Chester County closing costs
The county-specific transfer tax and deed recording fees for Chester County, Pennsylvania - the local details that change your total beyond the statewide rate.
- Effective transfer tax
- 1%
- ≈ $4,000 on a $400,000 home
- City transfer tax
- 1%
- where the city levies its own
- Typical lender + 3rd-party fees
- $7,386
- median of 4,552 purchase loans · HMDA 2023
Transfer tax in Chester County
Pennsylvania levies a 1% state realty transfer tax; Chester County itself levies NO separate county transfer tax — the Recorder of Deeds only acts as a collection agent. Local transfer tax (municipality + school district) is commonly 1% across the county on top of the state's 1% (typically split 50/50 between buyer and seller per contract). Notable deviations from the standard 1% local rate per chesco.org: Coatesville (the county's only city) total local 2.5%, and Malvern and Tredyffrin at 1.5%. Two separate checks are required at recording (one local/municipal, one state).
Recording fees in Chester County
Deed: base $94.75 (includes one UPI, up to 4 pages, one notation fee, and 4 names). Additional: $17.00 per extra page, $5.00 per extra name, $20.00 per additional UPI, $2.00 per additional notation. Source: official chesco.org Fee Schedule (Recorder of Deeds), https://www.chesco.org/428/Fee-Schedule. (Note: a 2023 ROD fee brochure listed base $93.75; the live Fee Schedule page is the current authoritative figure at $94.75.)
Official recorder: Chester County recorder ↗ — the authoritative source for the current recording fee schedule.
What lenders actually charge in Chester County
Across 4,552 home-purchase mortgages originated in Chester County in 2023, the median total loan costs — lender fees plus third-party services such as appraisal and title, excluding prepaids and escrow — were $7,386, of which about $2,827 was the lender’s own origination charges. That is reported loan-level data from every lender under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act — not a national average — so it reflects what buyers in this county actually paid. Lender fees vary widely, so comparing a few rate quotes is the single biggest lever on your closing total.
Source: FFIEC HMDA Data Browser ↗ (2023 purchase originations, FIPS 42029, ODC-BY 1.0). Median total loan costs exclude prepaids and escrow.
Estimate your Chester County closing costs
Pre-set to Pennsylvania. County-level taxes above may add to this estimate.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the transfer tax in Chester County?
Chester County (Pennsylvania): the applicable real-estate transfer tax works out to about 1%, before any additional city tax. Pennsylvania levies a 1% state realty transfer tax; Chester County itself levies NO separate county transfer tax — the Recorder of Deeds only acts as a collection agent. Local transfer tax (municipality + school district) is commonly 1% across the county on top of the state's 1% (typically split 50/50 between buyer and seller per contract). Notable deviations from the standard 1% local rate per chesco.org: Coatesville (the county's only city) total local 2.5%, and Malvern and Tredyffrin at 1.5%. Two separate checks are required at recording (one local/municipal, one state).
What are recording fees in Chester County?
Deed: base $94.75 (includes one UPI, up to 4 pages, one notation fee, and 4 names). Additional: $17.00 per extra page, $5.00 per extra name, $20.00 per additional UPI, $2.00 per additional notation. Source: official chesco.org Fee Schedule (Recorder of Deeds), https://www.chesco.org/428/Fee-Schedule. (Note: a 2023 ROD fee brochure listed base $93.75; the live Fee Schedule page is the current authoritative figure at $94.75.)
How much are closing costs in Chester County?
Closing costs in Chester County follow Pennsylvania's structure plus this county's specific transfer-tax and recording fees. Use the calculator below for an estimate; for the exact recording schedule, the county recorder is the authoritative source.
What do lenders charge in fees in Chester County?
In 2023, the median total loan costs — lender fees plus third-party services like appraisal and title, excluding prepaids and escrow — across 4,552 home-purchase mortgages in Chester County were about $7,386, of which roughly $2,827 was the lender's own origination charges. This is reported loan-level data under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act; actual fees vary by lender, so comparing quotes matters.
Other Pennsylvania county records
Records are listed alphabetically; check each property’s municipality. Partial baselines are not a ranking of complete local taxes.