Walkable suburbs and neighborhoods are currently all the rage in the real estate world as developers rush to add foot-friendly amenities to car-centric places. Meanwhile, towns in the Philadelphia region, including those in Chester County, were built for strolling in the first place, according to Philadelphia magazine. 

According to Walk Score, a real estate industry standard that measures the walkability of places based on the distance to amenities such as grocery stores, schools, parks, restaurants, and shops, West Chester is one of Philadelphia’s 14 most-walkable suburbs. 

The home of the Chester County government and West Chester University received a high Walk Score of 94. 

This is due in big part to its lively downtown that boasts around two dozen bars and close to 75 restaurants, coffee shops, and cafes. There are also 65 all-local shops and services, along with a producer-run food market and a community-run grocery co-op. 

The median home sale price in West Chester is $390,000, but there are also plenty of options to rent as 63 percent of the borough’s households rent. The average apartment rent is $1,758 a month. 

Read more about the most-walkable suburbs in Philadelphia magazine. 

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in September 2022.