Chester, MT

Census Place

2024 Population

749

US Senator

Steve Daines

Republican Party

US Senator

Tim Sheehy

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

57.5

7.88% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

13.8%

14.8% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$53,750

0.312% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

Population & Diversity

Chester, MT is home to a population of 749 people, from which 98.7% are citizens.

As of 2024, 2.14% of Chester, MT residents were born outside of the country (16 people).

In 2024, there were 25.9 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (699 people) in Chester, MT than any other race or ethnicity. There were 27 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 14 Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.7%

2024 Citizenship

100%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.7% of Chester, MT residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Chester, MT was 100%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Chester, MT

White (Non-Hispanic)
699 ± 120
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
27 ± 25
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
14 ± 17

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Chester, MT 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 Montana.

Most Common Origin

Canada
4,118 ± 1,573 people
Mexico
2,905 ± 1,322 people
Philippines
1,984 ± 1,093 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Montana was Canada, the natal country of 4,118 Montana residents, followed by Mexico with 2,905 and Philippines with 1,984.

Foreign-Born Population

2.14%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

16 people

0.426%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

3 people

As of 2024, 2.14% of Chester, MT residents (16 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Chester, MT was 0.426%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
23 ± 21
Gulf War (2001-)
13 ± 15
Gulf War (1990s)
11 ± 17

Chester, MT has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.77 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Chester, MT.

Economy

The economy of Chester, MT employs 297 people. In 2024, the largest industries in Chester, MT were Health Care & Social Assistance (90 people), Retail Trade (25 people), and Educational Services (25 people), and the highest paying industries were Wholesale Trade ($250,001), Construction ($90,357), and Finance & Insurance ($66,429).

Employment

Occupations

297

2024 Value

± 80

16.5%

1 Year growth

± 34.3%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Chester, MT grew at a rate of 16.5%, from 255 employees to 297 employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Chester, MT, are Sales & Related Occupations (43 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (28 people), and Management Occupations (22 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Chester, MT.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Montana (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.

Industries

Employment by Industries

297

2024 Value

± 80

16.5%

1 Year growth

± 34.3%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Chester, MT grew at a rate of 16.5%, from 255 employees to 297 employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Chester, MT, are Health Care & Social Assistance (90 people), Retail Trade (25 people), and Educational Services (25 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Chester, MT, though some of these residents may live in Chester, MT and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$57,917

Median earning men ± $15,814

$30,833

Median earning women ± $18,143

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($110,500), Construction ($90,714), and Public Administration ($68,125).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($67,188), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($66,071), and Public Administration ($40,625).

Housing & Living

The median property value in Chester, MT was $172,900 in 2024, which is 0.52 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $156,900 to $172,900, a 10.2% increase. The homeownership rate in Chester, MT is 55.7%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Chester, MT have an average commute time of 11.2 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Chester, MT is lower than the national average, with an average of 1 car per household.

Housing

Property

$172,900

Median Property Value 2024

±$44,158

$206

Median Property Taxes

±$50

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, MT the largest share of households pay taxes in the $2k - $3k range.

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

Rent vs Own

55.7%

Homeownership

2024

67.9%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 55.7% of the housing units in Chester, MT were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 56.6%.

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

Equity

Household Income

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

$53,750

Median Household Income

± $11,510

370

Number of Households

± 75

In 2024, the median household income of the 370 households in Chester, MT grew to $53,750 from the previous year's value of $53,583.

The following chart displays the households in Chester, MT 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 $25k - $30k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Chester, MT is from Montana.

0.458

2024 Wage GINI in Montana

0.46

2023 Wage GINI in Montana

In 2024, the income inequality in Montana was 0.458 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.613% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Montana was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Montana in comparison to the national average.

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

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (70.8%)
Walked (18.2%)
Carpooled (5.11%)

In 2024, 70.8% of workers in Chester, MT drove alone to work, followed by those who walked to work (18.2%) and those who carpooled to work (5.11%).

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

11.2 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Chester, MT have a shorter commute time (11.2 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.5% of the workforce in Chester, MT have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

1 car

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Chester, MT distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Chester, MT have 1 car.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

13.8% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Chester, MT (99 out of 720 people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 18 - 24, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Females 45 - 54.

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

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

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

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

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