Chester County · Pennsylvania · Northeast · 21k residents
West Chester, PA: economy, jobs & business costs
The site-selection read on West Chester: labor costs, talent, corporate tax, energy, and business activity, with the Pennsylvania median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.
Average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,746/wk. Pennsylvania's corporate income tax rate is 7.99%. Commercial electricity averages 11.0¢/kWh.
Compare West Chester side by side
Avg. weekly wage
$1,746/wk
Corporate income tax
7.99%
Bachelor's degree or higher
59.1%
Commercial electricity
11.0¢/kWh
Economic momentum
How fast West Chester's economy is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
46/100
Steady
Ranks West Chester's residential building-permit and jobs growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. This is economic activity, not commercial lease rates or vacancy. Not investment or relocation advice.
| ACS median home value | $490,700 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $175 |
| Property tax rate | 1.5% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $1,629/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,804/mo |
| State & local income tax | 4.57% |
| Sales tax | 6.34% |
| Corporate income tax | 7.99% |
| Avg. weekly wage | $1,746/wk |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 59.1% |
| Commercial electricity | 11.0¢/kWh |
| Businesses per 1k residents | 30.0/1k |
| Wage: Software developer | $133,040 |
| Wage: Registered nurse | $101,180 |
| Wage: General manager | $121,630 |
| Wage: Customer service | $47,070 |
| Wage: Warehouse worker | $36,800 |
| Wage: Heavy truck driver | $59,370 |
| Wage: Electrician | $74,590 |
| Wage: Retail salesperson | $34,810 |
| Cost of living index | 112 |
| Groceries index | 100 |
| Utilities | $180/mo |
| Transit pass | $96/mo |
| Gas price | $3.45/gal |
| Healthcare index | 100 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,150/mo |
| Median household income | $78,385 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% |
| Population | 21k |
| Crime index | 40/100 |
| School rating | 6.3/10 |
| Walkability | 30/100 |
| Disaster risk | 92/100 |
| Avg. commute | 27 min |
| Sunny days / year | 180 days |
| July high | 86°F |
| January low | 20°F |
| Annual snowfall | 31 in |
| Home price YoY | +2.7% |
| Home price MoM | +0.4% |
| Rent YoY | +4.6% |
| Rent MoM | +0.3% |
| Employment (jobs) YoY | +0.9% |
| Building permits YoY | -50.0% |
| Ocean coast | 76 mi |
| Big lake | 154 mi |
| Mountains | 75 mi |
| Major airport | 20 mi |
| Ski resort | 75 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Phoenixville, PA · 19k
- King of Prussia, PA · 26k
- Chester, PA · 34k
- Drexel Hill, PA · 30k
- Norristown, PA · 36k
Similar size
- Murrysville, PA · 21k
- Baldwin, PA · 21k
- New Castle, PA · 22k
- Carlisle, PA · 22k
- Allison Park, PA · 22k
Real listings in West Chester
LoopNet ↗Crexi ↗CommercialCafe ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- Is West Chester a good place to run a business?
- Pennsylvania's corporate income tax rate is 7.99%; average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,746/wk; commercial electricity averages 11.0¢/kWh. Weigh these against your own priorities in the business comparison tool.
- What is the cost of living in West Chester, PA?
- West Chester indexes at 112 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,804/mo and a acs median home value of $490,700.
- How much does a house cost in West Chester?
- The acs median home value in West Chester is $490,700 (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in West Chester?
- A two-bedroom in West Chester rents for about $1,804/mo.