Chester County vs Lancaster County
Two neighbouring counties in Pennsylvania, compared on population, size, income and housing. They share 48 mi of border.
Chester County
Pennsylvania
Lancaster County
Pennsylvania
Both outlines are drawn at true relative size. Lancaster County spans about 69.7 km at its widest.
Side by side
| Measure | Chester County | Difference | Lancaster County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 557,116 | -1.1% | 563,159 |
| Change since 2020 | 4.2% | +2.3 pp | 1.9% |
| Land area | 750.6 sq mi | -20.5% | 943.9 sq mi |
| Population density | 742 per sq mi | +24.3% | 597 per sq mi |
| Median household income | $127,208 | +46.3% | $86,959 |
| Median home value | $485,600 | +61.3% | $301,100 |
| Median age | 40.8 | +3.6% | 39.4 |
| Households | 204,774 | -3.7% | 212,748 |
| Housing units | 212,491 | -3.1% | 219,224 |
Sources: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025 Population Estimates, released 26 March 2026; US Census Bureau, Gazetteer Files, 2025 Gazetteer Files, released 10 September 2025; US Census Bureau, American Community Survey, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates, released 29 January 2026; US Census Bureau, County Adjacency File, 2025 County Adjacency File, released 15 September 2025. The difference column is computed here: the first county's figure against the second, expressed as a percentage of the second. The change-since-2020 row is the exception: two growth rates differ in percentage points (pp), not percent. Retrieved 30 August 2026.
What the numbers say
- Lancaster County holds slightly more than the population of Chester County: 563,159 against 557,116.
- Lancaster County covers more ground, at 943.9 square miles against 750.6.
- Chester County is the more crowded of the two, at 742 people per square mile against 597.
- Median household income is higher in Chester County, by 40,249 dollars a year.
- Since 2020, Chester County has grown by 4.2% and Lancaster County has grown by 1.9%.
- They share 48 mi of common border, which the Census Bureau publishes in its county adjacency file and which almost no other county reference presents.
Full pages
Want a different pair? Compare any two of the 3,144 US counties.
Rebuilt from source data 30 August 2026. How these figures are produced.