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Renting an Apartment in West Chester
The Borough of West Chester is the county seat of Chester County,
Pennsylvania.GR6
Philadelphia is 25 miles to the east and Wilmington 17 miles to the south.
Valley Forge, the Brandywine Battlefield, Longwood Gardens, and other historical
attractions are near West Chester.
The West Chester University of Pennsylvania is located here. Greek Revival
architecture along High Street earned West Chester the nickname "Athens of the
West".
In 1900, 9,524 people lived here; in 1910, 11,767; in 1920, 11,717; and in 1940,
13,289 lived here. In 2000, the US census recorded 17,861 residents.
History
The area was originally known as Turk's Head, after the Inn of the same name
located in what is now the center of the borough.
West Chester is a town that has been the seat of government in Chester County
since 1786, although it wasn't incorporated until 1799. West Chester was settled
in the early 18th century, principally by members of the Society of Friends. In
the heart of town is its courthouse, a classical revival building designed in
the 1840s by Thomas U. Walter, one of the architects for the Capitol in
Washington, DC. West Chester today is part of the rapidly growing suburban
complex surrounding Philadelphia.
Geography and Climate
West Chester is located at [show location on an interactive map] 39°57′31″N,
75°36′18″W (39.958678, -75.605052).GR1 It is located 25 miles (40 km) west of
Philadelphia and 17 miles (27 km) north of Wilmington, Delaware.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of
4.8 km² (1.8 mi²), all land.
Annual high temperatures average between 38.1 and 85.7 °F, annual low
temperatures average between 19.3 and 63.3 °F, with the record high being 105
°F, and record low being -16 °F.
Annual precipitation averages 45 inches every year, and annual snowfall averages
19.6 inches every year.
Adjacent Municipalities
* West Goshen Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania - north, south, and east
* East Bradford Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania - west
Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 17,861 people, 6,265 households, and
2,662 families residing in the borough. The population density was 3,747.9/km²
(9,703.3/mi²). There were 6,541 housing units at an average density of
1,372.6/km² (3,553.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the borough was 75.44% White,
17.08% African American, 8.94% Hispanic or Latino, 3.64% from other races, 1.46%
Asian, 0.31% Native American, 0.07% Pacific Islander, and 2.00% from two or more
races.
There were 6,265 households out of which 19.1% had children under the age of 18
living with them, 26.8% were married couples living together, 12.1% had a female
householder with no husband present, and 57.5% were non-families. 35.3% of all
households were made up of individuals and 7.8% had someone living alone who was
65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average
family size was 2.95.
In the borough the population was spread out with 13.4% under the age of 18,
37.7% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 13.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.0% who were
65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females
there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.7
males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $37,803, and the median
income for a family was $51,018. Males had a median income of $35,540 versus
$30,819 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $19,073. About
9.8% of families and 21.4% of the population were below the poverty line,
including 17.5% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.