Median Income
$26,786
household / year
Median Home Value
$60,600
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$418
gross / month
Cost of Living
83
national avg = 100

Is Chester, GA a Good Place to Live?

Chester is a small town of 1,702 in Georgia, with a median household income of $26,786 and a 2.7% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 83 (US average = 100), which is 17% below the national average.

Strengths: Chester stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices.

Trade-offs: Potential downsides include longer commutes. Whether Chester is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All Chester city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.

Cost of Living

Index: 83.4

Chester's overall cost of living index is 83.4, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Chester costs roughly 17% less than the average American city.

Metric Chester, GA National Avg
Median Home Value $60,600 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $418 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 46.7% 65.9%
Median Household Income $26,786 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Safer than Average

Chester's violent crime rate is 189.3 per 100,000 residents — 50% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.

Violent Crime
189.3 /100k
Property Crime
2048.0 /100k

Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.

Schools & Education

Metric Chester, GA National Avg
School District N/A
Elementary Schools N/A
Middle Schools N/A
High Schools N/A
Student/Teacher Ratio N/A 16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 4.8% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 74.3% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

Chester sees average highs of 58.7°F in January and 91.1°F in July, with 47.0 inches of annual precipitation .

MetricChester, GA
Average High — January58.7°F
Average High — July91.1°F
Annual Precipitation47.0"
Annual SnowfallTrace / None

Demographics

MetricChester, GANational Avg
Population1,702
Median Age38.238.9
Unemployment Rate2.7%3.7%
Avg Commute Time31.2 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)37.8%59.3%
Black or African American57.0%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino4.5%18.9%
Asian0.0%6.3%
Under 187.1%22.2%
65 and over5.9%16.8%

Nearby Cities

ZIP Codes in Chester

Chester, GA is covered by 1 ZIP code:

Chester vs Other Cities

Frequently Asked Questions

Chester's cost of living index is 83, where 100 is the national average. That makes Chester roughly 17% less expensive than a typical US city — a meaningful affordability advantage. The median home price is $60,600 and median rent is $418/month.
Chester's violent crime rate is 189.3 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 2048.0 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
School district information is sourced from NCES Common Core of Data.
Chester, GA has a population of 1,702, a median household income of $26,786, and an unemployment rate of 2.7%. It offers below-average costs of living, which stretches take-home pay further than in most American cities. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Chester averages 58.7°F in January and 91.1°F in July. Annual rainfall is 47.0 inches . Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
Chester, GA is covered by 1 ZIP code: 31012.
The population of Chester, Georgia is 1,702 with a median age of 38.2. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Chester: cost of living index 83 (100 = US average), median home $60,600, median household income $26,786, crime index 69 (100 = US average, lower is safer). Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Chester side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.