The county economy from official statistics, with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Chester County is a county of Pennsylvania with 547,840 residents. Its economy produced $60,160 million in 2024 (ranked #4 of 67 counties) and had 251,284 jobs with an average annual pay of $87,886 (#2 for pay). The unemployment rate was 2.6% in 2026M09. It is part of the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metropolitan area (central county).
Chester County produced about $60,160 million of goods and services in 2024, which is 6.0% of the combined output of the 67 counties of Pennsylvania that BEA reports (about 4.2% of the state's population lives here), and ranks it 4th of 67 on that measure. Per resident that is $109,814, 42% above the state average; the average for all counties of the state taken together is $77,418. In current dollars output grew 5.0% from 2023 to 2024, before adjusting for inflation.
BLS counts 251,284 jobs located in Chester County on average in 2024, spread over 16,598 employer sites (about 15 jobs per site). That is 0.46 jobs for every resident, above the 0.37 of the typical county in Pennsylvania, which tells you whether the county is a place people mostly commute to for work or a place they commute from. The average annual pay per job was $87,886, 27% above the average of all counties in the state ($87,886 against $69,174). Average pay is total wages divided by jobs, so it is pulled up by high earners and counts part-time jobs as whole jobs; it is not the pay of a typical worker. The number of jobs rose 0.1% from 2023 to 2024.
The three largest private industries are health care and social assistance (15.2% of private jobs, $62,161 a year on average), professional and technical services (11.2% of private jobs, $134,278 a year on average), finance and insurance (10.5% of private jobs, $169,683 a year on average). Together they hold 36.9% of private-sector jobs. Among industries with at least 3% of jobs, the best paying is management of companies at $200,740 a year, followed by finance and insurance ($169,683). The county is specialised in several industries: finance and insurance (2.4 times the US share, 23,985 jobs); agriculture, forestry, fishing (2.3 times the US share, 4,734 jobs); management of companies (2.1 times the US share, 8,891 jobs). A location quotient above 1 means an industry employs a larger share of workers here than in the whole country, so these are the industries where local employers compete hardest for skills. Several of the biggest employers pay well below the county average: retail trade ($45,750), accommodation and food services ($26,335). Jobs there are plentiful but the pay is lower than the headline average suggests.
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate in Chester County was 2.6%, 19% below the average of the state's counties (2.6% against 3.2%). The labour force (people working or looking for work) numbered 307,859. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 2.6% (2026M09) to 3.4% (2025M09); the latest month is preliminary and BLS revises it. These county rates are not seasonally adjusted, so compare the same month across years.
The median household income was $127,208 (ACS 2020–2024), 63% above the state median ($127,208 against $77,971). The guide covers 3 cities with this as the main county: West Chester, Phoenixville, Coatesville. Open any of them for rent, home values, commuting and climate. Within the county, median rent runs from $1,471 in Coatesville to $1,735 in Phoenixville, so where you live matters as much as which county you pick.
Counties close to Chester County in output are Allegheny County, Montgomery County, Bucks County, Delaware County. Compare their jobs, pay and unemployment on their own pages.
| Measure ⇅ | Value ⇅ | Rank among the 67 counties of Pennsylvania ⇅ |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 547,840 | 7 of 67 |
| GDP 2024 | $60,160 million | 4 of 67 |
| GDP per resident | $109,814 | 5 of 67 |
| Jobs (QCEW 2024) | 251,284 | 6 of 67 |
| Average annual pay | $87,886 | 2 of 67 |
| Job change vs 2023 | +0.1% | 43 of 67 |
| Unemployment rate (lower is better) | 2.6% | 4 of 67 |
| Median household income | $127,208 | 1 of 67 |
Federal jobs in Pennsylvania (519) →All cities of PennsylvaniaState guide: Pennsylvania
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
Cities of this guide whose main county is Chester County.
| City ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ | Median home value ⇅ | Bachelor's+ ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Chester | 20,666 | $78,385 | $1,731 | $490,700 | 59.1% |
| Phoenixville | 19,452 | $102,138 | $1,735 | $369,600 | 56.9% |
| Coatesville | 13,353 | $59,256 | $1,471 | $194,000 | 19.8% |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 34,721 | 15.2% | $62,161 | 0.96 |
| Professional and technical services | 25,480 | 11.2% | $134,278 | 1.46 |
| Finance and insurance | 23,985 | 10.5% | $169,683 | 2.35 |
| Retail trade | 23,914 | 10.5% | $45,750 | 0.95 |
| Manufacturing | 17,891 | 7.8% | $86,060 | 0.87 |
| Accommodation and food services | 17,379 | 7.6% | $26,335 | 0.76 |
| Construction | 12,590 | 5.5% | $89,906 | 0.95 |
| Administrative and waste services | 11,914 | 5.2% | $63,444 | 0.81 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 9,380 | 4.1% | $42,986 | 1.24 |
| Management of companies | 8,891 | 3.9% | $200,740 | 2.10 |
| Wholesale trade | 8,548 | 3.8% | $117,841 | 0.86 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 7,662 | 3.4% | $60,340 | 0.72 |
| Information | 6,020 | 2.6% | $162,170 | 1.28 |
| Educational services | 5,720 | 2.5% | $49,020 | 1.10 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 5,227 | 2.3% | $33,752 | 1.24 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 4,734 | 2.1% | $50,325 | 2.33 |
| Real estate and rental | 3,129 | 1.4% | $82,624 | 0.80 |
| Utilities | 598 | 0.3% | $171,888 | 0.63 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 128 | 0.1% | $82,768 | 0.13 |
A location quotient above 1 means the industry is more concentrated here than in the US. BLS withholds sectors with too few employers.
| Measure ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Labour force | 307,859 |
| Employed residents | 299,962 |
| Unemployed residents | 7,897 |
| Unemployment rate | 2.6% |
| Jobs located in the county (QCEW) | 251,284 |
| Employer sites | 16,598 |
Residents employed and jobs located here differ: many residents commute to other counties.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP 2024 ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Unemployment ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia County | 1,579,706 | $134,989 million | $85,452 | 714,504 | $83,187 | 4.3% |
| Allegheny County | 1,238,177 | $132,892 million | $107,329 | 670,637 | $78,297 | 3.0% |
| Montgomery County | 867,573 | $110,422 million | $127,277 | 505,821 | $88,412 | 2.7% |
| Bucks County | 647,461 | $48,827 million | $75,413 | 274,632 | $64,953 | 2.9% |
| Delaware County | 579,222 | $42,608 million | $73,561 | 218,536 | $73,172 | 3.3% |
| Lancaster County | 557,931 | $39,951 million | $71,606 | 252,045 | $59,966 | 2.5% |
| Chester County | 547,840 | $60,160 million | $109,814 | 251,284 | $87,886 | 2.6% |
| York County | 462,924 | $28,433 million | $61,421 | 182,614 | $62,427 | 3.0% |
| Berks County | 433,015 | $26,580 million | $61,384 | 173,692 | $63,608 | 3.4% |
| Lehigh County | 378,792 | $31,739 million | $83,789 | 200,548 | $70,311 | 3.5% |
| Westmoreland County | 352,500 | $19,388 million | $55,000 | 129,350 | $56,519 | 2.9% |
| Luzerne County | 327,675 | $20,580 million | $62,808 | 145,190 | $55,901 | 4.1% |
| Northampton County | 318,580 | $20,982 million | $65,860 | 120,976 | $60,298 | 3.3% |
| Dauphin County | 289,593 | $28,909 million | $99,828 | 190,296 | $68,012 | 3.2% |
| Erie County | 269,052 | $15,024 million | $55,840 | 119,552 | $53,524 | 3.2% |
| Cumberland County | 268,323 | $23,098 million | $86,083 | 137,668 | $65,149 | 2.6% |
| Lackawanna County | 216,146 | $13,421 million | $62,094 | 98,108 | $53,720 | 3.4% |
| Washington County | 210,042 | $18,672 million | $88,896 | 87,434 | $72,319 | 3.0% |
| Butler County | 197,254 | $14,518 million | $73,599 | 88,461 | $65,579 | 2.7% |
| Monroe County | 167,515 | $9,563 million | $57,089 | 56,939 | $53,536 | 3.9% |
| Beaver County | 166,324 | $8,033 million | $48,294 | 48,481 | $58,825 | 3.3% |
| Centre County | 158,576 | $11,249 million | $70,938 | 68,578 | $62,822 | 2.6% |
| Franklin County | 157,379 | $8,379 million | $53,238 | 60,414 | $55,554 | 2.8% |
| Lebanon County | 144,186 | $8,097 million | $56,159 | 53,500 | $55,454 | 2.8% |
| Schuylkill County | 143,558 | $6,492 million | $45,221 | 50,294 | $54,134 | 3.9% |
| Cambria County | 131,538 | $6,208 million | $47,197 | 47,545 | $49,791 | 3.4% |
| Fayette County | 125,997 | $5,442 million | $43,194 | 37,892 | $51,069 | 3.7% |
| Blair County | 121,277 | $8,000 million | $65,966 | 58,025 | $53,266 | 2.9% |
| Lycoming County | 113,489 | $7,698 million | $67,834 | 49,795 | $55,535 | 3.1% |
| Mercer County | 109,257 | $5,515 million | $50,475 | 43,239 | $54,120 | 3.3% |
| Adams County | 106,115 | $4,729 million | $44,565 | 33,195 | $54,542 | 2.7% |
| Northumberland County | 90,560 | $4,733 million | $52,266 | 26,979 | $53,035 | 3.1% |
| Lawrence County | 85,024 | $4,200 million | $49,394 | 26,838 | $52,927 | 3.2% |
| Indiana County | 83,042 | $4,202 million | $50,601 | 27,793 | $55,756 | 3.1% |
| Crawford County | 82,716 | $3,665 million | $44,305 | 28,870 | $50,526 | 2.9% |
| Clearfield County | 78,635 | $4,033 million | $51,289 | 29,228 | $51,575 | 3.0% |
| Somerset County | 72,799 | $3,038 million | $41,729 | 23,303 | $50,925 | 2.9% |
| Carbon County | 65,382 | $2,798 million | $42,799 | 16,676 | $44,741 | 3.4% |
| Columbia County | 65,362 | $3,276 million | $50,128 | 24,395 | $50,569 | 3.5% |
| Armstrong County | 64,622 | $2,798 million | $43,291 | 15,650 | $51,796 | 3.1% |
| Pike County | 60,621 | $2,003 million | $33,045 | 12,452 | $44,674 | 3.7% |
| Bradford County | 59,858 | $6,798 million | $113,570 | 22,333 | $60,112 | 2.9% |
| Wayne County | 51,262 | $2,652 million | $51,738 | 15,462 | $52,861 | 3.0% |
| Venango County | 49,801 | $2,149 million | $43,156 | 16,232 | $49,299 | 3.2% |
| Bedford County | 47,513 | $2,041 million | $42,948 | 16,659 | $49,760 | 2.7% |
| Perry County | 46,239 | $1,362 million | $29,448 | 7,903 | $42,701 | 2.7% |
| Mifflin County | 46,041 | $2,340 million | $50,833 | 16,979 | $52,273 | 2.4% |
| Jefferson County | 43,864 | $1,883 million | $42,936 | 14,437 | $49,283 | 3.0% |
| Huntingdon County | 43,653 | $1,677 million | $38,419 | 12,694 | $48,579 | 3.0% |
| Union County | 42,456 | $2,510 million | $59,131 | 17,546 | $58,821 | 2.9% |
| Tioga County | 40,945 | $2,074 million | $50,651 | 12,397 | $50,900 | 3.1% |
| McKean County | 39,904 | $2,212 million | $55,445 | 13,930 | $50,225 | 3.4% |
| Snyder County | 39,668 | $2,202 million | $55,515 | 15,516 | $46,001 | 2.8% |
| Susquehanna County | 38,219 | $2,616 million | $68,448 | 8,955 | $50,769 | 3.0% |
| Warren County | 37,920 | $1,726 million | $45,519 | 12,946 | $51,997 | 2.9% |
| Clinton County | 37,798 | $1,963 million | $51,937 | 12,630 | $52,458 | 3.1% |
| Clarion County | 37,179 | $1,432 million | $38,513 | 12,341 | $47,067 | 3.2% |
| Greene County | 34,835 | $4,624 million | $132,742 | 11,661 | $67,466 | 3.3% |
| Elk County | 30,506 | $1,830 million | $59,989 | 13,348 | $52,545 | 2.8% |
| Wyoming County | 25,967 | $1,866 million | $71,845 | 9,420 | $61,337 | 3.2% |
| Juniata County | 23,379 | $1,025 million | $43,858 | 6,498 | $47,182 | 3.1% |
| Montour County | 18,103 | $2,785 million | $153,827 | 16,945 | $84,031 | 2.4% |
| Potter County | 16,188 | $1,065 million | $65,763 | 4,800 | $51,050 | 3.7% |
| Fulton County | 14,531 | $831 million | $57,195 | 5,395 | $57,966 | 2.6% |
| Forest County | 6,715 | $270 million | $40,167 | 1,873 | $57,723 | 3.3% |
| Sullivan County | 5,888 | $327 million | $55,526 | 1,528 | $41,252 | 2.9% |
| Cameron County | 4,427 | $268 million | $60,521 | 1,636 | $52,577 | 4.3% |
547,840 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024).
$60,160 million in 2024 (BEA, current dollars).
2.6% in 2026M09 (BLS, not seasonally adjusted; the latest month may be revised).
251,284 jobs on average in 2024 with an average annual pay of $87,886 (BLS QCEW).