East Whiteland Township recorded the highest population growth in Pennsylvania between July 2020 and July 2021, writes Michael P. Rellahan for the Daily Local News. 

Over that period, 866 people moved to the municipality, providing it with a 5.9 percent growth rate — the highest in the state. 

However, for some of the longtime residents, news of the township’s population growth does not come as a surprise. 

“I think that a large part of the reason is the quality of life,” said Richard Orlow, vice chairman of the Board of Supervisors. “It is very accessible. It has everything you want. You can get anywhere very easily. And we’re not overwhelmed with retail clusters like Exton of King of Prussia.” 

The availability of new homes and their affordability due to lower interest rates is one of the factors that influenced the population growth, according to Orlow. 

“We have a good mix of all kinds of housing units,” he said. 

East Whiteland currently has a population of 14,768, making it the eighth largest-populated municipality in Chester County. Of the 72 municipalities in the county, 42 saw increases over the given period while 30 experienced reductions. 

Read more about East Whiteland Township in the Daily Local News.