The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) recently announced their new population and employment forecasts for the region through 2050. While not experiencing quite as much growth as forecasted in the past, Chester County continues to grow at a significant rate, leading the region in both number of residents added, as well as percentage growth.

The new forecasts replace DVRPC’s previous 2045 forecasts, and include a population estimate of 645,673 residents by the year 2050 – a growth rate of 25.4%. When it comes to employment in Chester County, the new forecast anticipates 373,664 workers by 2050 – a growth rate of 23.5%. Despite the county’s significant growth rates, the overall region is seeing much slower growth, with an expected population growth of 7.6% and an employment growth rate of 6.9% by 2050.

Through initiatives found in Landscapes3, the county has implemented good planning and smart growth strategies to help communities accommodate this growth and continue to preserve Chester County’s character.

The Planning Commission’s Senior Demographer, Jake Michael, and Senior Housing & Economic Planner, Libby Horwitz, presented these new 2050 forecasts at the Chester County Planning Commission’s July Board Meeting. The forecasts were developed by DVRPC staff in collaboration with planning staff throughout the member counties and cities.

To learn more about Chester County’s recent population and demographics data, visit the Planning Commission’s data, maps, and reports at https://www.chescoplanning.org/resources/data.cfm.