Planning for Affordably-priced Homes

In 2023, the median sales price for housing in Chester County was $492,000, which represents one of the highest countywide medians in the Commonwealth. This high median is a result of many factors, including the overall rise in construction costs experienced throughout the 2010s. As these costs continue to rise, more Chester County families are becoming cost burdened as it relates to their overall amount of income dedicated for housing costs.

These increased costs will have significant impacts on housing throughout the County. Municipalities can minimize and mitigate some of the factors that drive up overall housing construction costs without jeopardizing the protections intended through reasonable municipal regulations.

Bibliography

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Gyourko, Joe, and Jacob Krimmel. 2020. The Impact of Local Residential Land Use Restrictions on Land Values. Working paper, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia: The Wharton School.

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