Chester, VA

Census Place

Add Comparison

2021 Population

22,512

1.87% 1-year growth

US Senator

Mark Warner

Democratic Party

US Senator

Tim Kaine

Democratic Party

2021 Median Age

38.4

1.32% 1-year increase

2021 Poverty Rate

10.1%

36.4% 1-year increase

2021 Median Household Income

$78,673

6.6% 1-year growth

2021 Median Property Value

$250,100

7.02% 1-year growth

2021 Employed Population

11,101

2.61% 1-year decline

About

In 2021, Chester, VA had a population of 22.5k people with a median age of 38.4 and a median household income of $78,673. Between 2020 and 2021 the population of Chester, VA grew from 22,098 to 22,512, a 1.87% increase and its median household income grew from $73,800 to $78,673, a 6.6% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Chester, VA are White (Non-Hispanic) (59.3%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (24.7%), Other (Hispanic) (4.42%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (3.82%), and White (Hispanic) (2.06%).

None of the households in Chester, VA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

95.8% of the residents in Chester, VA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Chester, VA are Brightpoint Community College (1,607 degrees awarded in 2021).

In 2021, the median property value in Chester, VA was $250,100, and the homeownership rate was 71%.

Most people in Chester, VA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 27.6 minutes. The average car ownership in Chester, VA was 2 cars per household.

United States Virginia Chesterfield County, VA Richmond, VA James River Region PUMA, VA Chester & Rockwood PUMA, VA

Population & Diversity

Chester, VA is home to a population of 22.5k people, from which 95.8% are citizens. As of 2021, 6.71% of Chester, VA residents were born outside of the country (1.51k people).

In 2021, there were 2.4 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (13.3k people) in Chester, VA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 5.57k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 994 Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

95.8%

2021 Citizenship

95.8%

2020 Citizenship

As of 2021, 95.8% of Chester, VA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2020, the percentage of US citizens in Chester, VA was 95.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Chester, VA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Chester, VA

White (Non-Hispanic)
13.3k ± 1.5k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
5.57k ± 1.26k
Other (Hispanic)
994 ± 602

9.12%

Hispanic Population

2.05k people

9.12% of the people in Chester, VA are hispanic (2.05k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Chester, VA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Virginia.

Most Common Origin

El Salvador
109,039 ± 8,055 people
India
96,011 ± 7,565 people
Mexico
59,097 ± 5,948 people

In 2021, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Virginia was El Salvador, the natal country of 109,039 Virginia residents, followed by India with 96,011 and Mexico with 59,097.

Foreign-Born Population

6.71%

2021 Foreign-Born Population

1.51k people

6.63%

2020 Foreign-Born Population

1.47k people

As of 2021, 6.71% of Chester, VA residents (1.51k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.6%. In 2020, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Chester, VA was 6.63%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Chester, VA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
447 ± 203
Gulf War (1990s)
431 ± 248
Vietnam
403 ± 161

Chester, VA has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.04 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Chester, VA employs 11.1k people. The largest industries in Chester, VA are Retail Trade (1,552 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,409 people), and Construction (1,096 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($125,393), Manufacturing ($72,543), and Public Administration ($72,147).

Males in Virginia have an average income that is 1.33 times higher than the average income of females, which is $63,894. The income inequality in Virginia (measured using the Gini index) is 0.476, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

11.1k

2021 Value

± 1,045

−2.61%

1 Year decline

± 13.4%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in Chester, VA declined at a rate of −2.61%, from 11.4k employees to 11.1k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Chester, VA, are Sales & Related Occupations (1,212 people), Management Occupations (1,144 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,101 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Chester, VA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Virginia (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

View Full Dashboard

Industries

Employment by Industries

11.1k

2021 Value

± 1,045

−2.61%

1 Year decline

± 13.4%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in Chester, VA declined at a rate of −2.61%, from 11.4k employees to 11.1k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Chester, VA, are Retail Trade (1,552 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,409 people), and Construction (1,096 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Chester, VA, though some of these residents may live in Chester, VA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$52,466

Median earning men ± $3,011

$36,288

Median earning women ± $6,822

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2021 are Manufacturing ($82,616), Public Administration ($76,522), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($67,171).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2021 are Public Administration ($65,556), Construction ($62,750), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($49,645).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

Y-Axis

2.75%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 155M people employed in Virginia. This represents a 2.75% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Virginia.

View Full Dashboard

Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from Virginia to other states, or from other states to Virginia.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

In 2020, the top outbound Virginia product (by dollars) was Mixed freight with $37.7B, followed by Electronics ($29B) and Machinery ($23.6B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound Virginia products.

Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for Virginia.

$313B

2020 Value in Virginia

$612B

Projected 2050 Value in Virginia

95.3% growth

In 2020, total outbound Virginia trade was $313B. This is expected to increase 95.3% to $612B by 2050.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound Virginia trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from Virginia to other states, or from other states to Virginia.

Most Common Trade Partners

In 2020, the top outbound Virginia domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was North Carolina with $26B, followed by Maryland with $18.5B and Pennsylvania and $12.4B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that Virginia shares with each state (excluding itself).

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Virginia went to Joseph R Biden Jr. with 54.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (44%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.45%).

Mark Warner and Tim Kaine are the senators currently representing the state of Virginia. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Virginia is currently represented by 11 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Chester, VA. Showing the available data for Virginia.

2020 Election Results

Joseph R Biden Jr. (54.1%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (44%)
Republican Party
Jo Jorgensen (1.45%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Virginia went to Joseph R Biden Jr. with 54.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (44%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.45%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Virginia for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Virginia

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.

Mark Warner

Senator from Virginia

Assumed office on January 3, 2009

Tim Kaine

Senator from Virginia

Assumed office on January 3, 2013

Mark Warner and Tim Kaine are the senators currently representing Virginia.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Virginia over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Virginia

Virginia is currently represented by 11 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Virginia have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2021, universities in Chester, VA awarded 1,607 degrees. The student population of Chester, VA in 2021 is skewed towards women, with 3,527 male students and 5,031 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Chester, VA are White (905 and 56.7%), followed by Black or African American (306 and 19.2%), Hispanic or Latino (193 and 12.1%), and Two or More Races (85 and 5.33%).

The largest universities in Chester, VA by number of degrees awarded are Brightpoint Community College (1,607 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Chester, VA are General Studies (297 and 18.5%), Other Liberal Arts & Sciences, General Studies, & Humanities (262 and 16.3%), and Registered Nursing (121 and 7.53%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2021 there were 8,558 students enrolled in Chester, VA, 41.2% men and 58.8% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 4,816 records, of which 56.4% were women and 43.6% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Studies
297 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
111 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
92 degrees awarded

In 2021, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Chester, VA was General Studies with 297 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Chester, VA according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Brightpoint Community College

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

1,607 degrees awarded

In 2021, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Brightpoint Community College with 1,607 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2021, 645 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Chester, VA, which is 0.67 times less than the 962 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2021 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 905 degrees mean that there were 2.96 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 306 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Public, 2-year ($4,650) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2021.

Public, 2-year ($150) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2021.

Public, 2-year ($1,460) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.

Measure

In 2021, 0.836% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.859% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2021 were High School or Equivalent (1.68M), Bachelors Degree (1.44M), and Some college (1.41M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Chester, VA was $250,100 in 2021, which is 1.02 times larger than the national average of $244,900. Between 2020 and 2021 the median property value increased from $233,700 to $250,100, a 7.02% increase. The homeownership rate in Chester, VA is 71%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.6%.

People in Chester, VA have an average commute time of 27.6 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Chester, VA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Chester, VA is $78,673. In 2021, the place with the highest median household income in Chester, VA was Census Tract 1008.23 with a value of $94,113, followed by Census Tract 1005.05 and Census Tract 1005.06, with respective values of $87,857 and $83,718.

Housing

Property

$250,100

Median Property Value 2021

±$11,120

$6,070

Median Property Taxes

±$681

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Chester, VA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $2k - $3k range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Chester, VA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

71%

Homeownership

2021

63.6%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2021

In 2021, 71% of the housing units in Chester, VA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 72.7%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Chester, VA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 1008.23
Census Tract 1005.05
Census Tract 1005.06

In 2021, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Chester, VA was Census Tract 1008.23 with a value of $94,113, followed by Census Tract 1005.05 and Census Tract 1005.06, with respective values of $87,857 and $83,718.

The following map shows all of the places in Chester, VA colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$78,673

Median Household Income

± $9,418

8.54k

Number of Households

± 830

In 2021, the median household income of the 8.54k households in Chester, VA grew to $78,673 from the previous year's value of $73,800.

The following chart displays the households in Chester, VA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Chester, VA is from Virginia.

0.476

2021 Wage GINI in Virginia

0.478

2020 Wage GINI in Virginia

In 2021, the income inequality in Virginia was 0.476 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.381% decline from 2020 to 2021, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Virginia was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Virginia in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Virginia across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2021

Drove Alone (72.5%)
Worked At Home (11.7%)
Carpooled (10.5%)

In 2021, 72.5% of workers in Chester, VA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (11.7%) and those who carpooled to work (10.5%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

27.6 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Chester, VA have a longer commute time (27.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.8 minutes). Additionally, 3.33% of the workforce in Chester, VA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Chester, VA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Chester, VA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Chester, VA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

10.1% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Chester, VA (2.27k out of 22.4k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.6%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 45 - 54 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Chester, VA is White, followed by Black and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

94.6% of the population of Chester, VA has health coverage, with 54.3% on employee plans, 7.77% on Medicaid, 9.86% on Medicare, 18.3% on non-group plans, and 4.46% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Chesterfield County, VA see 1176 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.17% decrease from the previous year (1178 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1307 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 505 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for Chesterfield County, VA.

1,176 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Chesterfield County, VA

Primary care physicians in Chesterfield County, VA see an average of 1,176 patients per year. This represents a 0.17% decrease from the previous year (1,178 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Chesterfield County, VA in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2021, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 26.1% under 18 years, 19.5% between 18 and 34 years, 40.3% between 35 and 64 years, and 14.1% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 45.8% were men and 54.2% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

5.37%

Uninsured

54.3%

Employer Coverage

7.77%

Medicaid

9.86%

Medicare

18.3%

Non-Group

4.46%

Military or VA

Between 2020 and 2021, the percent of uninsured citizens in Chester, VA declined by 15.9% from 6.38% to 5.37%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Chester, VA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.