Housing Units By Type

Figure 21 — Type of New Housing Units for Chester County (Number) 2010-2025

This table shows the new housing added to county each year based on the type of housing. In most years since 2010, the number of units ranges around 1,500. Since 2010 there has been a shift in which the number of single-family detached units has decreased, while the number of twins and apartments has increased. This is due to a combination of factors, two of which are of key significance. First, properties with large acreage are becoming less common, which means that development is more common on small tracts, which are better suited for attached units. Secondly, higher overall housing costs make attached units more desirable.

Figure 22 — Type of New Housing Units for Chester County (Number by Percent) 2010-2025

This table is based on the same data used in Figure 22. However, this figure shows the percentage for each type. In the early 2010s, apartments were less than 15% of new units. But that percentage grew to almost half by 2016. Apartments percentages fluctuated from 2018 to 2021, but since 2022, they have stabilized, usually representing roughly one third of units added in a given year. In the past four years the distribution of units added annually is approximately one third single-family attached, one third single family attached, and one third multi-family units.

Figure 23 — Type of New Housing Units by Municipality (Number) 2025

This table shows the type of new housing units for each municipality for 2025. The municipalities with the most units were Downingtown (240), West Brandywine (104), West Goshen (104), East Brandywine (87), and East Whiteland (84). Only Downingtown had apartments added in 2025, but there were 240 of them. This shows how a large addition of apartments can significantly impact the total results.

Figure 24 — Type of All Owner-Occupied Units by Municipality (Number) 2025

This table shows the distribution of owner-occupied units (not rental apartments) for each municipality in 2025. The municipalities with the most units were: Tredyffrin (394), West Goshen (271), Phoenixville (265), West Whiteland (265), and East Goshen (259). For all these municipalities, attached townhouses, twins, and condos were quite common. Conversely, in the townships with the least number of units, all these attached type units are scarce or completely absent.

Figure 25 — Type of All Owner-Occupied Units by Municipality (Median Price) 2025

This table presents the median price of different types of owner-occupied units by municipality for 2025. The municipalities with the highest median sales prices were: Easttown ($952,500), Newlin ($940,000), Birmingham ($897,500), Thornbury ($850,000), West Marlborough ($841,000). In these municipalities, detached units are more expensive than attached units. Conversely, in the two municipalities with the lowest median sales, Avondale ($230,000) and Coatesville ($167,000), the attached units are more expensive than the detached units.