Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 2,080, settled in 1884.
The best of Chester’s subject grades are an A+ for cost of living, an A for schools, and an A− for walkability; the weakest is a D for health. Only 2 of the 62 West Virginia towns we compare have a higher median age than Chester. The median household income is $57K, and 16% of residents live below the poverty line. Only 6 of the 62 West Virginia towns we compare have a higher average trip to work than Chester. On civic life, just 1 of West Virginia’s 89 towns do worse. James F. Murray House (Additional Documentation) is on the National Register of Historic Places. Chester has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Chester beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| A. T. Allison Elementary School | PK–4 | 261 |
2,585 counted in 2010 and 2,208 in 2020; an estimated 2,080 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within West Virginia), ordered by how far Chester is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 3,184 in 1910, a peak of 3,805 in 1940, 2,208 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 2000 and 5 maps from 1937 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
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.
Ordered by what stands out in Chester.
Chester beats the West Virginia average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 44% of adults have high blood pressure in Chester, near the West Virginia town median (44%) and above the median of U.S. towns (35%). 30% of Chester adults have been diagnosed with depression.
| Chester | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 44% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 31% | 23% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 41% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 17% | 14% |
| What stands out | Chester | WV |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 9.2% | 11% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Hancock County Schools. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. T. Allison Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 261 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WV on state tests and graduation
The typical Chester home is worth about $121,000, up 4.7% in a year, 31% below the West Virginia typical home. At $647 a month, Chester’s median rent is below both West Virginia’s towns ($878 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month).
| Chester | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $647 a month | $878 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 75% | 68% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Adults 18 to 34 are 9% of residents (21% statewide); people 65 and older are 30% of residents (21% statewide). 15% of residents are under 18 in Chester. Chester has lost 5.5% of its people since 2020, down to 2,080 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Chester | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 15% | 20% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 22% | 29% | 29% |
60% women, 40% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±9.8 points. Across West Virginia, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Chester | WV | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 7.1% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.1% | 8.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 6.2% | 12% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13% | 12% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 18.5% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.2% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 21.8% | 12.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.1% | 8.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 11.3% | 10.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 40.7% | 39.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.3% | 17.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 6.2% | 8.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 20.7% | 14.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 1.7% | 9.7% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,100, single groups can be off by several points
Chester has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Chester is 83°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Chester for work: only 12% work in town. Jobs based in Chester fell to 801 in 2023, 1,245 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Weirton (7%), East Liverpool (5%) and New Cumberland (5%).
| Chester | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $57,000 | $59,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 12% | 14% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 63% of U.S. communities. Since 1980, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Chester.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Chester | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 2.3% | 2.5% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Chester City Park | — | 9 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Chester. Close and well known come first.
Big draw31 mi Stadium & arenaAcrisure Stadium
31 mi LandmarkFort Duquesne
31 mi Stadium & arenaPNC Park
40 mi Theme parkKennywood
32 mi Stadium & arenaPPG Paints Arena
23 mi MuseumMeadowcroft RockshelterAcrisure Stadium: Fo2grfr, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Fort Duquesne: Sébastien Paquin, CC BY-SA 3.0 · PNC Park: alpineinc, CC BY 2.0 · Kennywood: Ski2007 of English Wikipedia, Public domain · PPG Paints Arena: Jleedev, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Meadowcroft Rockshelter: Lee Paxton, CC BY-SA 4.0
3 within 15 miles of the center of Chester
About 1 of every 100 Chester residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across West Virginia.
4 notable people were born in Chester.
City in West Virginia, US
Chester is a city in Hancock County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 2,214 at the 2020 census. It is located along the Ohio River in the state's northern panhandle and is the northernmost city in West Virginia. Chester is considered part of the Weirton–Steubenville metropolitan area and is home to the Chester teapot attraction, dubbed the "world's largest teapot".
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Chester.
Chester and Newell have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Chester and Newell report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Chester with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A+.
4 notable people were born here, including Jim Jordan and Scott Paulsen.
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