Village · Nebraska
Chester, Nebraska
Chester, village, in Thayer County, Nebraska. Chester had 212 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 4.5% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 224 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 240 (±65). GEOID 3109095.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
212
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 224 · ACS 2020-2024: 240 ±65
Median household income
$71,875
±$36,455 (90% margin)
Nebraska: $76,475
Median home value
$76,800
±$14,240 (90% margin)
Nebraska: $238,600
Median gross rent
$843
±$14 (90% margin)
Nebraska: $1,072
Where is Chester and what county is it in?
Chester is a village in Thayer County, Nebraska. It covers 0.6 square miles of land, 382 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 212 people lived in Chester on July 1, 2025, down 4.5% since 2020, while Nebraska grew 2.9%. The 2020 Census counted 224 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 240 (±65).
| Measure | Chester | Thayer County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 240 ±65 | 4,901 | no clear change |
| Households | 99 ±21 | 2,087 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.42 ±0.43 | 2.29 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 125 ±27 | 2,497 | no clear change |
Chester's population since 2000
From 294 in 2000 to 212 in 2025: down 27.9%. 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 39.0 years old; 27.9% are under 18 and 12.9% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 92.9%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 2.9%.
| Measure | Chester | Thayer County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39.0 ±8.6 | 46.0 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 27.9% ±10.5 pts | 22.7% | – |
| 65 years and over | 12.9% ±6.9 pts | 25.3% | – |
| Male | 38.3% ±8.5 pts | 49.8% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.1% ±3.2 pts | 3.2% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 92.9% ±6.9 pts | 93.1% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±9.9 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±9.9 pts | 0.1% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 2.1% ±3.2 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±9.9 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.9% ±3.0 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±9.9 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.8% ±1.3 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.0% ±10.8 pts | 2.5% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.9% ±5.6 pts | 6.1% | – |
| With a disability | 18.3% ±7.1 pts | 13.7% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 10.8% ±9.2 pts | 5.2% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 95.8% ±4.5 pts | 94.9% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 22.0% ±8.5 pts | 23.8% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 3.6% ±3.3 pts | 7.5% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 97.9% ±2.6 pts | 91.8% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±10.1 pts | 2.3% | – |
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 99 households earn less than $71,875 a year (±$36,455), against $66,213 in Thayer County and $76,475 in Nebraska. In 2015-2019 it was $54,612 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 11.3% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Chester | Thayer County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $71,875 ±$36,455 | $66,213 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $71,009 ±$12,466 | $83,392 | – |
| Per capita income | $28,292 ±$4,326 | $35,611 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 11.3% ±6.4 pts | 9.0% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 0.0% ±30.2 pts | 9.5% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 11.1% ±9.7 pts | 7.2% | – |
| Households with a computer | 97.0% ±4.0 pts | 93.3% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 93.9% ±5.7 pts | 87.1% | – |
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 77.8% of Chester's occupied homes and renters 22.2%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $76,800 by its owner (±$14,240). The median renter pays $843 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Chester | Thayer County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $76,800 ±$14,240 | $122,800 | +$22,403 |
| Median gross rent | $843 ±$14 | $766 | – |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 37.5% ±41.8 pts | 23.0% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $817 ±$81 | $1,151 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 77.8% ±11.7 pts | 77.5% | −14.5 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 22.2% ±11.7 pts | 22.5% | – |
| Housing units | 125 ±27 | 2,497 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 3.8% ±8.3 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±55.5 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 100.0% ±18.0 pts | 94.2% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±18.0 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±18.0 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0% ±18.0 pts | 2.7% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 53.6% ±12.3 pts | 36.8% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 7.1% ±8.2 pts | 3.4% | – |
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 do people in Chester work and get to work?
78.6% of Chester's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 12.7 minutes.
| Measure | Chester | Thayer County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 66.9% ±10.9 pts | 63.3% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 1.7% ±2.9 pts | 2.0% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 78.6% ±11.9 pts | 82.7% | – |
| Carpooled | 13.7% ±10.6 pts | 7.8% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±19.1 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 1.7% ±2.8 pts | 2.9% | – |
| Worked from home | 6.0% ±7.2 pts | 5.2% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 12.7 min ±2.2 | 16.4 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 9632Thayer County | 2,438 | $63,657 |
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 Nebraska?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Chester is the 16,308th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 321st-most populous of 528 in Nebraska.
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 | 321st | 528 |
Chester's figures with every place in Nebraska (CSV)
Every place in Nebraska, 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?
27 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.