LOCATION: Southeastern part of Pennsylvania; 30 miles west of Philadelphia; surrounded by Delaware, Montgomery, Berks and Lancaster counties in PA and bordering the states of Delaware and Maryland to the south. Recreation venues stretch to the Jersey shore, Maryland's Eastern Shore, the Chesapeake Bay and the Pocono Mountains which are just a 2 hour drive away.
ECONOMY: The county is healthy economically, with over 9,300 businesses and a labor force of almost 197,000. Traditionally, the unemployment rate has been the lowest in the surrounding five-county area and median family income ranks Second Highest among Pennsylvania's 67 counties (according to recent U.S. Dept.. of Commerce analysis/census).
TOPOGRAPHY: It is an area of gentle to steeply rolling countryside, sloping southeasterly to the coastal plain and Atlantic Ocean. The major streams are the Schuylkill River and Brandywine Creek, which drain more than 60% of the county and flow to the southeast.
CLIMATE: Average annual temperature: 52 to 54 degrees; Avg.. January temperature: 33F; Avg.. July temperatures: 75F. Annual precipitation: Rainfall -- 20", Snowfall -- 25".
LAND AREA:758 square miles
POPULATION: 376,000+ (1990 census)
COUNTY SEAT: West Chester
MUNICIPALITIES: 73 (Largest municipality: Tredyffrin)
PARKS & RECREATION: Nearly 10,000 acres
LIBRARIES: 16, with a total of 27 branches
BANKS: 32, with a total of 123 branches
MEDIAN INCOME: Individual: $20,601 Family: $52,325
HOUSEHOLD SIZE: 2.73 people
MEDIAN AGE: 33.8 years
HOUSING UNITS: Approximately 140,000
LABOR FORCE: 196,000+
ESTABLISHED BUSINESSES 9,395