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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 km� (1.8 mi�), 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/km� (9,703.3/mi�). There were 6,541 housing units at an average
density of 1,372.6/km� (3,553.5/mi�). 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.