Chester, SC
Census place 4514095 · pop 5,218
Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
41.1% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
22.4% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
44.8% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
20.7% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
82.6% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$46,138 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
5.5% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
14.0% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
17.6% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
-3.5% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
19.4% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
28 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
59.1% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 0.43 · better than most cities
Gini 0.43 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.87% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities
48/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$123,000 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
Not measured for Chester: Crime, Air, Bad air, Property crime, Rent. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.
Frequently asked
- Is Chester, SC a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Chester scores 30/100 — a F (Bad) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 17 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is housing cost and its weakest is physical inactivity. South Carolina overall ranks #21 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- Is Chester, SC expensive to live in?
- Chester has a median home value of $123,000 — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Chester, SC?
- Its weakest measured area is physical inactivity (41.1%) — 2/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Chester, SC best at?
- Its strongest measured area is housing cost ($123,000) — 92/100, better than most U.S. cities.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.