Chester County, Tennessee Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Chester County, TN Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
C
Health Below average
-
D
Income Well below average
-
D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Chester County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 17,611 | 7,058,506 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 61.6 | 167.5 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.19% | 0.94% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.9 | 37.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 6,430 | 2,819,839 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Chester County grew by 9.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 17,611 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Chester County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 24.6% of residents. That is 3.3 points above Tennessee as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,334 24.6% +3.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,369 19.1% -2.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,373 19.2% -1.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,147 17.9% +0.6 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 Tennessee, 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 51.7% of the people living in Chester County and men 48.3%.
- Women 51.7% Tennessee 50.9%
- Men 48.3% Tennessee 49.1%
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 | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $59,120 | $69,901 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.97% | 5.19% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Chester County is about 15% lower than in Tennessee.
Housing
| Metric | Chester County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $54,673 | $255,786 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $756 | $1,188 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 75.4% | 66.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Chester County is about 6.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $756 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Chester County spend about 57 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 238 hours, about 9.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Chester County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 28.5 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 57.1 | 44.8 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 238 | 187 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,374 | $5,785 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.4% | 12.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,334 | 9,259 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 484 | 1,225 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Tennessee:
Dyer County (15.9 min), Henry County (16.7 min), Obion County (17.1 min).
Slowest:
Cannon County (33.3 min), Union County (33.2 min), Fayette County (33.1 min).
The average commute time in Chester County is 29 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in Tennessee.
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 D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Chester County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.4% | 27.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.55 | 2.45 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Tennessee:
Williamson County (0.4), Davidson County (0.3), Knox County (0.3).
Lowest:
Lake County (0.1), Van Buren County (0.1), Lauderdale County (0.1).
Health
Chester County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Chester County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.1 | 74.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.6% | 19.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 23.4% | 25.1% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Tennessee:
Williamson County (0.8), Rutherford County (0.8), Wilson County (0.8).
Lowest:
Clay County (0.8), Lake County (0.8), Hancock County (0.8).
Chester County, TN Compared With Nearby Counties
Chester County, TN is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 17,611 residents against a local median of 27,249. Chester County, TN's median home price, at $54,673, runs 67% below the $166,145 typical of the counties around it.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 28.5 min against a local median of 22.6 min, 26% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 26% above the local median it puts Chester County, TN at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $177,310 on median home price, so Chester County, TN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Chester County, TN has the 4th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chester County, TN | 17,611 | $59,120 #2/6 | $54,673 #4/6 | 28.5 min #5/6 |
| McNairy County, TN | 25,970 | $53,842 | $45,624 | 22.6 min |
| Madison County, TN | 99,295 | $60,051 | $209,810 | 17.3 min |
| Henderson County, TN | 27,980 | $54,509 | $177,381 | 23.4 min |
| Hardeman County, TN | 25,433 | $46,091 | $166,145 | 30.7 min |
| Hardin County, TN | 27,249 | $49,937 | $32,500 | 18.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Chester County, Tennessee.
What is the population of Chester County, Tennessee?
About 17,611 people live in Chester County, Tennessee, in 6,430 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 35.9, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Chester County, Tennessee?
Averaged over its land area, Chester County, Tennessee has 62 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Is Chester County, Tennessee an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 0.9 times the median household income ($54,673 against $59,120), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $756 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Chester County, Tennessee?
Unemployment in Chester County, Tennessee is only 4.1%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Chester County, Tennessee?
14.4% of adults in Chester County, Tennessee hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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