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Living in Chester

There were 2,806 physicians per 100,000 residents in 2026. The city had 6 schools in 2026. In July 2026, owner occupation was 40%, and the vacancy rate was 16%. Its population was 33,619 in July 2026.

Last checked 2026-09-1932 sources

Population33,996people31 Dec 2025Official source · U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program
Median gross salary2,294EUR/month31 Dec 2024Community source · Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS)
Median rent959EUR/month31 Dec 2024Independent source · Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables
Unemployment rate17.6%31 Dec 2024Independent source · Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables
Recorded crime2,819offences per 100,000country median 1,586 — 78% aboveOfficial source · FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting
PM2.5, annual mean7.59µg/m³country median 7.0 — 8% aboveOfficial source · EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 2024

More recorded crime than 79% of American cities that publish it and dirtier air than 66% of American cities that publish it.

Which United States-wide rules apply when you move to Chester?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Housing and cost

Median gross rent was US$1,091 per month, while the median home value was US$83,100 in July 2026. 64.6% of renter households spent at least 30% of income on housing in July 2026.

What recurs every month2 published recurring costs, € per month
Chester recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

Internet, 60 Mbps€60
Mobile plan, 10 GB€22
MetricValuePeriodSource
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited60.38 EUR/month30 Sept 2026Verizon 300 Mbps home internet23Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB21.57 EUR/month30 Sept 2026Visible unlimited mobile plan24Official · national market
Median gross rent$1,091/month4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent5Official
Households spending over 30% of income on rent64.6 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent5Official
Housing vacancy rate (legacy series)16.02 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent5Official
Property crime per 100,000 residents3,005 per 100,000 people1 Jul 2026FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics13Official
Average monthly rent (whole dwelling)978.6 EUR/month31 Dec 2020ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, tables B25065 (Aggregate Gross Rent) and B25063 (Gross Rent, units with cash rent)4Official
Median monthly rent959 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables28Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Recorded property crimes624 offenses/year31 Dec 2025FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)14Official

Is Chester a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker57%strong on work, weak on safety · range 49–65%
Skilled employee59%strong on work, weak on safety · range 50–68%
Student53%strong on education, weak on work · range 43–63%
Family48%strong on family, weak on cost · range 39–57%
Retirement48%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 38–58%

Worked out from these numbers

How international is the population?

5% of residents hold a foreign nationality — 1,705 of 33,996 people. This counts nationality, not place of birth, so long-settled residents who naturalised are not in it.

Uses a supplemental estimate, so treat it as indicative.

Work and income

Median household income was US$41,342 a year in July 2026.

Unemployment across cities in United StatesUnemployment in Chester is 17.6%. Of 2,153 cities with data, 1,250 have unemployment of 0 to under 5%.

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Median household income41,342 USD/year4 Jul 2026ACS total population6Official
Households with cable, fibre or DSL broadband65.95 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population6Official
Households with a broadband subscription88.59 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population6Official
Households with internet but no subscription1.04 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population6Official
Households without internet10.37 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population6Official
Households with satellite internet2.36 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population6Official
Median gross salary2,294 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS)27Community estimate · Supplemental context
Median gross salary (regional)4,013 EUR/month31 Dec 2025www.bls.gov26Official
Unemployment rate17.6 %31 Dec 2024Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables28Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context

What does a salary buy in Chester?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

regional median gross pay: €4,013 (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025-12-31).
Left over each month€2,067of €3,127 take-home
  • Rent
  • Internet
  • Mobile
  • Left over
Line-by-line breakdown and sources
Each month€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08.€3,127
Rentaverage rent of a whole dwelling · official · ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, tables B25065 (Aggregate Gross Rent) and B25063 (Gross Rent, units with cash rent) · 2020-12-31− €979
Internet€60 · official · Verizon 300 Mbps home internet · 2026-09-30− €60
Mobile plan€22 · official · Visible unlimited mobile plan · 2026-09-30− €22
Other everyday billsnot published for this city: public transport pass, utilities—
Left overbefore the bills this city does not publish€2,067
Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Chester Salary needed to live in Chester

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Chester. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

American Job Centers — Public employment service

U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration

Job Search

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Chester. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Family and education

MetricValuePeriodSource
Residents with high school education or higher84.34 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent5Official
Schools6 schools30 Jun 2026NCES CCD public school count17Official
School enrolment, share of residents29.23 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent5Official

Healthcare

MetricValuePeriodSource
Mental health provider ratio99 ratio30 Jun 2026HRSA mental health provider ratio16Official
Primary care doctors per 100,000 residents2,806 per 100,000 people30 Jun 2026HRSA mental health provider ratio16Official
Preventable hospitalizations2,781 per 100,000 people30 Jun 2026HRSA mental health provider ratio16Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Chester when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Safety

Recorded crime across major citiesChester highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Chester highlighted

recorded incidents per 100k residents

Philadelphia5,457
Houston5,442
San Antonio5,218
Chicago4,012
Dallas4,010
Austin3,709
Fort Worth3,158
Phoenix3,125
New York City3,039
Chester2,819
Los Angeles2,212
San Diego2,082
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents2,819 offences per 100,000country median 1,58631 Dec 2024FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting15Official
Violent crime per 100,000 residents1,383 per 100,000 people1 Jul 2026FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics13Official
Recorded violent crimes162 offenses/year31 Dec 2025FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)14Official

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
Average commute time22.92 minutes4 Jul 2026ACS total population6Official
Workers commuting by bicycle0.16 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population6Official
Workers commuting by public transport9.67 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population6Official
Workers walking to work8.69 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population6Official
Nearest airportPSQ3 Aug 2026OurAirports20Official
Distance to nearest airport5 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports20Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Chester. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

Adult Education and English Language Acquisition (AEFLA) — State Language Course

U.S. Department of Education

For adult learners, adult English-language learners.

EnglishIn Person, Online, HybridCost varies

USCIS English and citizenship class finder — Civic Orientation

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

For immigrants, future citizens.

EnglishIn Person, OnlineCost varies
National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Chester.

Find courses near Chester

Climate and air quality

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in United StatesAnnual PM2.5 in Chester is 7.6 µg/m³. Of 968 cities with data, 261 have annual PM2.5 of 6 to under 7 µg/m³.

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM2.5 — annual mean7.59 µg/m³country median 7.031 Dec 2024EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 202412Official
Average daytime high by monthJan 5.17 · Feb 6.83 · Mar 11.56 · Apr 18.17 · May 23.56 · Jun 28.44 · Jul 31 · Aug 29.89 · Sep 26.06 · Oct 19.56 · Nov 13.28 · Dec 7.78 °C1991–2020NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 — station USW00013739 (PHILA INTL AP)19Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by monthJan -3.33 · Feb -2.5 · Mar 1.28 · Apr 6.83 · May 12.33 · Jun 17.72 · Jul 20.89 · Aug 19.94 · Sep 16.06 · Oct 9.56 · Nov 3.78 · Dec -0.444 °C1991–2020NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 — station USW00013739 (PHILA INTL AP)19Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by monthJan 0.9 · Feb 2.2 · Mar 6.4 · Apr 12.5 · May 17.9 · Jun 23.1 · Jul 25.9 · Aug 24.9 · Sep 21.1 · Oct 14.5 · Nov 8.6 · Dec 3.7 °C31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI25Official
Average precipitation by monthJan 79.5 · Feb 69.85 · Mar 100.6 · Apr 88.14 · May 84.84 · Jun 102.6 · Jul 111.3 · Aug 109 · Sep 111.8 · Oct 88.14 · Nov 73.91 · Dec 100.8 mm1991–2020NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 — station USW00013739 (PHILA INTL AP)19Official · nearest-station reading
PM2.5, highest monitored reading195.8 µg/m³1 Jul 2026EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean11Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county
PM2.5, annual mean9.28 µg/m³1 Jul 2026EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean11Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county
PM2.5 monitoring sites7 monitors1 Jul 2026EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean11Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county
Annual precipitation867.9 mm30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals18Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation
Maximum July temperature26.31 °C30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals18Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation
Average annual temperature14.53 °C30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals18Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation
Minimum January temperature5.96 °C30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals18Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation

Similar climate. In United States: Columbia ±0.8 °C. Elsewhere: Aizu-Wakamatsu (Japan) ±1.3 °C, Reims (France) ±3.6 °C, Cottbus (Germany) ±3.6 °C, Werl (Germany) ±3.7 °C, Markham (Canada) ±3.8 °C. Twenty closest, compared month by month

Monthly highs and lows against the 1991–2020 station normals of the nearest station; ± is the average monthly difference.

Population and city profile

Foreign residents and their share come from different publications that count different groups (for example citizens of another country, or people born abroad, or of foreign origin), so 1,705 is not 2.6% of the population. Each row names its source.

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Foreign-resident share2.56 %31 Dec 2020Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)9Official
Foreign residents1,705 people31 Dec 2024Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables28Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Population density2,716 people/km²31 Dec 2025Census Reporter / U.S. Census Bureau10Official
Population33,996 people31 Dec 2025U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program22Official
Population covered by crime statistics34,402 people31 Dec 2025FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)14Official

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Median home value83,100 USD4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent5Official
Owner-occupied homes39.96 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent5Official
Labour force participation rate59.11 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population6Official
Residents born abroad5.07 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population6Official
Naturalized citizens, share of residents2.51 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population6Official
Non-citizens, share of residents2.56 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population6Official
Flu vaccination coverage63.12 %30 Jun 2026CDC BRFSS flu vaccination coverage7Official
Mammography screening coverage77.6 %30 Jun 2026CDC mammography screening rate8Official
Residents without health insurance5.71 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent5Official
Residents with a bachelor's degree or higher14.37 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent5Official
Crime reporting agencies1 agencies1 Jul 2026FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics13Official
Households with a vehicle available70.78 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent5Official
Public transport agencies in the National Transit Database0 agencies4 Jul 2026ACS total population6Official
Workers aged 16 and over12,526 workers4 Jul 2026ACS total population6Official
Workers mainly working from home9.53 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population6Official
Households using cellular data plans83.9 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population6Official

Alternatives for people set on Chester

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Norwood borough as a Chester alternative in the same region

8 km away, better on 3 of 5 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0.

  • Median gross pay, city: €3,680 Norwood borough vs €2,294 Chester+60%
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 664 Norwood borough vs 2,819 Chester−76%
  • Unemployment: 8.7% Norwood borough vs 17.6% Chester−51%
  • Median gross pay, region: €4,013 Norwood borough vs €4,013 Chestersame level
  • Annual PM2.5: 7.6 µg/m³ Norwood borough vs 7.6 µg/m³ Chestersame level

Plainfield as a Chester alternative in the same country

A move, not a commute, at 1098 km, better on 4 of 7 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1.

  • Median gross pay, city: €4,830 Plainfield vs €2,294 Chester+111%
  • Unemployment: 3.8% Plainfield vs 17.6% Chester−79%
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 741 Plainfield vs 2,819 Chester−74%
  • Foreign residents: 6.1% Plainfield vs 2.6% Chester+139%
  • Nearest airport: 9.0 km Plainfield vs 5.0 km Chester+80%
  • Residents: 50,043 Plainfield vs 33,996 Chester+47%
  • Annual PM2.5: 7.8 µg/m³ Plainfield vs 7.6 µg/m³ Chestersame level

Cities near Chester

Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.

Brookhaven borough 3.2 km away
Rent
1,374 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2020-12-31
Salary
4,380 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31
Woodlyn 4.3 km away
Rent
1,105 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2020-12-31
Salary
4,140 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31
Village Green-Green Ridge 4.8 km away
Rent
1,253 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2020-12-31
Salary
3,753 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31
Ridley Park 5.4 km away
Rent
1,247 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2020-12-31
Salary
4,267 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31
Swarthmore 6.5 km away
Rent
1,415 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2020-12-31
Salary
3,050 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31
Prospect Park borough 7.0 km away
Rent
1,093 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2020-12-31
Salary
3,294 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31
Media 8.2 km away
Rent
1,304 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2020-12-31
Salary
4,880 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31

Alternative cities in United States

Other cities in United States to compare with Chester, nearest in population first.

All United States cities

How does Chester compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Chester's.

Chester in rankings

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

What is the typical salary around Chester?

The median gross salary is 4,013 EUR/month. Source: www.bls.gov.

What is the unemployment rate in Chester?

The unemployment rate is 17.6 %. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables.

Is the air quality good in Chester?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 7.59 µg/m³. The WHO 2021 guideline is 5 µg/m³ and the EU limit value is 25 µg/m³, so this reading is above the WHO guideline but within the EU limit. Source: EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 2024.

How safe is Chester?

Police recorded 2,819 offences per 100,000. This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting.

How many people live in Chester?

The published population is 33,996 people. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program.

How many foreign residents live in Chester?

1,705 residents hold a foreign nationality. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables.

Is Chester a good place to live?

Chester may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Which cities are near Chester?

Brookhaven borough, Woodlyn, Village Green-Green Ridge, Ridley Park, Swarthmore are near Chester. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Chester (Pennsylvania), United States: population, rent [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 54514e67430f565460fee712763be839]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/chester-pa/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_chester-pennsylvania-united-states-population-rent_6c02c12d01c8,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Chester (Pennsylvania), United States: population, rent},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {54514e67430f565460fee712763be839},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/chester-pa/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Chester (Pennsylvania), United States: population, rent](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/chester-pa/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 54514e67430f565460fee712763be839; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. 2024 American Community Survey 5-year detailed tables api.census.gov · checked 2026-10-04
  2. ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, table B20002 (Median Earnings in the Past 12 Months (in 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars) by Sex for the Population 16 Years and Over with Earnings) www2.census.gov · checked 2026-09-19
  3. ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, table B25064 (Median Gross Rent), place records www2.census.gov · checked 2026-09-18
  4. ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, tables B25065 (Aggregate Gross Rent) and B25063 (Gross Rent, units with cash rent) www2.census.gov · checked 2026-09-19
  5. ACS median gross rent api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-04
  6. ACS total population api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-04
  7. CDC BRFSS flu vaccination coverage data.cdc.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  8. CDC mammography screening rate data.cdc.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  9. Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS) api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-08-03
  10. Census Reporter / U.S. Census Bureau api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-08-03
Show 22 more sources
  1. EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean aqs.epa.gov · checked 2026-07-01
  2. EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 2024 aqs.epa.gov · checked 2026-07-26
  3. FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-07-01
  4. FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip) cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-09-05
  5. FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-08-04
  6. HRSA mental health provider ratio data.hrsa.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  7. NCES CCD public school count nces.ed.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  8. NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  9. NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 — station USW00013739 (PHILA INTL AP) NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
  10. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  11. U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb Places (layer 4 incorporated places, layer 5 CDPs; identical query) tigerweb.geo.census.gov · checked 2026-09-11
  12. U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program www2.census.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  13. Verizon 300 Mbps home internet verizon.com · checked 2026-09-15
  14. Visible unlimited mobile plan visible.com · checked 2026-09-15
  15. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  16. www.bls.gov bls.gov · checked 2026-08-27
  17. Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS) api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-09-11
  18. Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-26
  19. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  20. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  21. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  22. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.