Chester, Virginia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Chester, VA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
B
Health Around average
-
B
Income Around average
-
B
Education Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Chester | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 22,777 | 8,702,460 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1715.4 | 203.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.97% | 0.57% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.2 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 8,773 | 3,364,625 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Chester grew by 19.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 22,777 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Chester is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 23.9% of residents. That is 3.5 points above Virginia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,715 20.7% -0.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,777 21.0% -1.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,452 23.9% +3.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,302 14.5% -2.0 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 Virginia, 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 51.8% of the people living in Chester and men 48.2%.
- Women 51.8% Virginia 50.6%
- Men 48.2% Virginia 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Chester
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Chester has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Chester | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $93,931 | $93,527 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.78% | 4.33% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.4% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Chester is about the same as in Virginia.
Housing
| Metric | Chester | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $221,852 | $256,082 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,597 | $1,579 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 68.2% | 67.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Chester is about 11.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,597 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Chester spend about 48 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 198 hours, about 8.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Chester | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.8 | 23.2 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 47.6 | 46.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 198 | 193 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,143 | $5,986 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 17.6% | 18.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 20,020 | 10,059 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,808 | 1,531 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Chester is 24 minutes, longer than the 23 minutes in Virginia.
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 has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Chester | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.4% | 37.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.60 | 2.52 | 2.53 |
Health
Chester has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Chester | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.2 | 77.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.9% | 16.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.3% | 19.0% | 19.0% |
Chester, VA Compared With Nearby Cities
How Chester, VA compares with the 1 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chester, VA | 22,777 | $93,931 #1/2 | $221,852 #1/2 | 23.8 min #2/2 |
| Meadowbrook, VA | 21,108 | $84,794 | $39,357 | 23.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Chester, Virginia.
What is the population of Chester, Virginia?
About 22,777 people live in Chester, Virginia, in 8,773 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 37.2, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Chester, Virginia?
Averaged over its land area, Chester, Virginia has 1,715 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 20 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Chester, Virginia an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 2.4 times the median household income ($221,852 against $93,931), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,597 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Chester, Virginia?
Unemployment in Chester, Virginia is only 2.4%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →