2023 Economy Dashboard
Posted December 21, 2023
Chester County's annual Economy Report provides a snapshot of relevant information to help guide the county's future growth. As in previous years, the 2023 report highlights the county's strengths and weaknesses in the following six areas: resident characteristics; employment characteristics; business characteristics; gross domestic product; key industrial groups; and real estate characteristics.
When it comes to resident characteristics, Chester County is projected to be the fastest growing county in southeastern PA, with an estimated 99,850 residents to be added by 2050 according to the report. The residents also show a high labor force participation rate, with many working in professional occupations.
Regarding employment characteristics, over half of the county's jobs are in the top five industries: health care; retail; professional and technical services; finance and insurance; and manufacturing. When looking at specific industries, the county has particularly high employment in elementary and secondary schools, along with other financial investment activities, restaurants and eating places, and construction.
The county's top five enterprises with the most employees include Vanguard, the Chester County Hospital, QVC, Main Line Hospitals, Inc., and the County of Chester. Additionally, the report notes that the county has nearly 15,000 private and public establishments, and 14 of these establishments have over 1,000 employees.
In terms of gross domestic product, the county's top industries include information, professional and scientific services, real estate and rental leasing, and finance and insurance.
While the key industrial groups identified by the Chester County Economic Development Council aren't necessarily the largest industries in the county, they are critical for a variety of reasons. They include: Education; Finance; Information Technology; Manufacturing; Agriculture & Food Production; Energy; Health Care; Life Science; and Tourism and Hospitality.
Overall, the report indicates that Chester County has a very strong economy which will help the county continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The annual report is prepared by the Chester County Planning Commission with assistance from the Chester County Economic Development Council and other organizations.