Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 212, settled in 1880.
0.8% of working residents work locally in Chester, below both Nebraska’s towns (34%) and U.S. towns (8%). Of the 51 Nebraska towns we compare, none has a lower typical home value than Chester. Chester has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 407 in 1890, a peak of 634 in 1940, 224 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2011 and 2 maps from 1960 on.
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 Sep 30, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Chester.
In Chester, 78% of households own their home, where Nebraska’s towns sit at 67% and U.S. towns at 73%. The town’s typical rent stands at $843 a month.
| Chester | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 78% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $843 a month | $914 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Of the losses FEMA expects in Chester, 36% come from hail and 24% from inland flooding. On expected storm and flood damage, Chester sits above just over four fifths of U.S. communities. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Chester once, in 2003.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
In Chester, the typical journey to work is 13 minutes. The top destinations are Hebron (32%), Bruning (10%) and Fairbury (5%). Half commute less than 23 miles.
| Chester | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 13 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 11% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
In July, afternoons reach 89°; in January, nights fall to 16°, and about 25 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Among 58 Nebraska towns, just 3 have a lower share of adults who binge drink than Chester. This Nebraska town does better than the Nebraska average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 9. 29% of adults sleep under 7 hours here.
| Chester | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 31% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 34% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 18% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 14% | 17% |
| What stands out | Chester | NE |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 82.5% | 77.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.6% | 6.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Chester; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Chester residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Nebraska.
Where Chester’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Village in Thayer County, Nebraska, United States
Chester is a village in Thayer County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 226 at the 2020 census. Chester is notable as being the birthplace of six-man football. Chester's annual celebration, Chesterfest is held the last weekend in June and features vendors, tournaments, car show, kid games, among other attractions, and the ever popular Sat. evening Concert.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Chester has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.