Moving to West Grove, PA: Living in West Grove Guide

West Grove is a small borough in southern Chester County that people used to call the “Home of the Roses.” The Dingee & Conard nursery, founded in 1868, grew roses and fruit trees here, and in the late 1880s the West Grove post office was the second busiest in Chester County, mostly because of the nursery’s shipments. Today the borough covers just 0.65 square miles, and its historic center has plenty of homes that were built when the railroad came through. Around it are the farm fields, nurseries and mushroom houses of the Kennett Square area.

West Grove is a good fit for families who want the Avon Grove schools, commuters headed to Wilmington, Newark or West Chester, and buyers who want a real small town without being far from Longwood Gardens and the Brandywine Valley. Homes here cost more than the Pennsylvania average. The borough is small enough that you’ll get to know your neighbors quickly.

Planning a move to West Grove? Call our Tri-State team at 410-499-8777 or get your price online.

Where Is West Grove?

West Grove is in the southern tip of Chester County, a few miles north of the Delaware and Maryland lines. The borough was carved out of London Grove Township and incorporated in 1893. It took its name from a Friends Meeting House built in 1787 west of the London Grove meeting. Penn Township and the Jennersville shopping area are right next door, and Jennersville also uses the West Grove mailing address.

PA Route 841 is the only numbered highway that runs through the borough, and US Route 1 bypasses it just to the north. US 1 is the main route east toward Kennett Square. Approximate driving distances (OSRM routing):

Kennett Square: about 8 miles
Newark, Delaware: about 12 miles
Wilmington, Delaware: about 18 miles
West Chester: about 18.5 miles
Philadelphia International Airport (PHL): about 34 miles
Lancaster: about 36 miles
Center City Philadelphia: about 43 miles
Baltimore: about 65 miles

Philadelphia International is the closest major airport. For public transit, the county’s Chescobus has a stop at the West Grove Borough building.

West Grove Population & Demographics

West Grove is a small community, with roughly 2,800 people. The Census Bureau estimates the borough had 2,835 residents on July 1, 2025. The town is younger than Pennsylvania as a whole, and incomes run well above the state median. It is also one of the more diverse small boroughs in Chester County: about a third of residents are Hispanic or Latino, and about 15% were born outside the U.S.

Measure	West Grove	Pennsylvania	United States
Population (July 1, 2025 estimate)	2,835	13,059,432	—
Median age	36.0	40.9	38.9
Median household income	$92,697	$77,971	$80,734
Per capita income	$38,616	$44,355	$44,673
Bachelor’s degree or higher (age 25+)	33.3%	35.2%	35.7%
Owner-occupied homes	76.5%	69.3%	65.2%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	34.1%	—	—
Born outside the U.S.	15.1%	—	—

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 population estimates; all other rows from the American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates via Census Reporter. Small-town ACS figures have wide margins of error, so treat them as a general picture.

About three out of four homes in the borough are owner-occupied, which is higher than both the state and national rates. The ACS counts roughly 990 housing units in town, so there usually aren’t many homes for sale at any one time.

Is West Grove Safe?

We did not find a recent, reliable crime data source for a borough this small, so we won’t quote numbers. West Grove is served by a regional police department, and the borough’s website links to it along with the county’s ReadyNotifyPA alert system. The borough also takes part in National Night Out every year. The best check is still the simple one: walk the street you’re considering in the evening and on a weekend, and ask the borough office or the police department about anything you notice.

Cost of Living in West Grove

Home Prices

Southern Chester County is expensive, and West Grove is no exception. Zillow’s Home Value Index puts the typical West Grove home at about $489,500 as of August 2026, up about 1.6% from a year earlier. For comparison, the typical Pennsylvania home is about $290,400 and the typical U.S. home about $368,700 on the same index.

The Census Bureau’s 2020–2024 survey puts the median value of owner-occupied homes in the borough at $319,900, compared with $254,500 statewide. That is a lagging, self-reported figure, and Zillow’s newer number reflects how much prices have risen since. Housing in the borough is mostly older single-family homes and twins close to the center. Newer subdivisions are out in London Grove and Penn townships.

Rent

Rentals are limited in a borough this size. The Census Bureau’s median gross rent for West Grove is $1,767 a month (2020–2024), well above the Pennsylvania median of $1,209. Zillow does not publish a separate rent index for West Grove, but its Observed Rent Index for the wider Philadelphia metro was about $1,911 in August 2026. If you’re renting, start looking early and expect to widen your search to Jennersville, Avondale and Kennett Square.

Best Neighborhoods in West Grove

The Historic Borough Center

The blocks around Exchange Place, Rosehill Avenue and Evergreen Street hold West Grove’s oldest buildings. Joseph Pyle, often called the “Father of West Grove,” built many of the commercial buildings on Exchange Place in the 1860s through the 1880s. Expect older homes with porches, smaller lots and sidewalks you can actually use. This area suits buyers who like being able to walk to the borough office on Rosehill Avenue and the rest of the town center. Parking is on the street or in short driveways, which matters on moving day.

Penn Township and Jennersville

Just west of the borough, Penn Township had 5,644 residents at the 2020 Census. It is sometimes called the “Nursery Capital of the World.” Jennersville is the retail center here, with a shopping center of about 105,000 square feet. It suits commuters who want quick access to US 1 and families who want newer construction with garages and basements. (Note that Jennersville Hospital closed at the end of 2021.)

London Grove Township

London Grove Township, which the borough was originally part of, had 8,797 residents at the 2020 Census. It is traditionally farm country, but development has been spreading in from both Philadelphia and Wilmington. It’s a good fit if you want more land and privacy while still being in the Avon Grove School District and close to Kennett Square.

Weather & Climate

West Grove has a hot-summer humid continental climate. The closest NOAA station, Avondale 2 N, is just a few miles away. Its 1991–2020 normals show:

January: average high 38.6°F, average low 22.7°F
July: average high 83.6°F, average low 63.7°F
Precipitation: about 47 inches a year, spread fairly evenly across the months
Average annual temperature: 52.3°F

The Avondale station doesn’t report snowfall. At NOAA’s Octoraro Lake station to the west, normal snowfall is about 18 inches a season, and February is typically the snowiest month. For moving, late April through early June and mid-September through October are the most comfortable. You’ll avoid July heat and the risk of a January ice storm, but those weekends book up fast.

Things to Do in West Grove

Longwood Gardens

Longwood Gardens is about 10 miles east of West Grove, at 1001 Longwood Road in Kennett Square. It’s open year-round, with conservatories, outdoor gardens and seasonal shows like the fall chrysanthemum festival. Longwood is also one of Chester County’s 50 largest employers.

White Clay Creek Preserve

This 1,388-acre state preserve in Landenberg is about 7 miles from the borough and three miles north of Newark, Delaware. It borders White Clay Creek State Park in Delaware. The creek is a National Wild and Scenic River, and the preserve’s trails, fishing spots and quiet valley make it one of the best outdoor escapes in the area.

The Mason-Dixon Trail

The Mason-Dixon Trail is a long-distance hiking route that runs about 200 miles from the Appalachian Trail to Chadds Ford. On the way it passes north along White Clay Creek to the preserve. You can pick up sections close to home for day hikes.

Historic Kennett Square

Kennett Square is about 8 miles away and has the closest downtown full of restaurants, cafes and shops. The borough is sometimes called the “Mushroom Capital of the World,” because farms in the region grow over 500 million pounds of mushrooms a year, about half of the nation’s crop. The Kennett Collaborative keeps an up-to-date directory of State Street shops and restaurants.

West Grove’s Own History

The borough has published a Historic Town Walk, and its history pages tell the rose-nursery story. The nearby Red Rose Inn dates to 1740. According to local history, William Penn granted the land for an annual rent of one red rose. It’s a good introduction to your new town before the moving boxes are even unpacked.

Where to Eat in West Grove

West Grove itself has only a handful of places to eat, so most residents eat out a short drive east toward Kennett Square. Three well-established favorites:

Talula’s Table

At 102 West State Street in Kennett Square, Talula’s Table is a gourmet market and café open daily from 7am to 6pm. In the evenings it becomes a reservation-only tasting-menu dinner. Stop by for coffee and prepared foods, and save the dinner for a special occasion.

Victory Brewing Company Kennett Square

Victory calls itself Chester County’s hometown brewery. Its Kennett Square brewery and taproom is at 650 West Cypress Street, and it serves a from-scratch food menu alongside its beers. It’s an easy, casual place for a meal after a long day of unpacking.

Sovana Bistro

Sovana Bistro, at 696 Unionville Road in Kennett Square, serves seasonal food for lunch (brunch on Saturdays) and dinner, Tuesday through Saturday. It’s a longtime local choice for a nicer dinner out.

Jobs & Economy

Chester County has one of the strongest job markets in Pennsylvania. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry’s top-50 employer list for the first quarter of 2026, the county’s largest employers are The Vanguard Group, The Chester County Hospital, Chester County government, Main Line Hospitals and Giant Food Stores. QVC, Wawa, Janssen Research & Development, Siemens Medical Solutions, Herr Foods and Longwood Gardens are also on the list, and so is the Avon Grove School District.

Closer to home, the economy of southern Chester County is still tied to agriculture: mushrooms around Kennett Square and nurseries in Penn Township. Many West Grove residents commute. Wilmington and Newark, Delaware, are both less than 20 miles away, and West Chester and the US 202 corridor are about 18 miles north.

Schools in West Grove

West Grove is in the Avon Grove School District, headquartered on South Jennersville Road. The district serves more than 5,000 students in four schools, all of which serve the whole district:

Penn London Elementary School (K–2)
Avon Grove Intermediate School (3–5)
Avon Grove Middle School (6–8)
Avon Grove High School (9–12)

Because every child attends the same four buildings, you won’t need to worry about which elementary school a house is zoned for. That makes choosing a home a bit simpler. For college, the University of Delaware in Newark and West Chester University are both within about 20 miles. Delaware County Community College offers classes at the Pennocks Bridge Campus in Jennersville.

West Grove Quick Facts

County	Chester County
Incorporated	1893 (decree recorded January 1894)
Land area	0.65 square miles
ZIP code	19390
Area codes	610 and 484
Main roads	PA 841; US 1 bypass just north of the borough
Nearest major airport	Philadelphia International (PHL), about 34 miles
Public schools	Avon Grove School District
Typical home value (Zillow, Aug. 2026)	About $489,500
Borough office	117 Rosehill Avenue

Moving to West Grove: Tips From Our Crew

A few things our West Grove moving crews keep in mind when planning a move here:

Plan for tight streets in the old center. Blocks near Exchange Place and Rosehill Avenue were laid out well before moving trucks existed. Ask a neighbor to leave the curb open, and let us know about short driveways or low branches so we can bring the right size truck.
Use the weekly bulk trash pickup. The borough collects bulk trash every week, but only one item per household. If you’re clearing out old furniture, start a few weeks before your move, or ask us about junk removal for the rest.
Check HOA rules in Penn and London Grove townships. Many newer communities around Jennersville have rules about truck parking, move times and PODS or dumpsters on the driveway. Get them in writing before your move date.
Time the US 1 commute. Morning and evening traffic on US 1 toward Kennett Square and on the roads into Delaware can slow a crew down. We usually start early to stay ahead of it.
Moving from Delaware or Maryland? The state lines are only a few miles away, and moves that cross them are common. Update your vehicle registration and driver’s license with PennDOT after you arrive.
Apartments and condos may need a COI. If your building asks for a certificate of insurance, we provide one free of charge. Just send us the building’s requirements.
Avoid winter weather when you can. Snow and ice are most likely from late December through February. If you have to move then, keep your walkways clear and build a backup day into your plans.

Frequently Asked Questions About Moving to West Grove

How much does it cost to hire movers in West Grove?

It depends on how much you’re moving, how far, how many stairs and tight spots there are, and whether you want packing. A move from one side of the borough to the other is priced very differently from a long-distance move. The fastest way to get an accurate number is to call our Tri-State office for a free quote. An owner calls back within 15 minutes between 8am and 8pm.

Is West Grove a good place for families?

Many families choose West Grove for the Avon Grove School District, where every child attends the same four schools, and for the small-town feel. Parks like White Clay Creek Preserve and Longwood Gardens are close, and so are jobs in Delaware and around West Chester. Homes cost more than the state average, so budget accordingly.

How far is West Grove from Philadelphia?

Center City Philadelphia is about 43 miles away by road, and Philadelphia International Airport is about 34 miles. Most residents drive; the Chescobus stop at the borough building gives some local transit access. Wilmington, Delaware, at about 18 miles, is the closest big city.

What’s the difference between West Grove and Jennersville?

West Grove is the incorporated borough. Jennersville is an unincorporated community in neighboring Penn Township that shares the West Grove mailing address and has the area’s main shopping center. Both are in the Avon Grove School District, but township and borough rules, taxes and trash service differ, so check which one a home is in.

Can you move us out of state to or from West Grove?

Yes. We handle long-distance moves with a binding estimate, so the price doesn’t change after you book. You get a dedicated truck, the same W-2 crew from door to door, and a guaranteed delivery date. There is never a rescheduling fee, and military families get 5% off.

Move to West Grove With A & M Friendly Movers

A & M Friendly Movers has been family-owned since 2015. Our Tri-State office handles moves across Chester County, Philadelphia and Wilmington. Every crew member is a background-checked, drug-tested W-2 employee. We never use subcontractors. With our Owner’s Promise, you talk to an owner, not a call center. If anything is damaged, an owner calls you the same day, and claims are resolved in 60 to 90 days. We can also handle packing and unpacking, storage and piano and safe moves. Learn more about our West Grove movers, or call 410-499-8777 for a free quote.

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