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Virginia · Census place 16096

Chester, VA population, income and ZIP codes

Quick answer

The population of the city of Chester, Virginia (Chester, VA — Census place “Chester CDP”) is 23,519 residents, ranking #50 of 688 places in Virginia. Median household income is $88,455, the median home is worth $290,600 and median gross rent runs $1,463 a month. Looking for the Chester Virginia ZIP code list? 1 ZIP codes serve Chester, VA: 23831.

Population
23,519Chester CDP residents
Median household income
$88,455Past 12 months, inflation adjusted
Median home value
$290,600Owner-occupied units
Median gross rent
$1,463Rent plus utilities, monthly
Median age
41.2 yrsAll residents
Homeownership rate
72.9%Owner-occupied households

Chester ZIP codes (Virginia)

Census ZCTAs whose delivery area overlaps Chester.

The Chester VA ZIP code list below covers 1 ZIP code. Open any one for its population, income, housing and rent profile.

What the numbers mean in Chester CDP

Housing cost measured against local earnings.

A household earning the Chester CDP median would spend about 19.8% of gross income on the median rent. The 30% mark is the federal threshold for cost burden, so anything above it signals a stretched rental market. The median home costs 3.3× the median household income; nationally that ratio sits near 4.5×. Poverty affects 7.8% of residents and 72.9% of households own their home.

Source: US Census Bureau, ACS 2019-2023 5-year estimates · rates as published for 2019-2023 ACS 5-year

Chester CDP, VA in context

How this area compares with national benchmarks.

Chester CDP is a mid-size town in Virginia, with 23,519 residents counted in the Census American Community Survey 2019-2023 ACS 5-year estimates, which places it #50 of 688 ranked by population — larger than 92% of them. The median age here is 41.2 years against 39.1 nationally, a slightly older profile than the country as a whole. Places under 65,000 residents only appear in the five-year release, never the one-year file, so these values pool sixty months of responses and lag the current year by design.

Households in Chester CDP earn a median of $88,455 a year, 12.6% above the national figure of $78,538 and 7% above the $82,986 median for the 383 Virginia cities we cover. Household income here is measured before tax and pooled across everyone at the address, which is why it reads higher than typical individual earnings in the same area. Poverty reaches 7.8% of residents here, below the 12.4% national rate.

The typical owner-occupied home in Chester CDP is valued at $290,600, 4.2% below the national figure and within a couple of points of the $291,300 peer median, while median gross rent runs $1,463 a month, 4.1% above the national figure, or roughly $17,556 across a full year. A household on the local median income would put about 19.8% of gross pay toward that rent against the federal 30% cost-burden threshold, so renting here is cheap relative to what people here earn. The home-price-to-income ratio works out to 3.3×, against roughly 3.9× nationally, so buying is easier here than in the average US market. 72.9% of occupied homes are owner-occupied versus 65% nationally, so the market leans toward owners. Rent is reported gross — contract rent plus tenant-paid utilities — which is why it runs above the advertised price on a listing for the same unit.

Every value on this page is published directly by the Census for this area — nothing is modelled or interpolated. Small-area estimates still carry wider margins of error than state or national figures, so check the linked ACS tables before relying on them for lending, appraisal or legal work.

Compare with nearby places

Places of similar size in Virginia.

More Virginia coverage.

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about this area.

What is the population of Chester CDP?
Chester CDP has 23,519 residents on Census ACS 2019-2023 ACS 5-year estimates, ranking #50 of 688 in Virginia.
What is the median household income in Chester CDP?
Median household income in Chester CDP is $88,455 a year, 12.6% above the national figure of $78,538.
How much does it cost to rent or buy in Chester CDP?
Median gross rent is $1,463 a month and the median home value is $290,600, so rent absorbs about 19.8% of median household income.
Is Chester CDP affordable compared with the rest of the US?
Homes cost about 3.3× the local median income here versus roughly 3.9× nationally, so Chester CDP is more affordable to buy in than the typical US market, and rent takes 19.8% of median income against the 30% cost-burden line.
How current is this Chester CDP data?
All figures come from the US Census Bureau American Community Survey 2019-2023 ACS 5-year five-year estimates. Places under 65,000 residents only appear in the five-year release, never the one-year file, so these values pool sixty months of responses and lag the current year by design.