Population 3,771 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Chester
Household size in Chester
| Period | Chester | Hartford area | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.37 | 2.51 | 2.57 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.20 | 2.52 | 2.61 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.29 | 2.49 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.27 | 2.47 | 2.55 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.10 | −0.04 | −0.02 | −0.03 |
Chester is a place of small households, averaging 2.27 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.37, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 | Hartford area | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 47.1 | 40.4 | 40.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 51.0 | 41.2 | 41.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 50.2 | 41.9 | 42.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 48.8 | 41.9 | 42.1 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.7 | +1.5 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 48.8, Chester is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees.
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 | Hartford area | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.1% | 11.4% | 11.2% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.9% | 12.1% | 11.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.6% | 10.7% | 10.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.8% | 11.0% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +3.7 pts | −0.4 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Chester as they are nationally: 11.8%, against 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 | Hartford area | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.9% | 31.0% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 29.9% | 32.4% | 32.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.5% | 33.7% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 26.9% | 32.7% | 33.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.9 pts | +1.7 pts | +2.7 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Chester own their homes; 26.9% rent, below the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 35.6% have no mortgage at all, below 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 | Hartford area | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.5% | 8.0% | 8.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.4% | 8.2% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.3% | 9.2% | 10.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.2% | 7.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −8.3 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Chester as nationally: 8.2%, against 9.6%.
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 | Hartford area | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1958 | 1964 | 1963 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1959 | 1965 | 1964 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1959 | 1966 | 1964 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1967 | 1967 | 1967 | 1980 |
| Change | +10 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Chester is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1967, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. That is in line with the rest of the Hartford area.
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 | Hartford area | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,316 | $1,014 | $1,127 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,029 | $1,114 | $1,218 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,264 | $1,229 | $1,380 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,570 | $1,559 | $1,702 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$255 | +$545 | +$575 | +$606 |
Rent in Chester runs $1,570 a month at the median, utilities included, close to the U.S. median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 39.3% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 | Hartford area | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.8% | 35.0% | 35.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 39.6% | 36.2% | 37.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 38.2% | 39.1% | 39.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 46.8% | 41.8% | 42.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.0 pts | +6.8 pts | +6.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Chester: 46.8% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby.
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 | Hartford area | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 89.3% | 88.3% | 88.1% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 95.3% | 89.6% | 89.2% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.7% | 90.7% | 90.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 96.0% | 91.8% | 91.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.7 pts | +3.5 pts | +3.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Chester: 96.0% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
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 | Hartford area | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.2% | 7.6% | 7.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.3% | 9.5% | 9.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.7% | 5.7% | 6.2% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.4% | 5.2% | 5.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | +1.2 pts | −2.5 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Chester is the same as the national rate: 5.4% of the labor force. 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 | 2.27 | 48.8 | 11.8% | 26.9% | 8.2% | 1967 | $1,570 | 46.8% | 96.0% | 5.4% |
| Deep River | 2.38 | 45.3 | 10.8% | 32.7% | 6.9% | 1968 | $1,199 | 45.6% | 92.8% | 3.0% |
| Hadlyme | 2.23 | 58.5 | 4.6% | 9.1% | 12.3% | 1976 | $1,726 | 51.2% | 99.0% | 2.8% |
| Winthrop | 2.59 | 44.9 | 6.9% | 9.8% | 8.4% | 1974 | $1,252 | 44.9% | 96.4% | 3.5% |
| Haddam | 2.55 | 48.6 | 9.0% | 14.7% | 8.2% | 1972 | $1,672 | 47.2% | 93.7% | 5.7% |
| Shailerville | 2.41 | 49.5 | 9.0% | 21.7% | 10.2% | 1977 | $1,678 | 51.0% | 91.9% | 8.7% |
| Ivoryton | 2.53 | 40.4 | 2.7% | 22.9% | 15.8% | 1968 | $1,510 | 46.4% | 96.7% | 1.3% |
| Ponset | 2.91 | 45.1 | 5.3% | 7.2% | 7.9% | 1970 | $1,466 | 41.7% | 98.0% | 1.4% |
| Centerbrook | 2.24 | 48.4 | 3.5% | 23.1% | 12.0% | 1975 | $1,768 | 50.4% | 96.8% | 3.4% |
| Essex | 2.15 | 59.6 | 9.8% | 19.0% | 9.5% | 1966 | $1,997 | 61.1% | 97.6% | 4.0% |
| East Haddam | 2.37 | 52.1 | 7.6% | 5.4% | 11.5% | 1977 | $1,445 | 40.5% | 98.6% | 4.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: St. Jacob, IL · Glenmora, LA · Old Monroe, MO · Scott AFB, IL · St. Ignace, MI · Nanty-Glo, PA · Moravia, NY · Manville, RI · Tonkawa, OK · Kaneohe Bay, HI
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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