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.
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.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited | 60.38 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | Verizon 300 Mbps home internet23Official · national market |
| Mobile plan, 10 GB | 21.57 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | Visible unlimited mobile plan24Official · national market |
| Median gross rent | $1,091/month | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS median gross rent5Official |
| Households spending over 30% of income on rent | 64.6 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS median gross rent5Official |
| Housing vacancy rate (legacy series) | 16.02 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS median gross rent5Official |
| Property crime per 100,000 residents | 3,005 per 100,000 people | 1 Jul 2026 | FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics13Official |
| Average monthly rent (whole dwelling) | 978.6 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2020 | ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, tables B25065 (Aggregate Gross Rent) and B25063 (Gross Rent, units with cash rent)4Official |
| Median monthly rent | 959 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2024 | Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables28Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Recorded property crimes | 624 offenses/year | 31 Dec 2025 | FBI 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.
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.
Chester 17.6%
Unemployment rate (%)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | 41,342 USD/year | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Households with cable, fibre or DSL broadband | 65.95 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 88.59 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Households with internet but no subscription | 1.04 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Households without internet | 10.37 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Households with satellite internet | 2.36 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Median gross salary | 2,294 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2024 | Census 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/month | 31 Dec 2025 | www.bls.gov26Official |
| Unemployment rate | 17.6 % | 31 Dec 2024 | Census 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.
RentInternetMobileLeft 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 |
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.
American Job Centers — Public employment service
Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Chester. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.
Family and education
Healthcare
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mental health provider ratio | 99 ratio | 30 Jun 2026 | HRSA mental health provider ratio16Official |
| Primary care doctors per 100,000 residents | 2,806 per 100,000 people | 30 Jun 2026 | HRSA mental health provider ratio16Official |
| Preventable hospitalizations | 2,781 per 100,000 people | 30 Jun 2026 | HRSA 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 guideSafety
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents | 2,819 offences per 100,000country median 1,586 | 31 Dec 2024 | FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting15Official |
| Violent crime per 100,000 residents | 1,383 per 100,000 people | 1 Jul 2026 | FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics13Official |
| Recorded violent crimes | 162 offenses/year | 31 Dec 2025 | FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)14Official |
Mobility and administration
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average commute time | 22.92 minutes | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Workers commuting by bicycle | 0.16 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Workers commuting by public transport | 9.67 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Workers walking to work | 8.69 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Nearest airport | PSQ | 3 Aug 2026 | OurAirports20Official |
| Distance to nearest airport | 5 km | 3 Aug 2026 | OurAirports20Official |
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.
Adult Education and English Language Acquisition (AEFLA) — State Language Course
U.S. Department of Education
For adult learners, adult English-language learners.
USCIS English and citizenship class finder — Civic Orientation
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
For immigrants, future citizens.
Climate and air quality
Night-time low to daytime high
mm
Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³
City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.
Chester 7.6
Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 — annual mean | 7.59 µg/m³country median 7.0 | 31 Dec 2024 | EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 202412Official |
| Average daytime high by month | Jan 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 °C | 1991–2020 | NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 — station USW00013739 (PHILA INTL AP)19Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average night-time low by month | Jan -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 °C | 1991–2020 | NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 — station USW00013739 (PHILA INTL AP)19Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average temperature by month | Jan 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 °C | 31 Dec 1991 | World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI25Official |
| Average precipitation by month | Jan 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 mm | 1991–2020 | NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 — station USW00013739 (PHILA INTL AP)19Official · nearest-station reading |
| PM2.5, highest monitored reading | 195.8 µg/m³ | 1 Jul 2026 | EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean11Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county |
| PM2.5, annual mean | 9.28 µg/m³ | 1 Jul 2026 | EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean11Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county |
| PM2.5 monitoring sites | 7 monitors | 1 Jul 2026 | EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean11Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county |
| Annual precipitation | 867.9 mm | 30 Jun 2026 | NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals18Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation |
| Maximum July temperature | 26.31 °C | 30 Jun 2026 | NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals18Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation |
| Average annual temperature | 14.53 °C | 30 Jun 2026 | NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals18Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation |
| Minimum January temperature | 5.96 °C | 30 Jun 2026 | NOAA 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.
By nationality
National passport95%
Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreign-resident share | 2.56 % | 31 Dec 2020 | Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)9Official |
| Foreign residents | 1,705 people | 31 Dec 2024 | Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables28Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Population density | 2,716 people/km² | 31 Dec 2025 | Census Reporter / U.S. Census Bureau10Official |
| Population | 33,996 people | 31 Dec 2025 | U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program22Official |
| Population covered by crime statistics | 34,402 people | 31 Dec 2025 | FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)14Official |
Additional context
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value | 83,100 USD | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS median gross rent5Official |
| Owner-occupied homes | 39.96 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS median gross rent5Official |
| Labour force participation rate | 59.11 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Residents born abroad | 5.07 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Naturalized citizens, share of residents | 2.51 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Non-citizens, share of residents | 2.56 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Flu vaccination coverage | 63.12 % | 30 Jun 2026 | CDC BRFSS flu vaccination coverage7Official |
| Mammography screening coverage | 77.6 % | 30 Jun 2026 | CDC mammography screening rate8Official |
| Residents without health insurance | 5.71 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS median gross rent5Official |
| Residents with a bachelor's degree or higher | 14.37 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS median gross rent5Official |
| Crime reporting agencies | 1 agencies | 1 Jul 2026 | FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics13Official |
| Households with a vehicle available | 70.78 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS median gross rent5Official |
| Public transport agencies in the National Transit Database | 0 agencies | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Workers aged 16 and over | 12,526 workers | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Workers mainly working from home | 9.53 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Households using cellular data plans | 83.9 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS 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.
- Rent
- 1,374 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2020-12-31
- Salary
- 4,380 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31
- Rent
- 1,105 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2020-12-31
- Salary
- 4,140 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31
- Rent
- 1,253 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2020-12-31
- Salary
- 3,753 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31
- Rent
- 1,247 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2020-12-31
- Salary
- 4,267 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31
- Rent
- 1,415 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2020-12-31
- Salary
- 3,050 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31
- Rent
- 1,093 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2020-12-31
- Salary
- 3,294 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31
- 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.
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
- 2024 American Community Survey 5-year detailed tables api.census.gov · checked 2026-10-04
- 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
- ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, table B25064 (Median Gross Rent), place records www2.census.gov · checked 2026-09-18
- 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
- ACS median gross rent api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-04
- ACS total population api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-04
- CDC BRFSS flu vaccination coverage data.cdc.gov · checked 2026-06-30
- CDC mammography screening rate data.cdc.gov · checked 2026-06-30
- Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS) api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-08-03
- Census Reporter / U.S. Census Bureau api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-08-03
Show 22 more sources
- EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean aqs.epa.gov · checked 2026-07-01
- EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 2024 aqs.epa.gov · checked 2026-07-26
- FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-07-01
- FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip) cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-09-05
- FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-08-04
- HRSA mental health provider ratio data.hrsa.gov · checked 2026-06-30
- NCES CCD public school count nces.ed.gov · checked 2026-06-30
- NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-06-30
- 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
- OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb Places (layer 4 incorporated places, layer 5 CDPs; identical query) tigerweb.geo.census.gov · checked 2026-09-11
- U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program www2.census.gov · checked 2026-08-03
- Verizon 300 Mbps home internet verizon.com · checked 2026-09-15
- Visible unlimited mobile plan visible.com · checked 2026-09-15
- World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
- www.bls.gov bls.gov · checked 2026-08-27
- Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS) api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-09-11
- Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-26
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- 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.