Local Analysis – West Vincent Township

According to the Township’s Open Space & Recreation Plan, “West Vincent Township is located in north-central Chester County, on the south bank of French Creek. It is bounded on the north by East Vincent Township, on the southeast by East and West Pikeland Townships, on the

southwest by Upper Uwchlan Township, and on the northeast by East Nantmeal and South Coventry Townships. The Borough of Phoenixville is located at the confluence of French Creek and Schuylkill River roughly three miles to the east. Some thirty miles west-northwest of center city Philadelphia, the township is part of the Philadelphia metropolitan Statistical Area.

While West Vincent’s ‘metropolitan’ location exerts continued development pressures, the township remains ‘exurban’ in character. It is no longer truly rural, more often characterized by ‘gentleman’s farms’ and scattered, relatively large, individual residential lots. Overall, West Vincent still seems to epitomize a community of open space; a patchwork of field, pasture, woodlot and historic building clusters, stitched together by scenic roads, narrow stream valleys and wooded ridgelines. More intense suburban development has remained primarily to the east and south of West Vincent itself. Nearby areas in Uwchlan, Upper Uwchlan, West Pikeland and East Pikeland Townships exhibit contrasting intense impacts of suburban development.

So far, West Vincent Township has eluded the intensity of development that seems to have robbed many of its neighbors of their open space context. This situation seems to be the product of geography and topography, as well as foresight. Most of West Vincent Township seems to be ‘off the beaten path’, not directly accessible from the major regional highway network. Yet relatively good access is not far away. The western and southern edges of the township are traversed by PA. Routes 100 and 401, respectively. Routh 100 leads to the Pottstown Expressway (U.S. Rout 422), some six miles to the north, While Route 401 intersects with the U.S. Route 202 Expressway an equal distance to the southeast. The Pennsylvania Turnpike’s Downingtown Exit is only three miles south via Route 100.”[1]

Students in West Vincent Township are served by the Owen J. Robert School District. This school district is unranked in the national school rankings per US News and World Report rankings of the best high school in each state.

According to the American Community Survey Demographic Profile from the 2010 US Census, the total population of West Vincent Township was 4,567 with 1,646 total housing units. This is a 44% population increase from the 2000 census population count of 3,170 with 1,077 housing units. Median household income per the 2010-2014 American Community Survey 5-year Estimates, was $144,750. This is a dramatic 57% increase over reported median household income in 2000 of $92,024.