Census-designated place · Plumas County, California

Chester, California

Chester is a census-designated place in Plumas County, California. It has 1,759 residents. Chester, California has a quality-of-life score of 43 out of 100 (moderate), ranking #8,912 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within California it ranks #484 of 1,062 cities and towns. It ranks best on grocery stores (high), uninsured residents (under 65) (low) and restaurants and bars (high). It ranks worst on natural hazard risk (high), home price to income ratio (high) and flu vaccinations (low).

43Moderate

Quality-of-life score: #8,912 of 15,651 cities and towns
California: #484 of 1,062 in CA
Population: 1,759 (2020-2024)
Land area: 7 mi²
Density: 241.4 /mi²
FIPS code: 0612930

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 74 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety50#7,853/15,637
Economy37#9,805/15,631
Housing3#14,569/14,977
Health56#6,879/15,609
Healthcare71#4,500/15,650
Environment52#7,477/15,453
Education5#14,942/15,649
Infrastructure45#8,591/15,650
Community65#5,515/15,651
Leisure & amenities90#1,548/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Chester, California ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Plumas County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Grocery stores · high5.9 /10k
100/100California 2.0 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPlumas County value
Uninsured residents (under 65) · low0.0%
99/100California 6.9%United States 9.8%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B27010
Restaurants and bars · high23.1 /10k
99/100California 8.6 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPlumas County value
Arts, entertainment and recreation · high10.2 /10k
95/100California 8.9 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPlumas County value
Time spent in the emergency room · low106 min
94/100California 179 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesPlumas County value
Homicide rate · low0.0 /100k
94/100California 3.7 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataPlumas County value

Weaknesses

Natural hazard risk · high99.9
0/100California 87.32025Federal Emergency Management AgencyPlumas County value
Home price to income ratio · high6.5×
6/100California 7.4×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Flu vaccinations · low29.0%
7/100California 41.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstitutePlumas County value
Mammography screening · low35.0%
8/100California 38.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstitutePlumas County value
High school diploma or higher · low88.9%
10/100California 84.7%United States 89.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Reading scores · low2.72
11/100California 2.91United States 3.052019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstitutePlumas County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationFalling
2,145 (2015-2019) → 1,759 (2020-2024)
−18%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
34.1% (2015-2019) → 56.7% (2020-2024)
+23 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Average commute timeWorsening
12.3 min (2015-2019) → 25.0 min (2020-2024)
+104%5 yearsCensus table B08013US 26.9 min → 26.4 min
Rent as share of incomeWorsening
25.6% (2015-2019) → 41.8% (2020-2024)
+16 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
3.6× (2015-2019) → 6.5× (2020-2024)
+78%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Child poverty rateImproving
11.7% (2015-2019) → 0.0% (2020-2024)
−12 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Chester, California improved on 1 of 11 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 9 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved1

Broadband+11 points81.8% → 93.3%

Declined1

Price / income+2.8×3.6× → 6.5×

All 11 measures

Change of every measure of Chester, California between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Bachelor's degree or higher	15.9%2015-2019	18.8%2020-2024	+2.8 points	Within the margin of error	50%
Broadband subscriptions	81.8%2015-2019	93.3%2020-2024	+11 points	Improved	67%
Effective property tax rate	0.76%2015-2019	0.84%2020-2024	+0.1 points	Within the margin of error	8%
High school diploma or higher	93.5%2015-2019	88.9%2020-2024	−4.6 points	Within the margin of error	6%
Home price to income ratio	3.6×2015-2019	6.5×2020-2024	+2.8×	Declined	1%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4082015-2019	0.4572020-2024	+0.049	Within the margin of error	17%
Median household income	$57,1252015-2019	$47,1292020-2024	−17%	Within the margin of error	1%
Poverty rate	10.5%2015-2019	11.3%2020-2024	+0.7 points	Within the margin of error	36%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	25.6%2015-2019	41.8%2020-2024	+16 points	Within the margin of error	4%
Rent-burdened households	34.1%2015-2019	56.7%2020-2024	+23 points	Within the margin of error	7%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Chester, California five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Chester, California in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Chester, California itself moved −28 points in standing on average over the same 9 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

1,759 residents (±441)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 50–59 men (−6.8 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

1,759 residents (±441)

Chester, California
California share

White85%1,500
Black0.6%†10
Hispanic or Latino10%†177

Education

1,461 residents (±350)

Chester, California
California share

No high school diploma11%†162
High school or GED18%†269
Some college41%

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

877 households (±192)

Chester, California
California share

Under $25k15%†132
$25k–50k42%†365
$50k–75k16%†137
$75k–100k5.4%†47
$100k–150k8.0%†70
$150k–200k5.7%†50
$200k or more8.7%†76

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $25k–50k (+21.5 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

877 households (±192)

Chester, California
California share

Own67%†584
Rent33%†293

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

293 households (±145)

Chester, California
California share

Under $75027%†79
$750–1,0000.0%0
$1,000–1,50053%†154

Home values

584 homes (±187)

Chester, California
California share

Under $150k30%†178
$150k–250k12%†69
$250k–400k42%†245

Age of homes

1,301 homes (±169)

Chester, California
California share

2010 or later3.7%†48
2000–20093.8%†49
1980–199932%†412

Size of homes

1,301 homes (±169)

Chester, California
California share

Studio0.0%0
1 bedroom23%†298
2 bedrooms13%†163

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

639 workers (±261)

Chester, California
California share

Drive alone93%†596
Carpool6.4%†41
Public transit0.0%0
Walk0.2%†1
Bike0.0%0
Work from home0.2%†1
Other0.0%0

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Drive alone (+9.5 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

638 workers (±261)

Chester, California
California share

Under 15 min37%†239
15–29 min21%†137
30–44 min15%†96

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Plumas County, the county holding most of Chester's residents.

Plumas County has 609 employer establishments, 319 for every 10,000 residents (1.28× the US rate of 248; 1.21× California's), with 3,857 paid employees at an average annual pay of $63,974. The Census Bureau also counts 1,492 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 609; 1,492 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 319; US 248 · California 263
Paid employees: 3,857
Average annual pay: $63,974; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Plumas County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	58	30.4	1.65×More than typical	247	$29,445	8
Construction of buildings	50	26.2	3.46×More than typical	174	$61,063	111
Specialty trade contractors	48	25.1	1.62×More than typical	109	$91,211	127
Full-service restaurants	35	18.3	2.39×More than typical	157	$33,325	3
Lessors of real estate	33	17.3	1.40×More than typical	70	$63,214	156
Services to buildings and dwellings	25	13.1	1.94×More than typical	71	$51,831	110
Traveler accommodation	22	11.5	6.39×More than typical	113	$48,106	16
Ambulatory health care services	20	10.5	0.50×Fewer than typical	88	$56,739	61
Building equipment contractors	19	10	1.65×More than typical	51	$54,686	42
Landscaping services	18	9.4	2.69×More than typical	34	$84,029	30
Gasoline stations	16	8.4	2.59×More than typical	90	$27,233	—
Limited-service restaurants	15	7.9	0.98×About typical	58	$23,621	4

Rank places for an industry Open Plumas County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 19,088 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $1.6M of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Chester, California: $904 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $1.6M; +360% vs FY2025
Per resident: $904; US $1,995
Sole-source: 0.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.1%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Forest Service$1.6M100%

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

198.5KFY2017
182.9KFY2018
250.8KFY2019
553.4KFY2020
130.6KFY2021
587.2KFY2022
1.3MFY2023
429.1K

Top industries (NAICS)

Support activities for forestry · 1153$1.2M76%
Nonscheduled air transportation · 4812$349.9K22%
Highway, street, and bridge construction · 2373$29.9K1.9%
Offices of other health practitioners · 6213$2,5370.2%

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Chester, California, so they do not add up across cities.

Chester, California's figures are part of those of Plumas County, CA ($26.1M in FY2026), never added to them: 6.1% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Chester is mostly in Plumas County.

See federal money in Plumas County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Chester, California is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Kevin KileyI-CA-3 · 100% of residentsWith party 92%Missed 0.9%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Plumas County56100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Plumas County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/0612930

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends