Chester, WV

Census Place

2024 Population

2,179

US Senator

Shelley Moore Capito

Republican Party

US Senator

Jim Justice

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

52.8

4.69% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

15.6%

54.2% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$56,607

11.2% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$112,000

Population & Diversity

Chester, WV is home to a population of 2.18k people, from which 100% are citizens.

In 2024, there were 24.3 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (2.04k people) in Chester, WV than any other race or ethnicity. There were 84 Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander (Non-Hispanic) and 34 White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

100%

2024 Citizenship

100%

2023 Citizenship

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

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Chester, WV

White (Non-Hispanic)
2.04k ± 431
Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander (Non-Hispanic)
84 ± 106
White (Hispanic)
34 ± 42

1.56%

Hispanic Population

34 people

1.56% of the people in Chester, WV are hispanic (34 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Chester, WV 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 West Virginia.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
2,614 ± 1,254 people
Philippines
2,231 ± 1,159 people
India
2,211 ± 1,154 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of West Virginia was Mexico, the natal country of 2,614 West Virginia residents, followed by Philippines with 2,231 and India with 2,211.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (1990s)
29 ± 39
Vietnam
27 ± 27
Gulf War (2001-)
24 ± 48

Chester, WV has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (1990s), 1.07 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Chester, WV employs 855 people. In 2024, the largest industries in Chester, WV were Manufacturing (220 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (115 people), and Retail Trade (109 people), and the highest paying industries were Public Administration ($120,221), Construction ($100,819), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($65,066).

Employment

Occupations

855

2024 Value

± 204

−3.72%

1 Year decline

± 36%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Chester, WV declined at a rate of −3.72%, from 888 employees to 855 employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Chester, WV, are Production Occupations (131 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (113 people), and Health Technologists & Technicians (101 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Chester, WV.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in West Virginia (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

855

2024 Value

± 204

−3.72%

1 Year decline

± 36%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Chester, WV declined at a rate of −3.72%, from 888 employees to 855 employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Chester, WV, are Manufacturing (220 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (115 people), and Retail Trade (109 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Chester, WV, though some of these residents may live in Chester, WV and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$53,902

Median earning men ± $10,285

$30,217

Median earning women ± $8,175

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Construction ($100,819), Retail Trade ($68,155), and Manufacturing ($53,173).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($65,592), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($43,333), and Retail Trade ($35,833).

Housing & Living

The median property value in Chester, WV was $112,000 in 2024, which is 0.337 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $110,600 to $112,000, a 1.27% increase. The homeownership rate in Chester, WV is 75.4%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Chester, WV have an average commute time of 29.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Chester, WV is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$112,000

Median Property Value 2024

±$31,525

$856

Median Property Taxes

±$228

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, WV the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

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

Rent vs Own

75.4%

Homeownership

2024

65.8%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 75.4% of the housing units in Chester, WV were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 81.4%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Chester, WV 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.

$56,607

Median Household Income

± $11,281

1.14k

Number of Households

± 249

In 2024, the median household income of the 1.14k households in Chester, WV declined from $56,607 from the previous year's value of $63,750.

The following chart displays the households in Chester, WV 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 $100k - $125k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Chester, WV is from West Virginia.

0.443

2024 Wage GINI in West Virginia

0.443

2023 Wage GINI in West Virginia

In 2024, the income inequality in West Virginia was 0.443 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0426% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for West Virginia was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in West Virginia in comparison to the national average.

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

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (81.8%)
Worked At Home (6.67%)
Carpooled (6.43%)

In 2024, 81.8% of workers in Chester, WV drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (6.67%) and those who carpooled to work (6.43%).

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

29.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Chester, WV have a longer commute time (29.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 0% of the workforce in Chester, WV have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Chester, WV distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Chester, WV have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

15.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Chester, WV (340 out of 2.18k 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 45 - 54, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Females 65 - 74.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Chester, WV is White, followed by Hispanic and Two Or More.

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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