 7th of 67 in Pennsylvania by population and 28th by land area. That works out to 747.1 people per square mile, 7.8 times the US average of 96.3, and in the top tenth nationally.

The median county-equivalent in Pennsylvania has 82,953 residents, so Chester County is 6.8 times that size.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $120,925 is in the top tenth among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

560,745

3144th1st

128th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

751 sq mi

3144th1st

1175th of 3,144 (US)

Density

747.1 / sq mi

3144th1st

206th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$120,925

3143rd1st

37th of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Pennsylvania (67)

Population

560,745

67th1st

7th of 67 (PA)

Land area

751 sq mi

67th1st

28th of 67 (PA)

Density

747.1 / sq mi

67th1st

8th of 67 (PA)

Median household income

$120,925

67th1st

1st of 67 (PA)

How Chester County's population changed since 2020

Chester County gained 25,885 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a rise of 4.8%. That ranks 3rd of 67 in Pennsylvania for growth. The median Pennsylvania county changed by -0.5%, and the state as a whole by +0.6%.

Since the April 2020 estimates base, Chester County recorded 23,557 births and 18,770 deaths, a natural change of +4,787. Net international migration added +10,012 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +11,413. The largest single component was domestic migration, which added 11,413 people.

534.9k2020541.0k2021547.2k2022555.3k2023560.7k2024
Census Vintage 2024 county estimates for July 1 of each year. The axis starts above zero so year-to-year changes are visible.

Components of change, April 2020 to July 2024

Births
23,557
Deaths
18,770
Net international migration
+10,012
Net domestic migration
+11,413
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+5,435

Where Chester County is

The Census internal point of Chester County is at 39.974000, -75.749800. It sits in UTM zone 18N. The map shades Pennsylvania's 67 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with Chester County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

Adams County: +4.0%Potter County: -2.4%Sullivan County: +1.6%Bucks County: +0.6%Carbon County: +1.5%McKean County: -2.3%Montour County: -0.1%Fulton County: -0.9%Columbia County: +2.0%Cameron County: -4.1%Elk County: -2.6%Bradford County: -0.4%Bedford County: +0.1%York County: +3.2%Monroe County: -1.1%Forest County: -5.2%Berks County: +2.4%Cambria County: -2.3%Franklin County: +2.1%Snyder County: -0.3%Somerset County: -2.5%Clarion County: -0.9%Indiana County: -0.2%Lackawanna County: +0.6%Wyoming County: -1.0%Lawrence County: -2.0%Mercer County: -2.2%Lehigh County: +3.0%Northampton County: +3.3%Cumberland County: +5.9%Fayette County: -3.6%Jefferson County: -2.5%Centre County: +1.2%Lebanon County: +1.4%Union County: -1.2%Clinton County: +1.3%Chester County: +4.8%Montgomery County: +2.6%Wayne County: +0.5%Pike County: +6.5%Susquehanna County: -0.6%Allegheny County: -1.4%Clearfield County: -2.9%Butler County: +2.7%Beaver County: -1.4%Crawford County: -2.1%Washington County: +0.5%Venango County: -1.7%Warren County: -3.0%Blair County: -2.0%Huntingdon County: -1.6%Lancaster County: +1.9%Luzerne County: +1.9%Westmoreland County: -1.0%Juniata County: -0.4%Armstrong County: -2.7%Tioga County: -0.8%Delaware County: +1.4%Northumberland County: -1.7%Mifflin County: -0.5%Lycoming County: -0.8%Perry County: +2.1%Philadelphia County: -1.7%Schuylkill County: +1.1%Dauphin County: +2.2%Greene County: -5.3%Erie County: -1.1%
Change 2020 to 2024
  1. < -2.2%
  2. < -1.0%
  3. < +0.1%
  4. < +1.9%
  5. ≥ +1.9%
no data

Orange pin: Chester County internal point. Dark pin: Harrisburg.

Internal point

Decimal
39.974000, -75.749800
DMS
39°58'26.40"N 75°44'59.28"W
UTM
18N 435972.7E 4425140.6N
Geohash
dr45km09m
Plus code
87F6X7F2+H3

Towns in Chester County

15 incorporated places of 1,000+ people have residents in Chester County, 99,373 people together, or 18% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Chester County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is West Chester with 22,758.

  1. 01West Chester22,758
  2. 02Phoenixville20,286
  3. 03Coatesville13,390
  4. 04Downingtown8,463
  5. 05Kennett Square6,713
  6. 06Oxford5,909
  7. 07Parkesburg3,984
  8. 08Spring City3,925
  9. 09Malvern3,454
  10. 10West Grove2,831
  11. 11Honey Brook1,915
  12. 12South Coatesville1,747
  13. 13Elverson1,404
  14. 14Atglen1,320
  15. 15Avondale1,274
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Chester County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 6 neighbors for Chester County, including 2 across a state line. The most populous is Montgomery County, PA, with 879,190 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Harrisburg and the nearest big city

Harrisburg is 63.2 miles WNW of Chester County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Philadelphia, PA (population 1,573,916), 32.7 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Coatesville, PA (population 13,390), 3.7 miles away.

Chester County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Chester County is 42029: state code 42 for Pennsylvania plus county code 029. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $120,925.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Chester County, Pennsylvania?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 560,745. That is up 25,885 people (4.8%) from the July 2020 estimate of 534,860.

What is the FIPS code of Chester County?

42029. The first two digits (42) are Pennsylvania; the last three (029) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Chester County?

West Chester, with 22,758 residents inside Chester County in 2024.

Which counties border Chester County?

6 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Montgomery County, PA; New Castle County, DE; Delaware County, PA; Lancaster County, PA; Berks County, PA; Cecil County, MD.

Sources and data as of

Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.

  1. 01Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
  2. 02Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
  3. 03Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
  4. 04Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
  5. 05Census 2024 county adjacency file
  6. 06Census 2024 cartographic boundary file, counties (1:5,000,000)

How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.