Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Chester grades B overall, 148th among Virginia's 249 graded towns, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. The median household earns $95K and natural-hazard risk is low. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: the typical home is worth about $391K, 4.5 years of the Richmond metro’s $87K median household income. Chester is home to Brightpoint Community College. Chester’s July high is 90°F, above both the Virginia town median (88°F) and the median of U.S. towns (85°F). Castlewood and Chester Presbyterian Church is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where Chester beats most towns.
Chester Presbyterian Church| College | Students |
|---|---|
| Brightpoint Community College | 6,289 |
Census counts: 1,290 in 1960, 23,414 in 2020. The archive holds 30 old photos and papers going back to 1914 and 7 maps from 1894 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Virginia), ordered by how far Chester is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Chester. Close and well known come first.
13 mi LandmarkHollywood Cemetery
34 mi Theme parkKings Dominion
4 mi Ancient siteHenricus
13 mi MuseumWhite House of the Confederacy
14 mi LandmarkRobert E. Lee Monument
13 mi Stadium & arenaRichmond ColiseumHollywood Cemetery: Andrew Bain, Public domain · Kings Dominion: Erechtheus, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Henricus: Morgan Riley, CC BY-SA 3.0 · White House of the Confederacy: AlbertHerring, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Robert E. Lee Monument: Martin Falbisoner, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Richmond Coliseum: Mentes at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
Chester is unincorporated, so Chesterfield County and regional agencies provide most services.
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.
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 86% of U.S. communities. Since 2004, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Chester.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its public schools are run by the Chesterfield County Public Schools. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Thomas Dale High, with 2,582 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| C.E. Curtis ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 767 | D |
| Thomas Dale HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,582 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within VA on state tests and graduation
Most working residents leave Chester for work: only 4% work in town. Jobs based in Chester grew to 6,138 in 2023, 362 more than in 2013. The average trip to work in Chester is 28 minutes.
| Chester | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 17% | 17% | 11% |
| Median household income | $95,000 | $102,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.3% | 5% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Chester has mild winters and warm summers. Chester’s January low is 28°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Adults 18 to 34 are 17% of residents (23% statewide). 25% of residents are under 18 in Chester. 34% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 42% across Virginia.
| Chester | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 25% | 23% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 34% | 44% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 15% | 16% | 18% |
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3 points. Across Virginia, 50.6% of residents are women. Median age: women 42.0, men 36.4.
| Chester | VA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 14.4% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.3% | 13.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 15.7% | 13.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.7% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.9% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.6% | 9.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.5% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.7% | 8.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 28% | 23.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 20.8% | 17.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.7% | 7.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 23% | 23.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.8% | 18.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
4.9 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Lowe's Athletic Complex, at 34 acres.
| Chester | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.6% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Chester Linear Park | 0.6 mi | 9 |
| 2. Lowe's Athletic Complex | 0.2 mi | 34 |
| 3. Kiwanis Park | — | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Against the 9,272 U.S. towns with household incomes like Chester’s, it is less healthy than 60%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
Chester tracks Virginia closely on all 32 CDC measures. 14% of Chester adults binge drink.
| Chester | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 14% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 33% | 35% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 34% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 11% | 12% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The typical Chester home is worth about $391,000, up 2.3% in a year, 5% below the Virginia typical home.
| Chester | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,603 a month | $1,764 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 71% | 68% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
6 within 15 miles of the center of Chester
About 4 of every 100 Chester residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Virginia.
4 notable people were born in Chester.
CDP in Virginia, United States
Chester is a census-designated place (CDP) in Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 23,414.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Chester.
Chester and Bellwood report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Chester with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Chester grades B overall, better than 62% of U.S. towns and #148 of 249 in Virginia. It grades B for health and B for schools.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
4 notable people were born here, including Nate Eaton and William Trueheart.
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