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Facts about Chester County

According to the 1997 USDA Census of Agriculture for Pennsylvania, a "farm" is defined as any place from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products are produced and sold, or normally would have been sold, during the census year. Chester County has 1,424 farms with an average farm size of 123 acres, accounting for 36.1% of the total area of Chester County. However, this is nearly 50,000 acres less farmland in Chester County than 20 years ago. Seventy-eight percent of all the farms in Chester County are operated by an individual or family (sole proprietorship). Agriculture employs over 6,700 workers in Chester County, and the county ranks second among all Pennsylvania counties in the total market value of agricultural products. Mushrooms, dairy, and nursery products alone grossed over $289 million in market sales.

New housing construction throughout the County consumed an average of three-fourths of an acre per unit. If the trend continues, the average is predicted to be over one acre per unit by the year 2020. The number of persons living in each house is decreasing, however -- from 3.3 persons in 1970 to 2.73 persons per household in 1990. In 1970, 23% of all housing units had eight rooms or more, by 1990 it increased to 35%. Chester County had the highest median housing value in the state in 1990. The percentage of the total County population 65 and over is projected to increase from 10.9% in 1990 to 16.5% in 2020. There is a wide disparity of income levels among pockets of residents. The two poorest school districts have proportionately four times as many residents living below the poverty level as the two most affluent districts. Hispanics are the fastest-growing population segment in the County. Population projections indicate that the Hispanic population will grow by 55% between 1996 and 2006. Chester County residents, more than any other in Southeastern Pennsylvania, are tied to their cars for primary and secondary transportation. Between 1980 and 1990, the County population increased by 59,736 people, and the number of cars increased by 68,840!