Population 722 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Chester
Household size in Chester
| Period | Chester | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.86 | 2.58 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.70 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.74 | 2.53 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.82 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.04 | −0.06 | −0.03 |
The typical household in Chester holds 2.82 people, more than the U.S. average of 2.65.
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 | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.2 | 38.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.0 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.6 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.2 | 41.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.0 | +2.4 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Chester are younger than 39.2 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The population here is younger than in Michigan overall, where the median age is 41.3. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 36.2, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.6% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.7% | 11.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.0% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.7% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.9 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Chester: 3.7% of households, against 11.6% nationally.
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 | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.8% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 5.3% | 28.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 7.1% | 28.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 12.6% | 26.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.2 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Chester is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 12.6% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Nearly four in ten owners (38.8%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally.
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 | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.6% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.2% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.4% | 11.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.2% | 10.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.6 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Chester: 6.2% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing.
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 | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1976 | 1969 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1979 | 1970 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1982 | 1971 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1979 | 1972 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +3 | +6 |
Homes in Chester are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1979, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are newer than in Michigan as a whole, where the median home dates to 1972.
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 | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $744 | $833 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,004 | $886 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,203 | $978 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,176 | $1,228 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$432 | +$395 | +$606 |
Rent in Chester runs $1,176 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. That is in line with the rest of Michigan. Rent takes 22.6% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under 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 | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.8% | 26.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 18.1% | 27.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.6% | 29.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 18.5% | 32.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +1.6 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Chester have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 18.5%, against 35.6% nationally.
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 | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 92.3% | 88.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 90.3% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 89.5% | 90.7% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 86.9% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | −5.4 pts | +3.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in eight adults in Chester never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 86.9% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S.
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 | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.8% | 11.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.1% | 11.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.3% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.6% | 5.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −8.2 pts | −5.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Chester has been strong: just 1.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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 | 2.82 | 39.2 | 3.7% | 12.6% | 6.2% | 1979 | $1,176 | 18.5% | 86.9% | 1.6% |
| Carlisle | 2.78 | 38.8 | 7.0% | 7.5% | 5.0% | 1976 | $1,066 | 17.6% | 89.8% | 5.3% |
| Gresham | 2.53 | 48.1 | 3.3% | 6.7% | 4.1% | 1967 | $1,048 | 14.2% | 88.3% | 2.4% |
| Charlotte | 2.54 | 40.0 | 9.6% | 20.8% | 5.8% | 1972 | $905 | 19.2% | 92.7% | 3.2% |
| Vermontville | 2.84 | 37.1 | 7.0% | 10.0% | 6.9% | 1974 | $983 | 16.6% | 87.7% | 3.5% |
| Needmore | 2.50 | 46.3 | 4.6% | 8.0% | 2.5% | 1968 | $1,065 | 21.5% | 93.8% | 3.4% |
| Potterville | 2.70 | 36.1 | 13.0% | 27.3% | 6.0% | 1988 | $1,097 | 20.0% | 96.8% | 4.0% |
| Little Venice | 2.43 | 43.8 | 5.5% | 15.1% | 3.0% | 1960 | $1,075 | 21.3% | 94.3% | 2.1% |
| Nashville | 2.73 | 39.5 | 9.6% | 18.5% | 5.9% | 1960 | $888 | 10.6% | 90.5% | 10.7% |
| Olivet | 2.51 | 35.1 | 6.5% | 19.6% | 6.9% | 1970 | $1,045 | 24.5% | 94.2% | 7.6% |
| Mulliken | 2.57 | 43.6 | 5.2% | 8.7% | 3.1% | 1962 | $1,074 | 31.2% | 94.9% | 2.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Chesterville, IL · New Site, MS · Winston, MT · Fenwood, WI · Mount Cory, OH · Farmersville Station, NY · Exeter, ME · Canehill, AR · Nicut, OK · Willisville, IL
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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