Chester, VA Cost Of Living

Demographics | Cost Of Living
Updated: 2025-10-24

Cost Of Living In Chester, VA Summary

Cost of living in Chester research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Chester is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.

On a city-by-city basis in Virginia, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:

  • The cost of living index in Chester is 109, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in Chester is 1.1x higher than the national average.

  • Chester ranks as the #62 cheapest in Virginia out of 190.

  • Chester ranks as the #3,556 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.

  • The median home value in Chester is $380,263.

  • The median income in Chester is $88,455.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
109
Chester's Overall Cost Of Living
1.1x
Higher Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in Chester, VA?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Chester has an overall cost of living index of 109, which is 1.1x higher than the national index of 100.

Compared to Virginia, Chester has a cost of living index that's 1.0x lower than Virginia's index of 110.

The standard of living in Chester ranks as #62 most affordable out of the 190 places we measured in Virginia. By definition, that implies Chester ranks as the #128 most expensive place in the Old Dominion.

For more reading on life in Chester, check out:

62 out of 190
In Virginia
3,556 out of 6,489
In America

Chester Cost Of Living Vs. Virginia

Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Chester. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:

  • The Services index in Chester is 98.

  • The Groceries index in Chester is 99.

  • The Health index in Chester is 96.

  • The Housing index in Chester is 127.

  • The Transportation index in Chester is 102.

  • The Utilities index in Chester is 104.

Living Expense Chester Virginia National Average
Overall 109 110 100
Services 98 101 100
Groceries 99 99 100
Health 96 98 100
Housing 127 130 100
Transportation 102 94 100
Utilities 104 104 100
For more reading on cost of living around Virginia, check out:
Chester Cost of Living Vs. VA

Chester, VA Housing Cost Breakdown

Housing swings affordability the most between places in Virginia, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:

  • The Median Home Value in Chester is $380,263.

  • The Median Rent in Chester is $1,463.

  • The Median Income in Chester is $88,455.

  • The Home Value To Income in Chester is 4.3x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Chester is 0.2x.

Statistic Chester Virginia United States
Median Home Value $380,263 $404,962 $303,400
Median Rent $1,463 $1,514 $1,348
Median Income $88,455 $90,974 $78,538
Home Value To Income 4.3x 4.5x 3.9x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.2x 0.2x 0.21x
$380,263
Median Home Value
$1,463
Median Rent
$88,455
Median Income

Chester, VA Costs By Category

Detailed Chester Services Costs Vs. Virginia

Item Chester Virginia
Shampoo $1.26 $1.28
Movie $13.31 $12.13
Bowling $24.17 $18
Haircut $20.0 $24.26
Beauty Salon $54.17 $45.56

Detailed Chester Groceries Costs Vs. Virginia

Item Chester Virginia
Ground Beef $5.54 $5.84
Fried Chicken $1.44 $1.57
Milk $4.63 $4.67
Potatoes $5.27 $4.93
Pizza $12.72 $12.09
Beer $10.64 $10.41
Toothpaste $3.72 $3.7

Detailed Chester Health Costs Vs. Virginia

Item Chester Virginia
Optometrist $95.44 $125.68
Doctor $122.83 $135.78
Dentist $109.67 $113.29

Detailed Chester Transportation Costs Vs. Virginia

Item Chester Virginia
Gasoline $3.27 $3.46
Tire Balancing $60.0 $59.92

Detailed Chester Utilities Costs Vs. Virginia

Item Chester Virginia
All Electricity $227.22 $193.99
Phone $185.33 $192.25

Chester SnackAbility

7
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
8/10
Housing
8.5
Affordability
7
Diversity
9
Safety
N/A
Amenities
8.5
Education
8
Commute
6

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Chester

The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Chester. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:

  • Tuckahoe, VA has a cost of living index of 118, 1.1x Chester.

  • Mechanicsville, VA has a cost of living index of 112, 1.0x Chester.

  • Petersburg, VA has a cost of living index of 94, 0.9x Chester.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Chester
Tuckahoe, VA 48,610 118 1.1x
Mechanicsville, VA 38,437 112 1.0x
Petersburg, VA 33,365 94 0.9x
Hopewell, VA 22,944 94 0.9x
Meadowbrook, VA 20,383 102 0.9x
Colonial Heights, VA 18,210 101 0.9x
Bon Air, VA 17,302 114 1.0x
Brandermill, VA 13,938 112 1.0x
Lakeside, VA 12,845 104 1.0x
Rockwood, VA 8,834 113 1.0x

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