Chester GapVA
The town was settled in 1954 and has 726 residents today.
Is Chester Gap a good place to live?
9.3% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Chester Gap, where Virginia’s towns sit at 44% and U.S. towns at 29%. Among 254 Virginia towns, just one has a lower share of working residents who work in town than Chester Gap. Chester Gap has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
726 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Chester Gap.
With 0.1 jobs for every working resident, most of Chester Gap’s workers commute out
In Chester Gap, the average commute is 30 minutes. For half of commuters, work is under 25 miles away. The top destinations are Front Royal (9%), Washington (6%) and Warrenton (6%).
| Chester Gap | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $69,000 | $102,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 7.7% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Chester Gap: four seasons and pleasant summers
Chester Gap’s midsummer high stands at 84°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Chester Gap has a high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding
Federal disaster aid has reached households in Chester Gap once, in 2003. Chester Gap’s risk rating from FEMA comes in at 61 of 100. 69% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by strong winds at 8%.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
How healthy Chester Gap is
The share of adults in Chester Gap who binge drink: 17%. Two figures for adults locally: 25% have been diagnosed with depression, 77% had a checkup this year.
| Chester Gap | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 16% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 22% | 23% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 77% | 79% | 79% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 14% |
| What stands out | Chester Gap | VA |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 13.8% | 11.1% |
| More smokers | 15% | 12.2% |
| Fewer adults getting cholesterol checked | 85.2% | 87.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The typical home in Chester Gap: about $390K
Values rose 4.3% in the 12 months to September 2026. Chester Gap’s rent at the middle of the market is $857 a month. 70% of households own their home here.
| Chester Gap | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $857 a month | $1,762 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 70% | 68% | 73% |
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about Chester Gap
Shenandoah National Park and 18 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Chester Gap. Close and well known come first.
in town National ParkShenandoah National Park1.7M visitors a year
Big draw20 mi LandmarkMount Weather Emergency Operations Center
37 mi MuseumSteven F. Udvar-Hazy Center1.6M visitors a year
23 mi CaveLuray Caverns27 mi Scenic driveSkyline Drive3 mi Zoo & aquariumSmithsonian Conservation Biology InstitutePhoto credits
Shenandoah National Park: Image copyright 2005 by user G. Edward Johnson (user Lorax) and released under t, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center: Unknown, Public domain · Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Luray Caverns: Paulo Ordoveza from Washington, DC, CC BY 2.0 · Skyline Drive: Image copyright 2005 by user G. Edward Johnson (user Lorax) and released under t, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Moving to Chester Gap: who provides what
Chester Gap is unincorporated, so Rappahannock 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.
100% of working residents leave Chester Gap for work
Where Chester Gap’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Chester Gap
About 1 of every 100 Chester Gap residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Virginia.
Questions about Chester Gap
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Chester Gap, VA a good place to live?
Chester Gap has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
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