Population 1,036 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Chester
Household size in Chester
| Period | Chester | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.78 | 2.54 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.43 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.31 | 2.55 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.83 | 2.53 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.05 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Chester average 2.83 people, above the national 2.65, so families with children are more common here.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Chester
| Period | Chester | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.9 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 48.2 | 38.7 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 51.5 | 39.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 45.7 | 39.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +8.8 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 45.7, Chester is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. The median age has climbed from 36.9 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Chester
| Period | Chester | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.7% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 5.1% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 3.7% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 16.5% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +5.8 pts | −0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in six households in Chester (16.5%), well above the national share of 11.6%.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Chester
Renters in Chester
| Period | Chester | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.8% | 32.3% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.6% | 33.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 4.0% | 34.4% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 12.8% | 33.6% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.9 pts | +1.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 12.8% of households in Chester rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. About half of owners (50.4%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Chester
| Period | Chester | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.4% | 13.4% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 21.0% | 13.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 18.4% | 14.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 17.7% | 13.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +9.2 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 17.7% of the housing in Chester, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Chester
| Period | Chester | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1990 | 1981 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1992 | 1983 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1986 | 1985 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1978 | 1988 | 1980 |
| Change | −12 | +6 | +6 |
Homes in Chester are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1978, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are older than in Arkansas overall, where the median home dates to 1988.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Chester
| Period | Chester | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $466 | $660 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $542 | $718 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $778 | $785 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $992 | $1,007 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$526 | +$346 | +$606 |
The median renter in Chester pays $992 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The picture is much the same across Arkansas. Rent takes 32.8% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Chester
Bachelor's degrees in Chester
| Period | Chester | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.6% | 20.6% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.4% | 21.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.0% | 23.8% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 23.1% | 26.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +14.5 pts | +5.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Chester: 23.1% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Chester
| Period | Chester | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 77.0% | 82.6% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 83.5% | 84.6% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 80.7% | 86.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 83.8% | 88.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.8 pts | +6.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in six adults in Chester never finished high school, well above the national share: only 83.8% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Chester
| Period | Chester | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.4% | 7.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 4.3% | 8.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.5% | 5.2% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.1% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −6.4 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Chester has been low: just 1.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Chester compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chester | 2.83 | 45.7 | 16.5% | 12.8% | 17.7% | 1978 | $992 | 23.1% | 83.8% | 1.1% |
| Mountainburg | 2.69 | 44.6 | 5.5% | 10.5% | 11.3% | 1983 | $724 | 26.3% | 89.0% | 2.1% |
| Lee Creek | 2.55 | 62.3 | 22.3% | 0.0% | 8.7% | 1998 | $873 | 16.7% | 64.7% | 0.0% |
| Schaberg | 2.91 | 43.6 | 18.2% | 18.6% | 25.6% | 1971 | $927 | 27.0% | 88.6% | 2.6% |
| Rudy | 2.39 | 49.8 | 4.8% | 7.1% | 7.3% | 1988 | $818 | 18.7% | 84.7% | 1.2% |
| Cedarville | 2.64 | 46.7 | 11.0% | 5.9% | 8.4% | 1991 | $969 | 15.0% | 82.6% | 1.5% |
| Locke | 2.70 | 43.3 | 3.9% | 12.6% | 8.9% | 1981 | $877 | 16.7% | 86.6% | 2.1% |
| Natural Dam | 2.56 | 56.1 | 17.1% | 4.3% | 10.5% | 1996 | $870 | 18.3% | 71.6% | 0.8% |
| Mount Gaylor | 2.82 | 45.1 | 4.7% | 11.3% | 9.0% | 1976 | $793 | 11.4% | 83.7% | 2.5% |
| Uniontown | 2.55 | 43.1 | 4.7% | 8.5% | 12.5% | 1996 | $873 | 16.6% | 88.1% | 1.0% |
| Mulberry | 2.83 | 40.3 | 13.2% | 17.0% | 12.9% | 1984 | $829 | 12.3% | 82.3% | 1.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Addieville, IL · Alma, IL · Altheimer, AR · Wolfton, SC · Arrey, NM · Ashley, ND · Westover, LA · North Londonderry, NH · Pawlet, VT · Pattonsburg, MO
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Chester. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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