You might have missed a fantastic compliment to Chester County that appeared recently in an article in the New York Times.

I would have missed it myself if it hadn’t landed in my inbox via VISTA Today. A study showed that just growing up in Chester County provides a distinct advantage to young people, which shows up at age 26 as significantly higher wages.

The study assessed many U.S. counties (Lancaster County did well, too). Chester County young people are earning more ($2,000+) per year than those who grew up in 74 percent of the counties studied.

Why? The study gives the answers, which are known to anyone who is raising or has raised a child in Chester County:

• A high percentage of two-parent households
• High employment rate
• Low crime rate
• Good schools, public services and community activities

Let me share what this meant for our family. Our son, Nick Parrotta, grew up in a stable home, with friends who were growing up in stable homes. The parents had good jobs. No one lived in fear at home, school or work, or in between.

Nick and his friends had access to a good education at the public schools, and numerous benefits like libraries, after school programs, sports and community activities.

Here is the outcome for Nick: His Octorara School District education landed him in the Ivy League (shoutout to University of Pennsylvania). Both Octorara and Penn offered Nick opportunities and experiences that prepared him for a career in the “big world.”

Today he is a well-compensated mechanical engineer for Tesla Motors , the cutting edge manufacturer of electric cars.

Nick’s friends from Octorara School District also are well-educated and working for great employers that include Vanguard, BASF, CHOP, and PECO. I would bet that parents from all the Chester County school districts can provide similar success stories!

You might say, “Sure, it’s easy for affluent Chester County kids to grow up and be a success.” First, not all of these kids came from affluent homes. Second, the study shows that even poor kids in Chester County grow up to get higher-paying jobs by age 26.

The bottom line is that environment is a huge factor in how kids grow up and succeed as adults. It truly takes a village to raise a child. Aren’t we the lucky ones to have Chester County as our “village,” and now a national spotlight that validates what we’ve known in our hearts?

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Judith Lee is a marketing and communications professional who focuses on social media and email marketing based in Atglen. She is a SCORE Volunteer and the Chair-Elect of the Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce. Her posts on marketing and social media are a regular Monday morning feature on VISTA Today. She can be reached at 610-368-2058 or via email at judithlee@epix.net.