Chester County, Tennessee

TN · FIPS 47023 Republican

Located in Tennessee, Chester County has a population of 17,611 residents and a median age of 37.6 years, making it the #2,004 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 16.1%. The median home value is $164,400, and the median household income is $59,341, which is 21% below the national median.

17,611
Population
#2,004 of 3,222
$59,341
Median Income
-21.0% #2,144 of 3,222
37.6 years
Median Age
-3.3% #2,660 of 3,222
16.1%
Poverty Rate
+27.4% #2,134 of 3,222

Demographics

Chester County has a population of 17,611, making it the #2,004 most populous county in the US. The median age is 37.6 years, which is 3.3% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.2%
Native Born
1.8%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Chester County is $59,341, ranking #2,144 out of 3,222 counties — 21.0% below the national median. The poverty rate is 16.1% and unemployment stands at 4.1%.

Income#2,144
$59,341
-21.0%
vs nation
33th percentile
Per Capita#2,656
$28,454
-31.0%
vs nation
18th percentile
Poverty#2,134
16.1%
+27.4%
vs nation
34th percentile
Unemployment#1,386
4.1%
-22.2%
vs nation
57th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Chester County is $164,400 (-41.7% vs national). Renters pay a median of $756/mo and the homeownership rate is 75.4%.

Home Value#1,926
$164,400
-41.7%
vs nation
40th percentile
Rent#2,447
$756
-35.0%
vs nation
24th percentile
Homeownership#1,458
75.4%
+17.1%
vs nation
55th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Chester County, 22.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 34.6% below the national average, ranking #1,647 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
22.0% −34.6% vs nation
Rank #1,647 of 3,222
49th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Chester County is 72.8 years. 24.2% of adults report poor or fair health and 11.4% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,287
72.8
-3.1%
vs nation
25th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,617
24.2%
+23.7%
vs nation
17th percentile
Diabetes#2,553
13.1%
+17.7%
vs nation
19th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,868
42.6%
+14.2%
vs nation
9th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,980
6.7
+18.0%
vs nation
5th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,786
5.3
+18.4%
vs nation
11th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,010
11.4%
+8.8%
vs nation
36th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,664
31.7%
+20.2%
vs nation
15th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,516
14.0%
-2.8%
vs nation
52th percentile

Substance Use

24.7% of adults in Chester County smoke , 39.2% are obese , and 17.2% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 19.2 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,994
24.7%
+37.5%
vs nation
5th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,824
39.2%
+3.4%
vs nation
42th percentile
Excessive Drinking#608
17.2%
-13.5%
vs nation
81th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#520
19.2
-40.6%
vs nation
75th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 14.0 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 21.4 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#568
14.0
-29.1%
vs nation
78th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#983
14.9
-16.5%
vs nation
60th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,747
21.4
+5.5%
vs nation
38th percentile

Families & Children

21.3% of children in Chester County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 16.0 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#1,026
16.0
-26.8%
vs nation
66th percentile
Child Poverty#2,092
21.3%
+12.1%
vs nation
34th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Chester County is 57.1%. The mean commute time is 30.7 min, which is 11.2% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
57.1% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
30.7 min +11.2% vs nation
Rank #772 of 3,222
76th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Chester County voted Republican with a margin of 64.9%. The vote was 17% Dem / 81.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 5.0 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +64.9%
17% 81.9%
Dem 7,577 votes Rep
2020 REP +59.9%
18.6% 78.5%
Dem 7,584 votes Rep
2016 REP +60.3%
18.6% 78.9%
Dem 4,850 votes Rep
2012 REP +47.6%
25.4% 73%
Dem 6,396 votes Rep
2008 REP +43.2%
27.8% 71%
Dem 6,459 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Chester County, Tennessee

Chester County, Tennessee has a total population of 17,611, making it the 2,004th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Chester County is 37.6 years, which is 3.3% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Chester County is $59,341, which ranks #2,144 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 21.0% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 16.1%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.1%.

The median home value in Chester County is $164,400, 41.7% below the national median. Renters in Chester County pay a median gross rent of $756 per month. The homeownership rate is 75.4%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Chester County, 22.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 34.6% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 92.3% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 30.7 min.

Chester County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 83.8% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (9.5%) and Hispanic or Latino (3.4%).

All data for Chester County, Tennessee comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.