Chester grades C+ overall against UK towns: better than 38% of UK towns, and #38 of 46 in Cheshire. Its strongest subject is walkability (A): 29% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. Its weakest is safety (D): 46.9 violent and sexual offences and 10.8 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026. Among UK towns and cities of 50,000 or more, it has less crime per resident than 56%. The median home sold for £260,000 in the last three years, 5.1 times what households in the Cheshire West and Chester council area earn in a year.
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Chester is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Chester.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
3.2% of 16 to 64s in Chester claim unemployment benefits, more than in both Cheshire’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 32% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
At the census, just over two thirds of commuters went by car. 47% of commuters who live in Chester also work there. For every resident in work, Chester has 1.2 jobs. Households had £51K a year before tax, below both Cheshire’s towns (£56K) and England’s towns (£55K).
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
SchoolsB−
Results at Chester’s schools beat 53% of towns in England
At the town’s 23 primary schools, three in five pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Of its 36 schools, three are shown below, each with the reason. Secondary results at the town’s 5 secondary schools: an Attainment 8 score of 48.4, with 46% at grade 5 or above in English and maths.
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsSee all 36 schools →
Safety
More crimes per resident in Chester than in 86% of UK towns
Town centres with shops, stations and nightlife record more crime per resident: police.uk counts crimes where they happen, not where victims live.
Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 10 reports per 1,000, above both Cheshire’s towns (3.6) and England’s towns (7.8). A year of reports to August 2026 adds up to 8,979 offences in Chester and 811 cases of nuisance behaviour. Violence and sexual offences made up 48% of the total.
46.9violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearDSafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 56% of the 207 UK towns and cities of 50,000 or more: about the middle for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
More crimeLess crime
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual4,314
Public order1,213
Shoplifting993
Other theft603
Damage & arson592
Drugs493
Burglary203
Other crime160
Anti-social811
Not gradedAnti-social behaviour, shoplifting and other theft are shown but left out of the Safety Grade, which counts violence and crimes against homes and vehicles per resident.
46.9
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
10.8
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
10
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL · The police category of violence and sexual offences includes harassment and stalking.
History
Listed buildings in Chester: 697, with 54 at Grade I
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Scaled to its population, Chester has 75 listed buildings per 10,000 people, above Cheshire’s towns (21) and England’s towns (39) alike. Its listed buildings include A Block, Grade I. Homes built before 1919 account for 17% of the housing.
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Health
Most people in Chester (83%) report good or very good health
Life expectancy here is 83.3 for women and 77.9 for men (2019–23). 16 GP practices serve the town; 80% of patients rate theirs good in the GP Patient Survey. The nearest A&E to Chester is The Countess of Chester Hospital, 1.2 miles away.
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · A young population flatters these answers, which are not age-adjusted; the Health Grade instead uses measures that allow for age, such as life expectancy and early deaths.
HousingCost of living grade B−
Chester’s grade for cost of living grade: a B−
Three in five households own their home, lower than Cheshire’s towns (68%) and near England’s towns (61%). The private rented sector houses just over a fifth of households. Private rents average £981 a month across the Cheshire West and Chester council area.
£260Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Chester£260K
Typical UK town£277K
By type
Median
Sales
Detached
£412,500
753
Semi-detached
£284,000
1,362
Terraced
£230,000
1,053
Flat or maisonette
£162,500
761
60%
of households own their home · England 61%
21%
rent privately · England 21%
£981
average private rent a month, Cheshire West and Chester council area
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Who lives here
Degrees are more common in Chester than in Cheshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 40% of adults
14% of residents are 15 to 24, above Cheshire’s towns (10%) and England’s towns (12%) alike. Those 65 and older account for nearly a fifth of residents.
40median age
ChesterCheshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
14%
Under 1515–2425–4445–6465+
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications15%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level40%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
WomenEnglandMen
About 95 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
Daniel Craig: Max Surprenant, CC BY 4.0 · Michael Owen: David Seow, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Tom Heaton: Kelvin Stuttard, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Danny Murphy: Nick, CC BY 2.0 · Ryan Shawcross: @cfcunofficial (Chelsea Debs) London, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Matt Hancock: Richard Townshend, CC BY 3.0
Moston, Guilden Sutton, Mickle Trafford and Garden City have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Chester
How many listed buildings are there in Chester?
That is 3.1 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I buildings include Abbey Gateway. It also has 9 scheduled monuments.
Is Chester safe?
About the middle for its size: 44% of the 207 UK towns and cities of 50,000 or more report less crime per resident. Against all UK towns, most of them far smaller, it grades D.
Does Chester flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
About Chester
Large town in Cheshire, England
Chester is a built-up area of 92,756 people, in the Cheshire West and Chester council area. TownRatings uses ONS’s 2022 built-up areas as towns: the physical town, as people mean the word, rather than a council district, so its figures cover the town itself.
Built from ONS geography and Census 2021
Population
92,756 (Census 2021)
Council
Cheshire West and Chester (mostly)
County
Cheshire
Region
North West
Area
9.5 sq mi (24.6 km²)
ONS code
K08000001
Sources: ONS Census 2021, output areas summed to the ONS 2022 built-up area · HM Land Registry Price Paid (standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026) · ONS Price Index of Private Rents (August 2026, by council) · MHCLG and Welsh Government council tax, Band D 2026–27 (with parish precepts in England) · data.police.uk street-level crime, 36 months to August 2026, points inside the built-up-area boundary · ONS small-area life expectancy and healthy life expectancy, 2019 to 2023 (England and Wales), OHID Fingertips small-area indicators (England) and Census 2021 health, adjusted for age · ONS small-area income estimates (financial year ending 2023) · DWP claimant count via Nomis (January to August 2026) · Historic England, National Heritage List for England (listed buildings, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, battlefields, World Heritage Sites), October 2026, inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary · Valuation Office Agency, Council Tax: stock of properties by build period (31 March 2025) · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
