What The Median Two-Bedroom Rent Gets You in West Chester

TREND image via Classic Real Estate of Chester County

Each month, the apartment search site Apartment List releases rent trend data for apartments in metropolitan areas across the country, including Philadelphia. As its database for analysis includes more apartments than any of the others (not just those listed on Apartment List) and its methodology also uses Census Bureau data, we consider it the most accurate guide to where the rental market is headed here. (If you want to dive into the details, you can read this.)

Each month’s rent report also includes a breakdown of selected submarkets in the region with median two-bedroom rents. We thought you might be interested in finding out what you can get for the median two-bedroom rent in those submarkets. Today, we start with the most expensive one: West Chester, where Apartment List pegs the median rent for a two-bedroom apartment at $1,580 per month as of June.

We looked at apartments renting in a range that ran roughly $100 in either direction from that figure: specifically, $1,500 to $1,700 per month. The good news is, that amount gets you some really nice apartments, whether standalone homes or condos or units in apartment communities. The properties below are presented in descending rent order, with complexes listed according to rent for the least expensive apartment:

226 Price St. (above) | 3 beds, 2 baths, 1,300 square feet, $1,700 per month. No pets. No students.

That last no-no above may help explain why the median rent for two-bedroom apartments is higher in West Chester than in any other local submarket: It’s home to one of the larger schools in the State System of Higher Education, West Chester University. The owner could probably make a killing renting this very nicely maintained apartment on the top two floors of this handsome home to students, as it’s just north of the WCU campus, but they’re looking for responsible adults with good credit. In exchange, judging from the looks of this place, said responsible adult tenant(s) will get an attentive landlord who responds quickly to maintenance requests and takes pride in his properties. They’ll also get a comfortable apartment located just a short stroll from West Chester’s charming and lively town center. They’ll also stay nice and warm in the winter, for the rent includes heat.

226 Price St., West Chester, Pa. 19382 [Vernon McIntyre | Classic Real Estate of Chester County]

Bright MLS image via MAC Real Estate Services

124 Marketplace, 124 E. Market St. | 2-bed, 2-bath apartments range in size from 1,085 to 1,115 square feet and rent for $1,695 to $1,895 per month. Contact manager about pets.

If you’d rather live in the heart of everything cool in West Chester, this is your apartment. It’s located in a new building right on one of downtown West Chester’s main streets, which means you have a bunch of great restaurants, charming shops and boutiques, and some cool hangouts right outside your front door — literally: several restaurants, cafés and shops occupy its street-floor retail space. The apartment’s pretty snazzy, what with it having a new high-end kitchen, and the building has a fitness center in it as well. There are four different two-bedroom floorplans available for you to choose from.

One of the building’s owners is a licensed Pennsylvania real estate agent.

124 Marketplace, 124 E. Market St., West Chester, Pa. 19382 [Raymond McCool | MAC Real Estate Services | McCool Properties LLC]

Image via LCOR Inc.

Spring House at Brandywine | 2-bed, 2-bath apartments range in size from 908 to 1,051 square feet and rent for $1,655 to $1,998 per month. Pets welcome, up to two per unit; breed, size and weight restrictions apply (one-time $300 fee).

This apartment complex about a mile and a half south of WCU and two miles from downtown mimics in its appearance the small-town walkability and charm of West Chester Borough itself. Its recently renovated apartments boast energy-efficient appliances and climate control, huge windows and high ceilings. The complex also has every amenity you might want: a clubhouse, swimming pool, fitness center, business center, picnic area with barbecue grills, playground, sundeck, basketball and tennis courts — and hammocks for you to laze in on those splendid spring, summer and fall days.

Spring House at Brandywine, 900 Riesling Lane, West Chester, Pa. 19382 [LCOR Inc.]

Image via PANCO Management Corporation

The Point at Windermere | 2-bed, 1- and 2-bath apartments range in size from 1,050 to 1,130 square feet and rent for $1,640 to $1,939 per month. Pets welcome, up to two per unit; additional monthly rent applies. Contact leasing office for further details.

This attractive complex still has a West Chester mailing address, but it’s the furthest one from the center of the borough. It is, however, located just off West Chester Pike in Willistown Township. That puts this complex close to both Newtown Square and Ridley Creek State Park, where you can go hiking, biking, fishing or just commune with nature when you don’t feel like doing so lounging around this complex’s pool. This community’s barbecue grills are also conveniently located next to that pool, making holding a pool party for your friends much easier. The apartments themselves come with wood-burning fireplaces, a rarity in modern apartment communities, and private patios or balconies. Perhaps the most unusual amenity this community offers its residents is its “perks” program, which offers discounts and specials on everything from pizza to pet grooming to moving services to furniture rental. Those last two offers should come in real handy.

The Point at Windermere, 1500 Windermere Rd., West Chester, Pa. 19380 [PANCO Management Corporation | Pantzer Properties]

Image via JRK Property Holdings

Jefferson at Westtown | 2-bed, 1- and 2-bath apartments range in size from 926 to 1,271 square feet and rent for $1,590 to $1,975 per month. Pets welcome, up to two per unit; breed and size restrictions and additional monthly rent apply ($350 nonrefundable application fee).

If the photo of this luxurious complex’s clubhouse above is any guide, this should be the apartment community located on Riseling Lane. It is, however, just a half-mile closer to campus and the center of town than Spring House. The “speakeasy wine room” inside the clubhouse is one of the more distinctive amenities this complex offers; along with it you’ll find a fitness center, a resort-style swimming pool, a business center, a picnic area, a playground, a dog park and a car wash area. The apartments themselves all come with private patios or balconies for your own outdoor relaxation and entertaining, nine-foot-high ceilings with energy-saving ceiling fans and plenty of storage space.

Jefferson at Westtown, 1000 Skiles Blvd., West Chester, Pa. 19382 [JRK Property Holdings]