Chester County, South Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Chester County, SC Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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C
Health Below averageLess healthy than 73% of counties in South Carolina
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D
Income Well below average
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 80% of counties in South Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Chester County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 32,186 | 5,295,781 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 55.0 | 165.5 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.10% | 1.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.2 | 40.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 13,161 | 2,118,015 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Chester County declined by 1.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 32,186 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Chester County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.5% of residents. That is 1.3 points above South Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 6,509 20.2% -0.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 6,265 19.5% -1.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 6,919 21.5% +1.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 6,227 19.3% +0.9 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below South Carolina, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.4% of the people living in Chester County and men 48.6%.
- Women 51.4% South Carolina 51.2%
- Men 48.6% South Carolina 48.8%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Chester County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Chester County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Chester County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $53,740 | $69,383 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.80% | 5.01% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.5% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Chester County is about 23% lower than in South Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Chester County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $161,273 | $239,609 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $853 | $1,179 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 78.4% | 71.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Chester County is about 15.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $853 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Chester County spend about 61 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 255 hours, about 10.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Chester County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 30.6 | 22.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 61.2 | 44.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 255 | 186 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,911 | $5,753 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.5% | 11.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 7,051 | 9,507 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 506 | 1,499 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
South Carolina:
Greenwood County (16.5 min), Sumter County (18.2 min), Florence County (18.3 min).
Slowest:
McCormick County (33.9 min), Fairfield County (30.8 min), Chester County (30.6 min).
The average commute time in Chester County is 31 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in South Carolina.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Chester County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Chester County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.0% | 28.2% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.43 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
South Carolina:
Charleston County (0.4), Beaufort County (0.3), Richland County (0.3).
Lowest:
Allendale County (0.1), Marlboro County (0.2), Chesterfield County (0.2).
Health
Chester County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Chester County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 73.8 | 75.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 20.9% | 19.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 23.0% | 21.5% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
South Carolina:
Beaufort County (0.8), Charleston County (0.8), Dorchester County (0.8).
Lowest:
Dillon County (0.8), Allendale County (0.8), Marlboro County (0.8).
Chester County, SC Compared With Nearby Counties
Chester County, SC is the 4th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 32,186 residents against a local median of 56,649. The measure that sets Chester County, SC apart most is median home price: $161,273, 44% below the local median of $286,251.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 30.6 min against a local median of 23.4 min, 31% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 31% above the local median it puts Chester County, SC at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $411,810 on median home price, so Chester County, SC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Chester County, SC has the 6th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chester County, SC | 32,186 | $53,740 #3/6 | $161,273 #6/6 | 30.6 min #5/6 |
| York County, SC | 293,716 | $90,058 | $168,547 | 23.4 min |
| Fairfield County, SC | 20,550 | $47,611 | $580,357 | 30.8 min |
| Lancaster County, SC | 104,481 | $81,073 | $286,251 | 27.9 min |
| Union County, SC | 26,885 | $41,432 | $189,062 | 22.0 min |
| Cherokee County, SC | 56,649 | $50,370 | $429,025 | 21.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Chester County, South Carolina.
How big is Chester County, South Carolina by population?
About 32,186 people live in Chester County, South Carolina, in 13,161 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 40.2, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
Is Chester County, South Carolina urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Chester County, South Carolina has 55 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 64% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Chester County, South Carolina an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.0 times the median household income ($161,273 against $53,740), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $853 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Chester County, South Carolina?
13.0% of adults in Chester County, South Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 8), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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