County profile · Pennsylvania
Chester County, PA market data
Population, household spending and competition for 56 business types in Chester County, each scored against other counties.
- Population, 2025
- 557,116
- +4.2% since 2020
- Households
- 204,774
- Median household income
- $127,208
- +26.9% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Median home value
- $485,600
- Jobs located here
- 267,811
- Highest market score
- 88
- Convenience stores, #54 of 2,261 scored counties
A site report maps the competitors on map listings around any address in Chester County by name and distance, and the households and spending within reach. Or open the report at the center of Chester County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
An estimated 557,116 people live in Chester County, in 204,774 households. Population estimates put the population change in Chester County from 2020 to 2025 at +4.2%, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). The median household income in Chester County is $127,208 a year, 58% above the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 26.9% from the 2015–2019 survey, before inflation.
Set against the U.S., households in Chester County spend the most on child care and other personal services (an index of 158, where 100 is the U.S. average) and the least on gasoline and other fuels (86).
The highest Groundwork market scores in Chester County are for convenience stores (88), laundromats (87) and grocery and convenience stores (86). Chester County ranks #54 of 2,261 scored counties for convenience stores.
Chester County is part of the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington metro area. For its number of households, Chester County has the most map listings, relative to the U.S., for landscaping and lawn care companies (96% above the U.S. rate) and the fewest for gas stations (54% below the U.S. rate).
All 56 business types in Chester County
Highest Groundwork market score first. Each score compares Chester County with other counties for that business type, from 0 to 100. Spending per listing divides a whole spending line (all vehicle repairs, all eating out) by one type’s listings: the demand for each competitor, not a business’s revenue. Compare it across markets with its index, where 100 is the U.S. figure for the same type; the real estate types, whose line is all housing costs, show the index only. How the score works.
| Business type | Score | Rank among counties | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Spending per listing vs. U.S. (100) | Official establishments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Convenience stores | 88 | #54 of 2,261 | 123 | 6.0 | $13.1M | 167 | 35 |
| Laundromats | 87 | #23 of 785 | 21 | 1.0 | $28.7M | 230 | 10 |
| Grocery and convenience stores | 86 | #88 of 2,402 | 327 | 16.0 | $4.9M | 146 | 101 |
| Fast food and sandwich shops | 85 | #51 of 2,222 | 155 | 7.6 | $6.9M | 225 | 336 |
| Grocery stores | 84 | #123 of 2,070 | 126 | 6.2 | $12.8M | 138 | 66 |
| Oil change and quick lube | 81 | #5 of 479 | 9 | 0.4 | $23.4M | 171 | 8 |
| Clothing and shoe stores | 80 | #157 of 2,087 | 244 | 11.9 | $2.5M | 195 | 87 |
| Urgent care and walk-in clinics | 78 | #12 of 325 | 8 | 0.4 | $38.9M | 159 | 14 |
| Roofing and gutters | 77 | #71 of 1,177 | 70 | 3.4 | $11.9M | 141 | 41 |
| Restaurants and cafes | 77 | #199 of 2,405 | 1,940 | 94.7 | $549K | 148 | 829 |
| Pest control | 76 | #46 of 699 | 29 | 1.4 | $11.6M | 113 | 19 |
| Electricians | 75 | #94 of 1,160 | 60 | 2.9 | $13.9M | 116 | 131 |
| Clothing, shoes and laundry | 75 | #240 of 2,210 | 366 | 17.9 | $1.6M | 187 | 139 |
| Pizza | 74 | #201 of 2,090 | 203 | 9.9 | $5.2M | 103 | 336 |
| Coffee shops and cafes | 74 | #205 of 2,063 | 189 | 9.2 | $5.6M | 152 | 120 |
| Sit-down restaurants | 74 | #272 of 2,405 | 1,074 | 52.4 | $991K | 149 | 372 |
| Gas stations | 74 | #280 of 2,358 | 103 | 5.0 | $4.4M | 186 | 111 |
| Property management | 73 | #110 of 910 | 49 | 2.4 | Index only | 167 | 103 |
| Home inspectors | 72 | #46 of 415 | 10 | 0.5 | Index only | 173 | 17 |
| Funeral homes | 72 | #203 of 1,472 | 42 | 2.1 | $739K | 109 | 20 |
| Child care and preschools | 72 | #211 of 1,611 | 147 | 7.2 | $1.3M | 128 | 138 |
| Tire shops | 72 | #227 of 1,530 | 60 | 2.9 | $3.5M | 140 | 32 |
| Home repair trades | 69 | #242 of 2,057 | 294 | 14.4 | $2.8M | 117 | 392 |
| Optometrists and eye care | 67 | #268 of 1,302 | 94 | 4.6 | $3.3M | 106 | 37 |
| Hair salons | 67 | #385 of 2,339 | 404 | 19.7 | $652K | 151 | 188 |
| HVAC and plumbing | 66 | #306 of 1,707 | 164 | 8.0 | $5.1M | 107 | 220 |
| Spas and skin care | 66 | #332 of 1,769 | 193 | 9.4 | $1.4M | 156 | 59 |
| Primary care and pediatrics | 65 | #376 of 1,656 | 152 | 7.4 | $2M | 115 | 281 |
| Nail salons | 63 | #327 of 1,328 | 116 | 5.7 | $2.3M | 136 | 81 |
| Chiropractors | 63 | #384 of 1,490 | 123 | 6.0 | $2.5M | 106 | 78 |
| Gyms | 63 | #424 of 1,792 | 209 | 10.2 | $1.4M | 110 | 103 |
| Bakeries and dessert shops | 63 | #456 of 1,889 | 236 | 11.5 | $4.5M | 109 | 135 |
| Barbershops | 62 | #404 of 1,356 | 105 | 5.1 | $2.5M | 133 | 23 |
| Car washes and detailing | 61 | #442 of 1,451 | 85 | 4.2 | $2.5M | 99 | 33 |
| Salons, barbers and spas | 61 | #607 of 2,385 | 838 | 40.9 | $314K | 148 | 359 |
| House cleaning | 60 | #242 of 847 | 52 | 2.5 | $6.5M | 101 | 146 |
| Martial arts and dance studios | 59 | #405 of 1,334 | 141 | 6.9 | $2.1M | 105 | 106 |
| Mortgage brokers and lenders | 56 | #316 of 887 | 106 | 5.2 | Index only | 110 | 54 |
| Gyms, studios and classes | 56 | #778 of 2,088 | 443 | 21.6 | $674K | 102 | 209 |
| Real estate agents and brokers | 53 | #907 of 2,176 | 706 | 34.5 | Index only | 118 | 237 |
| Auto repair and car care | 52 | #1,132 of 2,401 | 757 | 37.0 | $279K | 104 | 387 |
| Real estate | 51 | #1,048 of 2,229 | 871 | 42.5 | Index only | 120 | 472 |
| Physical therapy | 50 | #722 of 1,422 | 151 | 7.4 | $2.1M | 86 | 117 |
| Doctors, dentists and clinics | 50 | #1,194 of 2,394 | 1,809 | 88.3 | $172K | 113 | 787 |
| Dry cleaners | 49 | #276 of 507 | 43 | 2.1 | $14M | 90 | 42 |
| Collision repair and body shops | 48 | #704 of 1,327 | 78 | 3.8 | $2.7M | 88 | 72 |
| Yoga, Pilates and fitness studios | 47 | #450 of 777 | 93 | 4.5 | $3.2M | 79 | 103 |
| Auto repair shops | 47 | #1,333 of 2,378 | 486 | 23.7 | $434K | 98 | 306 |
| Dentists and orthodontists | 46 | #1,107 of 1,886 | 316 | 15.4 | $985K | 100 | 260 |
| Pet stores | 43 | #604 of 974 | 49 | 2.4 | $3.6M | 80 | 28 |
| Lawn, cleaning and pest control | 43 | #1,142 of 1,771 | 274 | 13.4 | $1.2M | 73 | 577 |
| Landscaping and lawn care | 42 | #947 of 1,493 | 193 | 9.4 | $1.7M | 59 | 412 |
| Pet grooming and boarding | 41 | #940 of 1,461 | 109 | 5.3 | $1.6M | 64 | 71 |
| Pet businesses | 41 | #1,481 of 2,200 | 308 | 15.0 | $576K | 66 | 194 |
| Veterinarians | 40 | #988 of 1,485 | 107 | 5.2 | $1.7M | 61 | 95 |
| Insurance agencies | 28 | #1,880 of 2,272 | 388 | 18.9 | $914K | 73 | 280 |
Household spending in Chester County
What households here spend in a year on each line, in total and per household, with the index against the U.S. average (100).
| Spending line | A year, all households | Per household | Index vs. U.S. (100) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle maintenance and repairs | $211M | $1,031 | 108 |
| Gasoline and other fuels | $456.2M | $2,228 | 86 |
| Food away from home | $1.1B | $5,197 | 128 |
| Groceries | $1.6B | $7,891 | 125 |
| Personal care products and services | $263.3M | $1,286 | 128 |
| Child care and other personal services | $188.4M | $920 | 158 |
| Memberships, classes and admissions | $298.6M | $1,458 | 148 |
| Medical and dental services | $311.3M | $1,520 | 118 |
| Pets | $177.4M | $866 | 95 |
| Clothing, shoes and related services | $603.7M | $2,948 | 143 |
| Vehicle insurance | $354.5M | $1,731 | 88 |
| Home repairs, maintenance and insurance | $834.5M | $4,075 | 135 |
| Lawn care, cleaning and other household services | $335.8M | $1,640 | 116 |
| Rent and homeowner costs | $4.5B | $22,178 | 133 |
Household spending is estimated from the incomes of the households in each neighborhood, using what households at each income spent nationally in 2024, adjusted for the region. It counts what residents spend, wherever they spend it.
Population and households in Chester County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 557,116+4.2% since 2020
- Households
- 204,774
- Median age
- 41.9
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 75%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.9
- Land area
- 751 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 730
- Median household income
- $127,208+26.9% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $168,836
- Median home value
- $485,600
- Jobs located here
- 267,811
- Daytime population
- 548,659Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Chester County?
These figures cover the whole county. A site report draws rings around one address and counts what’s inside them: households, spending, jobs, and the competitors on map listings by name and distance, for any of the 56 business types.
Or open the report at the center of Chester County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardRelated markets
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- Lehigh County, PA378,792 people
- Lebanon County, PA144,186 people
Questions
How fast is Chester County, PA growing?
Population estimates put Chester County at 557,116 people in 2025, up 4.2% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 204,774 households. Against the 2015–2019 survey, median household income rose 26.9%, before inflation.
How much do households in Chester County, PA spend?
Households in Chester County spend about $4.5B a year on rent and homeowner costs, $1.6B on groceries and $1.1B on food away from home. Relative to the U.S., household spending in Chester County runs highest on child care and other personal services (an index of 158, where 100 is the U.S. average) and lowest on gasoline and other fuels (86).
Which business types have the highest market scores in Chester County, PA?
Of the business types scored in Chester County, convenience stores (88), laundromats (87) and grocery and convenience stores (86) have the highest Groundwork market scores. For convenience stores, that ranks #54 of 2,261 scored counties.
How does Chester County, PA compare with the U.S.?
Median household income in Chester County is $127,208, 58% above the U.S. median of $80,734. The population rose 4.2% from 2020 to 2025, against +3.1% for the U.S. The median home value is $485,600, against $332,700 for the U.S. Against the U.S., map listings per household run highest for landscaping and lawn care companies (96% above the U.S. rate) and lowest for gas stations (54% below the U.S. rate).
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. All 56 business types have a score in Chester County, each ranked against other counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Chester County. It maps the competitors on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
All markets in Pennsylvania · Every U.S. market · How we measure
Screening a site or an acquisition in Chester County?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
The button opens the report at the center of Chester County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.