Census-designated place · Chesterfield County, Virginia

Chester, Virginia

Chester is a census-designated place in Chesterfield County, Virginia, part of the Richmond, VA metro area. It has 24,474 residents. Chester, Virginia has a quality-of-life score of 81 out of 100 (very high), ranking #2,964 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Virginia it ranks #146 of 375 cities and towns. It ranks best on voter turnout (high), primary care shortage (low) and income inequality (Gini index) (low). It ranks worst on mental health care shortage (high), public libraries (low) and homicide rate (high).

81Very high

Quality-of-life score: #2,964 of 15,651 cities and towns
Virginia: #146 of 375 in VA
Population: 24,474 (2020-2024)
Land area: 13 mi²
Density: 1,859.8 /mi²
FIPS code: 5116096

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 75 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.

Safety49#7,907/15,637
Economy85#2,285/15,631
Housing62#5,638/14,977
Health66#5,263/15,609
Healthcare70#4,701/15,650
Environment95#718/15,453
Education85#2,362/15,649
Infrastructure66#5,372/15,650
Community58#6,559/15,651
Leisure & amenities37#9,831/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Chester, Virginia ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Chesterfield 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

Voter turnout · high77.7%
93/100Virginia 70.7%United States 65.2%2024U.S. Election Assistance CommissionChesterfield County value
Primary care shortage · low0.0
90/100Virginia 6.6United States 6.2Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationChesterfield County value
Income inequality (Gini index) · low0.380
86/100Virginia 0.472United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Drinking water violations · low0
86/100Virginia 0United States 02024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteChesterfield County value
Days with unhealthy air · low0.0%
84/1002025U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyChesterfield County value
Dental care shortage · low0.0
84/100Virginia 6.1United States 5.7Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationChesterfield County value

Weaknesses

Mental health care shortage · high18.0
11/100Virginia 14.8United States 9.9Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationChesterfield County value
Public libraries · low0.3 /10k
17/100Virginia 0.4 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesChesterfield County value
Homicide rate · high6.0 /100k
21/100Virginia 4.3 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataChesterfield County value
Restaurants and bars · low6.2 /10k
22/100Virginia 8.4 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsChesterfield County value
Average commute time · high27.8 min
25/100Virginia 27.3 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Grocery stores · low1.3 /10k
29/100Virginia 1.5 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsChesterfield County value

Trends

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

PopulationRising
22,032 (2015-2019) → 24,474 (2020-2024)
+11%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
55.0% (2015-2019) → 47.6% (2020-2024)
−7.4 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Median household incomeImproving
$70,519 (2015-2019) → $95,104 (2020-2024)
+35%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
88.8% (2015-2019) → 93.2% (2020-2024)
+4.4 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Rent as share of incomeImproving
32.5% (2015-2019) → 29.5% (2020-2024)
−3 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Child poverty rateWorsening
7.4% (2015-2019) → 10.3% (2020-2024)
+2.9 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, Virginia improved on 2 of 14 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 12 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.

Improved2

Household income+35%$70,519 → $95,104
Broadband+4.4 points88.8% → 93.2%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 14 measures

Change of every measure of Chester, Virginia between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	25.3 min2015-2019	27.8 min2020-2024	+2.5 min	Within the margin of error	23%
Bachelor's degree or higher	32.1%2015-2019	33.8%2020-2024	+1.7 points	Within the margin of error	40%
Broadband subscriptions	88.8%2015-2019	93.2%2020-2024	+4.4 points	Improved	28%
Child poverty rate	7.4%2015-2019	10.3%2020-2024	+2.9 points	Within the margin of error	27%
Effective property tax rate	0.75%2015-2019	0.75%2020-2024	−0 points	Within the margin of error	16%
High school diploma or higher	91.0%2015-2019	93.3%2020-2024	+2.3 points	Within the margin of error	62%
Home price to income ratio	3.1×2015-2019	3.4×2020-2024	+0.3×	Within the margin of error	62%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3712015-2019	0.3802020-2024	+0.009	Within the margin of error	42%
Median household income	$70,5192015-2019	$95,1042020-2024	+35%	Improved	65%
Poverty rate	6.8%2015-2019	8.1%2020-2024	+1.3 points	Within the margin of error	32%
Rent as share of income	32.5%2015-2019	29.5%2020-2024	−3 points	Within the margin of error	74%
Rent-burdened households	55.0%2015-2019	47.6%2020-2024	−7.4 points	Within the margin of error	77%
Unemployment rate	4.6%2015-2019	2.5%2020-2024	−2 points	Within the margin of error	82%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	10.0%2015-2019	8.0%2020-2024	−1.9 points	Within the margin of error	68%

“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, Virginia five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Chester, Virginia 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, Virginia itself moved +2.2 points in standing on average over the same 10 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

24,474 residents (±1,608)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79
60–69

Income

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

Household income

9,375 households (±573)

Chester, Virginia
Virginia share

Under $25k10%952
$25k–50k15%1,395
$50k–75k13%1,238

Homes

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

Owners and renters

9,375 households (±573)

Chester, Virginia
Virginia share

Own71%6,682
Rent29%2,693

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

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

12,145 workers (±906)

Chester, Virginia
Virginia share

Drive alone73%8,819
Carpool7.7%†940
Public transit0.8%†98

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Richmond, VA

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 Chesterfield County, the county holding most of Chester's residents.

Chesterfield County has 8,257 employer establishments, 214 for every 10,000 residents (0.86× the US rate of 248; 0.89× Virginia's), with 124,728 paid employees at an average annual pay of $57,580. The Census Bureau also counts 33,517 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 8,257; 33,517 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 214; US 248 · Virginia 241
Paid employees: 124,728
Average annual pay: $57,580; US $68,342

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

Ambulatory health care services	792	20.6	0.99×About typical	9,189	$72,431	1,566
Specialty trade contractors	695	18	1.17×About typical	8,003	$64,217	2,272
Restaurants and other eating places	556	14.4	0.79×Fewer than typical	12,327	$22,423	172
Lessors of real estate	413	10.7	0.87×About typical	1,119	$54,120	2,945
Construction of buildings	324	8.4	1.11×About typical	1,868	$83,778	1,201
Services to buildings and dwellings	309	8	1.19×About typical	2,761	$43,721	1,924
Limited-service restaurants	269	7	0.87×About typical	6,064	$19,791	70
Offices of other health practitioners	251	6.5	1.07×About typical	1,666	$47,238	807
Management, scientific and technical consulting	249	6.5	0.96×About typical	1,550	$82,931	1,356
Full-service restaurants	248	6.4	0.84×About typical	5,717	$25,142	73
Building equipment contractors	225	5.8	0.97×About typical	4,176	$68,382	447
Offices of physicians	224	5.8	0.90×About typical	3,256	$106,536	319

Rank places for an industry Open Chesterfield County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 385,138 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 $862.4K of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Chester, Virginia: $35.24 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $862.4K; −56% vs FY2025
Per resident: $35.24; US $1,994
Sole-source: 59%; US 30%
Single offer: 13%; 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

Top recipients

GOODWILL SERVICES INC.$193.5K22%
ONYX STRATEGIC SOLUTIONS, LLC$100.4K12%
TST TACTICAL DEFENSE SOLUTIONS, INC.$98.5K11%
AFP INDUSTRIES, INC.$77.7K9.0%
CELLCO PARTNERSHIP$68.8K8.0%

Spending by fiscal year

229.7KFY2017
336.4KFY2018
262.6KFY2019
193.1KFY2020
121.1KFY2021
424.2KFY2022
757.7KFY2023
1.5M

Top industries (NAICS)

Management, scientific, and technical consulting services · 5416$358.8K42%
Computer systems design and related services · 5415$119.5K14%
Utility system construction · 2371$97.4K11%
Wired telecommunications carriers · 5171$69.4K8.0%
Other fabricated metal product manufacturing · 3329$47.7K5.5%
Other schools and instruction · 6116

Largest awards whose ZIP code lies mostly in Chester, Virginia

REPIPET, (40 UL)$5,870
MUNDIA ENTERPRISE, LLC· Chesterfield County, VA· Other equipment & supplies· May 4, 2026 – May 4, 2026· N0010426PBS45
PURCHASE OF CAR TOWING SERVICES$2,293
OD CONNECTS INC· Chesterfield County, VA· Transportation & logistics· Sep 1, 2023 – Nov 14, 2025· 70US0923P70092408
MAINTENANCE$1,220
M & E SERVICES, INC.· Chesterfield County, VA· Professional services· Mar 27, 2025 – Sep 9, 2026· 15DDST25P00000050

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 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, Virginia, so they do not add up across cities.

Chester, Virginia's figures are part of those of Chesterfield County, VA ($59.1M in FY2026), never added to them: 1.5% of that total.

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

See federal money in Chesterfield 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, Virginia is split between congressional districts: each representative is shown with the share of its residents in their district (current boundaries).

House

Senate

County

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

Chesterfield County89100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Richmond, VA78

Other cities and towns in Chesterfield 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/5116096

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends