The typical owner-occupied home in Chester is worth about $83,100, 67% below the Pennsylvania median of $254,500 and 75% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $1,675 a year in property taxes, about 2.02% of their home's value, higher than the Pennsylvania rate of 1.30%. The median household earns $41,342 a year, so the median home costs 2.0 times the median income (3.3 times for Pennsylvania). 40% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 40% of those owners still have a mortgage.
Chester at a glance
| Chester | Pennsylvania | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $83,100 | $254,500 | $332,700 |
| Median property tax paid per year | $1,675 | $3,311 | $3,119 |
| Property tax as a share of value | 2.02% | 1.30% | 0.94% |
| Median household income | $41,342 | $77,971 | $80,734 |
| Homes lived in by their owners | 40% | 69% | 65% |
| Owner homes with a mortgage | 40% | 58% | 61% |
| Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage | $1,157 | $1,762 | $1,963 |
| Those costs as a share of the owners' income | 19.3% | 19.4% | 21.0% |
| Median rent | $1,091 | $1,209 | $1,413 |
| Rent as a share of renters' income | 35.7% | 29.2% | 30.6% |
| Median year homes were built | 1949 | 1965 | 1980 |
| Vacant homes | 16.0% | 9.2% | 10.1% |
| Population | 33,619 | 13,018,639 | 334,922,499 |
What a typical home costs per month in Chester
At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Chester home of $83,100 with 20% down costs about $622 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $760, because the loan is bigger and FHA adds mortgage insurance.
Lenders usually want housing costs under about 28% of gross income, which means an income of roughly $26,646 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 18% of the median Chester household income of $41,342; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $129,000.
The median rent here is $1,091 a month, a little more than the monthly cost of owning the median home with 20% down.
| Down payment | $16,620 |
|---|---|
| Loan amount | $66,480 |
| Principal and interest | $447 |
| Property taxes (2.02% a year) | $140 |
| Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year) | $35 |
| PMI | $0 |
| Total per month | $622 |
Change the numbers in the calculator
| Down payment | $2,908 |
|---|---|
| Loan amount | $81,595 |
| Principal and interest | $549 |
| Property taxes (2.02% a year) | $140 |
| Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year) | $35 |
| FHA mortgage insurance | $37 |
| Total per month | $760 |
Change the numbers in the calculator
Questions about home buying in Chester
What is the median home value in Chester?
About $83,100 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.
How much are property taxes in Chester?
Homeowners pay a median $1,675 a year, which is about 2.02% of the median home value. Your bill depends on your home's assessed value and local rates.
What income do you need to buy a home in Chester?
For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $622 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $26,646 a year.
More about Chester
- Mortgage Refinance in Chester
- Debt Relief in Chester
- Home Equity Loans in Chester
- Guides and quotes for mortgage refinance on our sister site, MortgageRefinance.com
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data