Living in Chester

In Chester (Virginia), unemployment is 2.5% (2024).

Chester's population was 23,414 at the end of 2020. The city faced an unemployment rate of 2.55% at the end of 2024. Chester was home to 1,638 foreign residents at the end of 2024.

Last checked 2026-10-0728 sources

Population23,414people31 Dec 2020Official source · U.S. Census Bureau, TIGERweb Census 2020

Median gross salary3,888EUR/month31 Dec 2020Official source · 2024 American Community Survey 5-year detailed tables

Median rent1,481EUR/month31 Dec 2020Official source · ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, table B25064 (Median Gross Rent), place records

Unemployment rate2.55%country median 4.6% — 44% belowOfficial source · Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)

PM2.5, annual mean7.12µg/m³31 Dec 2024Nearest stationOfficial source · U.S. EPA Air Quality System / AirData

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.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in United StatesNational rates and thresholds that apply in Chester.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

What recurs every month2 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Internet, 60 Mbps€60

Mobile plan, 10 GB€22

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	60.38 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Verizon 300 Mbps home internet¹⁴Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB	21.57 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Visible unlimited mobile plan¹⁵Official · national market
Average monthly rent (whole dwelling)	1,473 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)³Official
Median monthly rent	1,481 EUR/month	31 Dec 2020	ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, table B25064 (Median Gross Rent), place records²Official

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 worker36%strong on work, weak on safety · range 26–46%

Skilled employee64%strong on work, weak on safety · range 55–73%

Student35%strong on legal route, weak on safety · range 24–46%

Family62%strong on family, weak on safety · range 51–73%

Retirement34%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 21–47%

Work and income

What is the typical salary in Chester?

The median gross salary is about 3,888 EUR/month (2020-2024). Source: 2024 American Community Survey 5-year detailed tables¹

City-scope median, gross, before tax and social contributions.

What is the unemployment rate in Chester?

The unemployment rate is about 2.5 % (2024).

Unemployment rate: 2.55 % · Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)⁶

Unemployment across cities in United StatesUnemployment in Chester is 2.6%. Of 2,153 cities with data, 1,250 have unemployment of 0 to under 5%.

1,250

778

0–55–1010–1515–2020–2525–30

Chester 2.6%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Median gross salary	3,888 EUR/month	31 Dec 2020	2024 American Community Survey 5-year detailed tables¹Official
Unemployment rate	2.55 %country median 4.6%	31 Dec 2024	Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)⁶Official

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.

Left over each month€1,484of €3,039 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.	€3,039
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	− €1,473
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	€1,484

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

Open official service

Open the United States service overview

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

Healthcare

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Physicians per 100,000 residents	288.4 per 100,000	31 Dec 2023	Area Health Resources Files (AHRF), County 2024-2025 release⁵Official · county

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.

Mobility and administration

Chester's nearest airport was RIC, 20 km away and offered 19 direct destinations.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Direct destinations from the nearest major airport	19 count	3 Aug 2026	OpenFlights⁷Official
Distance to the nearest major airport	20 km	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports⁸Official
Nearest major airport (IATA code)	RIC	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports⁸Official

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

Open official information

USCIS English and citizenship class finder — Civic Orientation

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

For immigrants, future citizens.

EnglishIn Person, OnlineCost varies

Open official information

Open the full United States section

National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Chester.

Find courses near Chester

Climate and air quality

At the end of 2024, annual PM2.5 reached 7.1 µg/m³. Monthly mean temperature moved from 3.5°C in January to 26.3°C in July.

Is the air quality good in Chester?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 7.1 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³.

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

PM2.5 — annual mean: 7.12 µg/m³ · U.S. EPA Air Quality System / AirData¹³

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C

0°

9°-2°

11°-1°

15°3°

21°8°

25°13°

30°18°

32°21°

31°20°

27°16°

22°9°

16°4°

11°0°

JFMAMJJASOND

Night-time low to daytime high

Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm

102

118

111

125

117

JFMAMJJASOND

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³

PM2.57.1WHO 5 · EU 25

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 7.1 µg/m³. Of 968 cities with data, 261 have annual PM2.5 of 6 to under 7 µg/m³.

135

261

252

124

1–22–33–44–55–66–77–88–99–1010–1111–1212–1313–1414–1515–16

Chester 7.1

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
PM2.5 — annual mean	7.12 µg/m³	31 Dec 2024	U.S. EPA Air Quality System / AirData¹³Official · nearest-station reading
Average daytime high by month	Jan 8.8 · Feb 10.9 · Mar 15.3 · Apr 21.4 · May 25.4 · Jun 29.8 · Jul 32 · Aug 30.8 · Sep 27.3 · Oct 21.6 · Nov 15.8 · Dec 10.8 °C	31 Dec 1991	World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI¹⁶Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by month	Jan -1.8 · Feb -0.9 · Mar 2.9 · Apr 8 · May 13.2 · Jun 18.1 · Jul 20.7 · Aug 19.8 · Sep 16.2 · Oct 9.4 · Nov 3.8 · Dec 0.1 °C	31 Dec 1991	World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI¹⁷Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by month	Jan 3.5 · Feb 5 · Mar 9.1 · Apr 14.7 · May 19.3 · Jun 23.9 · Jul 26.3 · Aug 25.3 · Sep 21.8 · Oct 15.5 · Nov 9.8 · Dec 5.4 °C	31 Dec 1991	World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI¹⁸Official · nearest-station reading
Average precipitation by month	Jan 81.9 · Feb 66.4 · Mar 101.7 · Apr 80.7 · May 101.6 · Jun 117.8 · Jul 110.9 · Aug 124.6 · Sep 117.1 · Oct 86 · Nov 77.8 · Dec 89.1 mm	31 Dec 1991	World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI¹⁹Official · nearest-station reading
PM2.5, highest monitored reading	23.3 µg/m³	31 Dec 2024	US EPA Air Quality System (AQS)¹³Official · nearest-station reading
PM2.5, annual mean	7.04 µg/m³	31 Dec 2024	US EPA Air Quality System (AQS)¹³Official · nearest-station reading
Annual precipitation	1,156 mm	31 Dec 1991	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)¹⁹Official · nearest-station reading
Maximum July temperature	32 °C	31 Dec 1991	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)¹⁶Official · nearest-station reading
Average annual temperature	15 °C	31 Dec 1991	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)¹⁸Official · nearest-station reading
Minimum January temperature	-1.8 °C	31 Dec 1991	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)¹⁷Official · nearest-station reading

Similar climate. In United States: Murfreesboro ±0.6 °C. Elsewhere: Reims (France) ±4.5 °C, Hitachi-Naka (Japan) ±1.6 °C, Katsuta (Japan) ±1.6 °C, Werl (Germany) ±4.8 °C, Aizu-Wakamatsu (Japan) ±2.7 °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

At the end of 2025, the city's area measured 34.1 km². At the end of 2024, the population density reached 718.1 people per km².

How many people live in Chester?

The published population was 23,414 people in April 2020. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, TIGERweb Census 2020¹²

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport93%

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

Metric	Value	Period	Source
City area	34.08 km²	31 Dec 2025	U.S. Census Bureau (TIGERweb ArcGIS REST service)¹⁰Official
Foreign-resident share	6.69 %	31 Dec 2024	Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)⁶Official
Foreign residents	1,638 people	31 Dec 2024	Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)⁶Official
Population density	718.1 people/km²	31 Dec 2024	Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)⁶Official
Population	23,414 people	31 Dec 2020	U.S. Census Bureau, TIGERweb Census 2020¹²Official

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.

North Bethesda as a Chester alternative in the same country

A move, not a commute, at 189 km, better on 3 of 5 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1.

Foreign residents: 34.1% North Bethesda vs 6.7% Chester+410%
Median gross pay, city: €6,119 North Bethesda vs €3,888 Chester+57%
Unemployment: 3.6% North Bethesda vs 2.5% Chester+43%
Residents: 50,094 North Bethesda vs 23,414 Chester+114%
Annual PM2.5: 5.9 µg/m³ North Bethesda vs 7.1 µg/m³ Chester−18%

Full comparison More about North Bethesda

Cities near Chester

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

Richmond Commuting Zone · 20.9 km away

Salary: 3,506 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2024-12-31

Meadowbrook 9.2 km away

Rent: 1,463 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2020-12-31
Salary: 3,244 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31

Bensley 10.7 km away

Rent: 1,144 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2020-12-31
Salary: 2,357 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31

Ettrick 12.3 km away

Rent: 1,100 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2020-12-31
Salary: 1,019 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

Highland23,409 residents Wekiwa Springs23,428 residents Kankakee23,400 residents Copiague23,429 residents Lisle23,432 residents White Bear Lake23,392 residents

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.

Open the full comparison

Chester in rankings

#24 of 30 in Cities with lowest unemployment in United States

Is Chester part of Richmond?

Chester is in the published commuting zone of Richmond; this does not mean it is administratively part of the hub. Richmond city profile

Relationship type: Commuting Zone Of. Source⁹

Put Chester's key facts on your site — a card with this page's figures and a link back, free under CC BY 4.0.

Common questions

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

How many people live in Chester?

The published population was 23,414 people in April 2020. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, TIGERweb Census 2020.

Is the air quality good in Chester?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 7.1 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: U.S. EPA Air Quality System / AirData.

What is the typical salary in Chester?

The median gross salary is about 3,888 EUR/month (2020-2024). Source: 2024 American Community Survey 5-year detailed tables.

What is the unemployment rate in Chester?

The unemployment rate is about 2.5 % (2024). Source: Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS).

How many foreign residents live in Chester?

1,638 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS).

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.

Is Chester part of Richmond?

Chester is in the published commuting zone of Richmond; this does not mean it is administratively part of the hub.

Which cities are near Chester?

Richmond, Meadowbrook, Colonial Heights, Bensley, Ettrick 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 (Virginia), United States: population, rent, salary [ImmigrationDB compilation; version aea7ce5d2afebe40401c5fb16b10de6c]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/chester/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_chester-virginia-united-states-population-rent-salary_f921a8105908,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Chester (Virginia), United States: population, rent, salary},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {aea7ce5d2afebe40401c5fb16b10de6c},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/chester/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Chester (Virginia), United States: population, rent, salary](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/chester/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version aea7ce5d2afebe40401c5fb16b10de6c; 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

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 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 2024 1-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
Area Health Resources Files (AHRF), County 2024-2025 release data.hrsa.gov · checked 2026-10-04
Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS) api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-08-03
OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
TIGERweb ACS2023 — Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas (CBSA, January 1 2023) TIGERweb ACS2023 · tigerweb.geo.census.gov · checked 2026-09-19
U.S. Census Bureau (TIGERweb ArcGIS REST service) tigerweb.geo.census.gov · checked 2026-08-03

Show 18 more sources

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey api.census.gov · checked 2026-08-07
U.S. Census Bureau, TIGERweb Census 2020 tigerweb.geo.census.gov · checked 2026-08-05
U.S. EPA Air Quality System / AirData aqs.epa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
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 2026-08-05
World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
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
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
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06

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