Western Chester County Economic Development

Study

Technical Working Group PresentationWednesday, November 3, 2010

The Region TodayThe Study Area includes the nine municipalities of the Coatesville School District

Ches

ter C

ount

y

WCC

Reg

ion

0

5

10

15

20

25

%

Population Growth

Demographic Characteristics The population of the region grew from 51,421

residents in 2000 to approximately 64,349 persons today.

That represents a growth rate of just over 25%

A rate much faster than Chester County as a whole

Population Change Reasons for the 25% increase in population

between 2000 and 2010 included the completion of the Route 30 Bypass and the extension of SEPTA Service to Thorndale, coupled with the search by new residents for more affordable housing

Demographic Characteristics Caln and Valley Townships added the most

residents, with both communities increasing by more than 2,000 persons.

Median Household Incomes also rose significantly from $51,640 in 2000 to $67,621 in 2010.

Two municipalities – Valley Township and South Coatesville – saw household incomes increase at a faster pace than those of the County.

Demographic Characteristics Caln Township has a higher median household

income than Chester County at $87,564.

Household Incomes range from the high in Caln Township to median household income in Coatesville at just under $40,000.

Over one quarter of households in the region earned more than $100,000 annually

Economic Characteristics More than 60% of the region’s workforce is

engaged in white collar employment, with a large percentage still employed in the farming industry.

The region generates more than 15,000 jobs with Caln Township and West Brandywine Township providing more than half of them.

Economic Characteristics The mix of jobs in the region reflects very closely

the job mix of Chester County

County Region

Construction 4% 4%

Manufacturing 14% 14% Retail 19% 21%

Services 36% 39%

Finance, Insurance, Real Estate 10% 4%

Other 17% 18%

Economic Characteristics The increase in the median value of homes in the

region was 76% from 2000 to 2010, which was just shy of the County rate of 78%.

Regional unemployment in 2010 is estimated at 8.9%, much less than the most recent (August) national average of 9.6% and lower than the State average (June) of 9.2%. Re

gion

PA Nati

on

8.4

8.6

8.8

9

9.2

9.4

9.6

%

Unemployment Rate

Perceptions and RealityPerceptionCrime and Drugs are a problem

RealityCrime Rates vary by type of crime. Trend data need to be compiled for the Region.

PerceptionSchools are bad

RealityAll schools in the Coatesville School District exceeded the Commonwealth Targets for Math and Reading – many by significant margins.

PerceptionBusiness has migrated out of the area

RealityNew business parks have been developed; new companies are locating in the area; and there are ample locations for new development and redevelopment.

Perceptions and Reality Perception: The Quality of the Workforce is poor. Reality: WCC is comparable in many ways to other regions.

Labor Force Trends, by Job TypeSource: ESRI

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Chester County Caln Township

South Coatesvil le Modena Borough

Coatesvil le Valley Township

West Brandywine Twp Sadsbury Twp

West Caln Twp East Fallowfied Twp

Study Area Reading MSA

Lancaster MSA Phila, Camden,

White Collar Jobs Service Jobs Blue Collar Jobs

Perceptions and Reality Perception: Residents are not well educated Reality: Educational attainment exceeds other jurisdictions in many

categories – and appears to be improving significantly.

JurisdictionLess

than H.SH.S.

DiplomaCollegeDegree

Adv.Degree

Western ChesCo. Region

17.3% 41.3% 13.4% 7.0%

Reading MSA 22.0% 39.4% 12.0% 6.5%

Lancaster MSA 22.7% 38.8% 13.8% 6.7%

Philadelphia MSA 17.6% 31.5% 17.2% 10.5%

CommunicationsStudy Name Options

Western Chester County: “The Future Study”TheFutureStudy.com

Western Chester County 2020 WesternChesterCounty2020.com

Tagline OptionsWestern Chester County: The

Future Study“Growing with Smarts”

Western Chester County: The Future Study“At the Crossroad”

Western Chester County: The Future Study“Choosing Wisely for Tomorrow”

Tagline OptionsWestern Chester County: 2020

“Our Future in Focus”Western Chester County: 2020

“Setting our Sights”Western Chester County: 2020

“Seeing the Vision”

The Website

Public Relations Announcement of Study Meeting with key Members of the Press Announcement of Website Survey Facebook Page Announcement of Public Meetings Ongoing Updates from Public Meetings Ongoing Connection/Links with

Municipalities’ Sites/News Release of Key Recommendations

Summary and Next Steps Additional Background/Issues Research

Transportation, Land Use, Infrastructure Economic Trend Data

Public Launch of Study/Study Process Niche Analysis – The “Wow Factors” Full Background Analysis – December 2010