Smart Movers Club

    Moving to Chester, VA

    Is Chester a good place to live?

    Watch Chester

    Chester ranks #2 of 46 Virginia cities with 25,000+ people on the Smart Movers livability score (75/100), which weighs home affordability, unemployment, education and population growth. Population grew 2.0% in the latest Census year.

    Median home value
    $290,600
    +5.9% vs prior year
    Median rent
    $1,463
    per month
    Household income
    $88,455
    median
    Unemployment
    3.4%
    lower is better

    Cost of living in Chester

    The median home value in Chester is $290,600 and median rent is $1,463 a month, against a median household income of $88,455. Homes cost about 3.3× a year of income (under 3× is considered affordable).

    Chester crime rate

    City-level FBI figures vary by agency; across Virginia the 2025 rate was 210 violent and 1,394 property crimes per 100,000 people — #33 highest of 50 states. The full report breaks down local trends.

    Moving to Chester, VA

    Chester has about 23,519 residents, 3.4% unemployment and 21% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher.

    Compare Chester with

    Chester vs Virginia BeachChester vs ChesapeakeChester vs ArlingtonChester vs NorfolkChester vs RichmondChester vs Newport NewsChester vs AlexandriaChester vs Hampton

    More: Where to move in Virginia · Best counties in Virginia

    Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimates (2023, compared with 2022); FBI Crime Data Explorer.

    Home listings, local news, migration, schools, resources and the Smart Movers Grade & Verdict.

    See the full Smart Movers Club report