Guides · August 18, 2026
Moving to Kennett Square: A Complete Guide
Kennett Square is a one-square-mile borough with a State Street you can walk end to end, wrapped in a township of preserved farmland, creek valleys and the gardens that made the area famous. People move here from Wilmington, West Chester and Philadelphia and are usually surprised by two things: how small the town center is, and how much happens on it.
Borough or Township?
Both carry a Kennett Square, PA 19348 mailing address, and that single fact causes more buyer confusion than anything else in this market. The Borough means sidewalks, street parking, public water and sewer, smaller lots and the ability to walk to dinner. Kennett Township means larger parcels, well and septic on many properties, longer driveways and a different municipal tax picture.
Neither is better. They are different products at different price-per-square-foot, and the right one depends on whether you want to hear the farmers market on Friday or the Red Clay Creek.
Schools
Most of the area is served by the Kennett Consolidated School District: Mary D. Lang Kindergarten Center, Greenwood Elementary, Bancroft Elementary, Kennett Middle School and Kennett High School. Parts of eastern Kennett Township fall into Unionville-Chadds Ford. Boundaries are set by the districts and do change, so confirm the specific address before you fall in love with a house for school reasons.
Commuting
Wilmington is a short run down Route 52 or Route 82 to Route 1. West Chester is a straight shot northeast. Philadelphia is realistic for a few days a week rather than five for most people. The Delaware line is close enough that plenty of Kennett households work in one state and live in the other.
The rhythm of the year
Longwood Gardens sets the calendar for a lot of people here, the summer fountain shows, the Christmas display, the spring blooms. The Mushroom Festival takes over State Street in September, the Kennett Run happens in spring, and Anson B. Nixon Park carries the town through the warm months.
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