Chester, IL

Census Place

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2023 Population

6,830

1.6% 1-year decline

US Senator

Dick Durbin

Democratic Party

US Senator

Tammy Duckworth

Democratic Party

2023 Median Age

43.5

0.694% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

19.5%

2.73% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$74,673

8.5% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$107,800

2.97% 1-year decline

2023 Employed Population

2,089

0.0956% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Chester, IL had a population of 6.83k people with a median age of 43.5 and a median household income of $74,673. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Chester, IL declined from 6,941 to 6,830, a −1.6% decrease and its median household income grew from $68,826 to $74,673, a 8.5% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Chester, IL are White (Non-Hispanic) (69.4%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (25.6%), White (Hispanic) (2.25%), Two+ (Hispanic) (1.33%), and Other (Hispanic) (0.542%).

None of the households in Chester, IL reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

99.1% of the residents in Chester, IL are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Chester, IL was $107,800, and the homeownership rate was 71%.

Most people in Chester, IL drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 20.7 minutes. The average car ownership in Chester, IL was N/A per household.

United States Illinois Randolph County, IL Marion, Jefferson, Clinton, Randolph, Bond & Washington Counties PUMA, IL

Population & Diversity

Chester, IL is home to a population of 6.83k people, from which 99.1% are citizens. As of 2023, 1.6% of Chester, IL residents were born outside of the country (109 people).

In 2023, there were 2.71 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (4.74k people) in Chester, IL than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.75k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 154 White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.1%

2023 Citizenship

98.3%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 99.1% of Chester, IL residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Chester, IL was 98.3%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Chester, IL compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Chester, IL

White (Non-Hispanic)
4.74k ± 221
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
1.75k ± 213
White (Hispanic)
154 ± 101

4.26%

Hispanic Population

291 people

4.26% of the people in Chester, IL are hispanic (291 people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Chester, IL as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Illinois.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
622,347 ± 18,890 people
India
165,336 ± 9,918 people
Poland
123,006 ± 8,569 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Illinois was Mexico, the natal country of 622,347 Illinois residents, followed by India with 165,336 and Poland with 123,006.

Foreign-Born Population

1.6%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

109 people

2.22%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

154 people

As of 2023, 1.6% of Chester, IL residents (109 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Chester, IL was 2.22%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Chester, IL compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (1990s)
126 ± 62
Gulf War (2001-)
111 ± 71
Vietnam
102 ± 61

Chester, IL has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (1990s), 1.14 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Chester, IL employs 2.09k people. The largest industries in Chester, IL are Public Administration (566 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (388 people), and Manufacturing (307 people), and the highest paying industries are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($120,945), Public Administration ($82,676), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($70,944).

Males in Illinois have an average income that is 1.33 times higher than the average income of females, which is $66,581. The income inequality in Illinois (measured using the Gini index) is 0.477, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

2.09k

2023 Value

± 322

−0.0956%

1 Year decline

± 21.2%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Chester, IL declined at a rate of −0.0956%, from 2.09k employees to 2.09k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Chester, IL, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (297 people), Law Enforcement Workers Including Supervisors (292 people), and Production Occupations (174 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Chester, IL.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Illinois (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

2.09k

2023 Value

± 322

−0.0956%

1 Year decline

± 21.2%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Chester, IL declined at a rate of −0.0956%, from 2.09k employees to 2.09k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Chester, IL, are Public Administration (566 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (388 people), and Manufacturing (307 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Chester, IL, though some of these residents may live in Chester, IL and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$70,285

Median earning men ± $12,975

$39,461

Median earning women ± $7,592

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($140,333), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($120,945), and Public Administration ($83,438).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Public Administration ($63,125), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($60,417), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($40,924).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Illinois.

Y-Axis

2.47%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 6.03M people employed in Illinois. This represents a 2.47% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 13%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Illinois.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Illinois went to Kamala Harris with 54.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (43.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.43%).

Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth are the senators currently representing the state of Illinois. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Illinois is currently represented by 17 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Chester, IL. Showing the available data for Illinois.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (54.4%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (43.5%)
Republican Party
Robert Kennedy (1.43%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Illinois went to Kamala Harris with 54.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (43.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.43%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Illinois for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Illinois

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Illinois.

Dick Durbin

Senator from Illinois

Assumed office on January 3, 1997

Tammy Duckworth

Senator from Illinois

Assumed office on January 3, 2017

Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth are the senators currently representing Illinois.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Illinois over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Illinois

Illinois is currently represented by 17 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Illinois have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

Completions

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Illinois.

Measure

In 2022, 1.08% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 1.01% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Illinois.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (2.62M), Some college (2.15M), and Bachelors Degree (2.1M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Chester, IL was $107,800 in 2023, which is 0.355 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $111,100 to $107,800, a 2.97% decrease. The homeownership rate in Chester, IL is 71%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Chester, IL have an average commute time of 20.7 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Chester, IL is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of N/A per household.

Housing

Property

$107,800

Median Property Value 2023

±$8,573

$1,386

Median Property Taxes

±$229

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Chester, IL the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Chester, IL compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

71%

Homeownership

2023

61.9%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 71% of the housing units in Chester, IL were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 69.5%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Chester, IL compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Census Tract 9513

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

The following map shows all of the places in Chester, IL colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$74,673

Median Household Income

± $15,023

1.95k

Number of Households

± 289

In 2023, the median household income of the 1.95k households in Chester, IL grew to $74,673 from the previous year's value of $68,826.

The following chart displays the households in Chester, IL distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $60k - $75k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Chester, IL is from Illinois.

0.477

2022 Wage GINI in Illinois

0.478

2021 Wage GINI in Illinois

In 2022, the income inequality in Illinois was 0.477 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.371% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Illinois was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Illinois in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Illinois across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (90.5%)
Walked (2.97%)
Carpooled (2.77%)

In 2023, 90.5% of workers in Chester, IL drove alone to work, followed by those who walked to work (2.97%) and those who carpooled to work (2.77%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

20.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Chester, IL have a shorter commute time (20.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 1.84% of the workforce in Chester, IL have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Chester, IL compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

N/A

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Chester, IL distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Chester, IL have N/A.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

19.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Chester, IL (835 out of 4.27k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is approximately the same as the national average of N/A%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 55 - 64, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Males 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Chester, IL is White, followed by Black and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

91% of the population of Chester, IL has health coverage, with 49% on employee plans, 14.7% on Medicaid, 18.4% on Medicare, 7.62% on non-group plans, and 1.24% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Randolph County, IL see 2090 patients per year on average, which represents a 1.37% decrease from the previous year (2119 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2319 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 815 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for Randolph County, IL.

2,090 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Randolph County, IL

Primary care physicians in Randolph County, IL see an average of 2,090 patients per year. This represents a 1.37% decrease from the previous year (2,119 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Randolph County, IL in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 15.8% under 18 years, 23% between 18 and 34 years, 41.2% between 35 and 64 years, and 20.1% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.8% were men and 50.2% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

9.04%

Uninsured

49%

Employer Coverage

14.7%

Medicaid

18.4%

Medicare

7.62%

Non-Group

1.24%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Chester, IL grew by 11.9% from 8.08% to 9.04%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Chester, IL changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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