Town · Georgia
Chester, Georgia
Chester, town, in Dodge County, Georgia. Chester had 1,476 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 1.0% from the Bureau's April 2020 estimates base of 1,462; the 2020 Census counted 525 on the place as it was defined then and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,808 (±212). GEOID 1315900.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
1,476
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 525 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,808 ±212
Median household income
$56,048
±$9,451 (90% margin)
Georgia: $77,353
Median home value
$82,500
±$73,484 (90% margin)
Georgia: $303,300
Median gross rent
$386
±$188 (90% margin)
Georgia: $1,393
Where is Chester and what county is it in?
Chester is a town in Dodge County, Georgia. It covers 0.9 square miles of land, 596 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Chester, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,476 people lived in Chester on July 1, 2025, up 1.0% since 2020, slower than Georgia (+5.5%). The Census Bureau's yearly estimates start from its own April 2020 base for Chester, 1,462, which differs from the 2020 Census count of 525: the estimates follow the place as the estimates program defines it today (its present boundaries, and for a consolidated city-county the area the program assigns it), so the change since 2020 is measured from that base. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,808 (±212). The survey estimate is more than double the 2020 count: in a place this small the survey reaches a few dozen households, and a few of them can move the estimate a long way.
| Measure | Chester | Dodge County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,808 ±212 | 19,805 | no clear change |
| Households | 200 ±72 | 6,881 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 3.09 ±0.71 | 2.63 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 250 ±80 | 8,587 | no clear change |
Chester's population since 2000
From 305 in 2000 to 1,476 in 2025: up 383.9%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Chester as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Chester?
The median resident of Chester is 35.4 years old; 7.6% are under 18 and 7.1% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic Black residents at 50.6%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 38.4%. 5.5% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Chester | Dodge County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 35.4 ±3.0 | 42.6 | −4.8 |
| Under 18 years | 7.6% ±4.2 pts | 18.7% | – |
| 65 years and over | 7.1% ±3.5 pts | 19.8% | – |
| Male | 83.9% ±4.5 pts | 52.9% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 8.6% ±3.1 pts | 3.6% | +6.4 pts |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 38.4% ±8.2 pts | 63.8% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 50.6% ±8.0 pts | 30.9% | −15.0 pts |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.6 pts | 0.0% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.6 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.6 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.4% ±1.9 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.6 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 5.5% ±2.8 pts | 1.9% | +3.3 pts |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 7.6% ±3.4 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 3.8% ±2.1 pts | 5.8% | – |
| With a disability | 9.2% ±8.2 pts | 21.5% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 18.9% ±9.2 pts | 14.6% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 75.9% ±7.4 pts | 84.3% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 5.3% ±2.9 pts | 17.2% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 0.8% ±1.1 pts | 7.3% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 79.8% ±6.4 pts | 92.2% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.3% ±0.6 pts | 0.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Chester earn?
Half of Chester's 200 households earn less than $56,048 a year (±$9,451), against $51,587 in Dodge County and $77,353 in Georgia. In 2015-2019 the median was $21,773 in 2024 dollars, so it rose by $34,275 after inflation. 38.3% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Chester | Dodge County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $56,048 ±$9,451 | $51,587 | +$34,275 |
| Mean household income | $61,564 ±$23,892 | $66,293 | – |
| Per capita income | $9,047 ±$2,846 | $24,997 | +$5,142 |
| People below the poverty line | 38.3% ±17.4 pts | 21.5% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 43.5% ±41.2 pts | 25.4% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 25.0% ±18.2 pts | 22.2% | – |
| Households with a computer | 100.0% ±21.0 pts | 93.1% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 80.5% ±13.4 pts | 77.0% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Chester?
Owners occupy 59.0% of Chester's occupied homes and renters 41.0%. The median renter pays $386 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Chester | Dodge County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $82,500 ±$73,484 | $118,100 | – |
| Median gross rent | $386 ±$188 | $723 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 38.0% ±33.8 pts | 32.9% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,079 ±$159 | $1,332 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 59.0% ±19.3 pts | 70.6% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 41.0% ±19.3 pts | 29.4% | – |
| Housing units | 250 ±80 | 8,587 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±31.9 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 28.1% ±26.2 pts | 3.6% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 40.4% ±17.1 pts | 63.3% | – |
| Mobile homes | 27.6% ±17.4 pts | 26.6% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.2% ±2.8 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 9.2% ±13.8 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 7.2% ±6.9 pts | 5.3% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 2.5% ±4.0 pts | 4.2% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Chester building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Chester in 2025 (0 in single-family houses), 0.0 per 1,000 residents against 5.4 across Georgia.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Chester work and get to work?
80.6% of Chester's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 37.3 minutes.
| Measure | Chester | Dodge County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 17.3% ±5.4 pts | 46.3% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% ±5.1 pts | 6.1% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 80.6% ±13.1 pts | 83.7% | – |
| Carpooled | 19.1% ±13.1 pts | 8.0% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±15.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 0.4% ±0.8 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Worked from home | 0.0% ±15.4 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 37.3 min ±9.9 | 26.3 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Chester?
No census tract lies mostly in Chester; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9601Dodge County | 3,130 | $53,798 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Chester) · Census block assignment files
How does Chester compare with other places in Georgia?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Chester is the 8,794th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 273rd-most populous of 537 in Georgia.
Chester is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 273rd | 537 |
Chester's figures with every place in Georgia (CSV)
Every place in Georgia, sortable · Compare Chester with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Chester?
23 of the 57 figures for Chester on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Chester are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Chester.