Chester, Pennsylvania Rental Market Trends

Disclaimer:

Any shifts in rent prices brought forth by the COVID-19 pandemic are not yet reflected in the statistics on this page. Please bear this in mind when referencing the data below, as it may not accurately describe the current context of the Chester, Pennsylvania rental market.

Chester, Pennsylvania

Average Apartment Rent

$1,203

Y-o-Y Change in Average
Apartment Rent

1.9%

As of March 2026

Compared to a year ago, Chester, Pennsylvania apartments have recorded a 1.9% rent increase.

Chester, Pennsylvania Average apartment rent trend

Median Rent Jul 2023 Nov 2023 Mar 2024 Jul 2024 Nov 2024 Mar 2025 Jul 2025 Nov 2025 Mar 2026
Chester $1,194 $1,187 $1,183 $1,236 $1,230 $1,180 $1,174 $1,142 $1,203
National $1,735 $1,724 $1,729 $1,750 $1,743 $1,749 $1,763 $1,749 $1,750
Chester
National
Jul 2023
$1,194
$1,735
Nov 2023
$1,187
$1,724
Mar 2024
$1,183
$1,729
Jul 2024
$1,236
$1,750
Nov 2024
$1,230
$1,743
Mar 2025
$1,180
$1,749
Jul 2025
$1,174
$1,763
Nov 2025
$1,142
$1,749
Mar 2026
$1,203
$1,750

Chester, Pennsylvania Average Apartment Rent

Chester, Pennsylvania Apartment rent ranges

Under $1,000
$1,001 - $1,500
$1,501 - $2,000
$2,001 - $2,500
$2,501 - $3,000
Over $3,000

At 93.71%, apartments priced $1,000 - $1,500 represent the bulk of Chester, Pennsylvania rentals, while condos priced Under $1,000 hold the lowest share of the market – 6.29%.

Chester, Pennsylvania Housing tenure**

Renter occupied housing units 7,728
Owner occupied housing units 4,743

Renters take up 62% of Chester, Pennsylvania real estate, occupying a total of 7,728 units, while homeowners live in 4,743 properties.

Median number of rooms of renter-occupied housing units**

5

Renter median household income**

$30,910

Average household size of renter-occupied housing units**

2.48

Rental vacancy rate**

3.7%

Chester, Pennsylvania Renter-occupied housing units by no. of bedrooms**

No bedrooms 283
1 bed 1,762
2 beds 2,063
3 beds 3,227
4 beds 314
5 or more beds 79

There are 3,227 rentals in Chester, Pennsylvania with 3 beds making up the highest share of the market, at 42%. Units with 5 or more beds, on the other hand, hold the lowest percentage (1%), amounting to 79 units. Overall, the median number of rooms in Chester, Pennsylvania homes for rent is 5.

Chester, Pennsylvania Renter-occupied units by age of householder**

15 - 24 years 558
25 - 34 years 1,807
35 - 44 years 1,239
45 - 54 years 1,060
55 - 59 years 526
60 - 64 years 877
65 - 74 years 1,048
75 - 84 years 421
85 years and over 192

Most condos for rent in Chester, Pennsylvania are occupied by residents in the 25 - 34 years age group (23%), followed by those in the 35 - 44 years age group (16%). At the same time, people in the 85 years and over age group make up the lowest share of the local rental market – 2%.

Chester, Pennsylvania Renter-occupied housing units by family type**

Family households 3,874
Non-Family Households 3,854

Chester, Pennsylvania Renter-occupied housing units by the presence of own children**

With related children of the householder under 18 2,671
No related children of the householder under 18 5,057

A total of 3,874 apartments for rent in Chester, Pennsylvania, or 50% of all rentals are family households. Additionally, 35% of rental homes include children under the age of 18 – that’s 2,671 units. All in all, the median size of a renter-occupied household in Chester, Pennsylvania is 2.48.

Chester, Pennsylvania Renter-occupied housing units by educational attainment**

Less than high school graduate 1,033
High school graduate (including equivalency) 3,814
Some college or associate's degree 2,181
Bachelor's degree or higher 700

In terms of education, renters holding bachelor degrees or higher make up 9% of the rental market. In contrast, residents with less than a high school degree reside in 13% of the homes for rent in Chester, Pennsylvania.

Chester, Pennsylvania Renter-occupied units by year structure built**

Built 2010 - 2019 223
Built 2000 - 2009 290
Built 1990 - 1999 433
Built 1980 - 1989 603
Built 1970 - 1979 633
Built 1960 - 1969 1,169
Built 1950 - 1959 900
Built 1940 - 1949 1,129
Built 1939 or earlier 2,327

The highest share of Chester, Pennsylvania apartment rentals, namely 30% or 2,327 units, were Built 1939 or earlier, followed by those Built 1960 - 1969 (15%, 1,169 units), and the ones Built 1940 - 1949 (15%, 1,129 units).

Chester, Pennsylvania Renter-occupied units by year householder moved in**

Moved in 2021 or later 163
Moved in 2018 to 2020 2,112
Moved in 2010 to 2017 4,161
Moved in 2000 to 2009 801
Moved in 1990 to 1999 385
Moved in 1989 or earlier 106

Median year renter moved into unit 2015

Most Chester, Pennsylvania renters (54%) moved in 2010 to 2017, while only 1% of them moved in 1989 or earlier. Overall, the median year renters have occupied their Chester, Pennsylvania condos for rent is 2015.

Chester, Pennsylvania Renter-occupied housing units by vehicles available**

No vehicle available 3,211
1 vehicle available 3,330
2 vehicles available 941
3 or more vehicles available 246

When it comes to transportation options, 43% of Chester, Pennsylvania renters have 1 vehicle available per household, 42% of them have No vehicle available, and 12% have 2 vehicles available.

Chester, Pennsylvania Means of transportation to work of householders living in renter-occupied housing units**

Car, truck, or van - drove alone 3,912
Car, truck, or van - carpooled 894
Public transportation (excluding taxicab) 995
Walked 482
Taxicab, motorcycle, bicycle, or other means 42
Worked at home 520

Chester, Pennsylvania Geographical mobility in the past year for householders living in renter-occupied housing units**

Same house as 1 year ago 16,279
Moved within same county 1,769
Moved from different county within same state 525
Moved from different state 364

The rental statistics on this page were compiled using data provided by our sister company, Yardi Matrix, an apartment market intelligence solution which offers comprehensive information on all Chester, Pennsylvania apartment buildings 50 units or larger. Yardi Matrix covers ~80% of the U.S. metro area population, including over 80,000 properties and 15.2 million apartments across 124 U.S. markets.

*Average single-family rent calculated from point2homes.com data.

**Data sourced from U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2022 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

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