ChesterME
A town of 553, settled in 1854.
Is Chester a good place to live?
Only 3 of the 144 Maine towns we compare have a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Chester. Chester has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
553 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Chester: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Chester, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Chester.
In Chester, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Chester has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Chester’s July high is 80°F, close to Maine’s towns (79°F) and below U.S. towns (85°F).
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Chester has 1.4 jobs for every working resident, and 262 people commute in
Most working residents leave Chester for work: only 6% work in town. Chester’s average trip to work is 33 minutes, above both the Maine town median (25 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Jobs based in Chester grew to 274 in 2023, 77 more than in 2013.
| Chester | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 33 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $65,000 | $78,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 6.2% | 12% | 8% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Chester stands out in Maine and nationally, with the FEMA risk score higher than most
Chester’s FEMA risk score is 61 of 100. Since 2008, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Chester.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
How healthy Chester is
Chester beats the Maine average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 19. 18% of Chester adults report frequent physical distress. Among 144 Maine towns, just 5 have a higher share of adults who have obesity than Chester.
| Chester | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 35% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 27% | 23% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 33% | 35% |
| What stands out | Chester | ME |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 22.8% | 14.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 11% | 8.4% |
| More adults who get no exercise | 30% | 23.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Chester has set aside 0% of its land for conservation
4.7 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves. The trail density in Chester is 0.1 miles per square mile.
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Everything we know about Chester
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Chester; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Chester residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Maine.
About Chester
Town in Maine, United States
Chester is a town in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The population was 549 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Bangor Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 46 sq mi
- Elevation
- 226 ft
- Area code
- 207
Questions about Chester
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Chester, ME a good place to live?
Chester has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.