The Town Files

Chesterfield, New York

Town in Essex County · population 2,476 (2020 Census)

Map: where Chesterfield is in New YorkChesterfield
Median home
$142,900
Household income
$65,278
Jan low / Jul high
10° / 81°
Snow a year
71 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
0
Median age
43.2

Chesterfield is a town of 2,476 people in Essex County, New York. The median home is worth $142,900, below the typical New York town ($217,700). It ranks easier by car than 86% of New York towns, better for a vacation home than 83% of New York towns.

How Chesterfield ranks

Percentile among New York towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of New York towns.

Chesterfield lifestyle rankings vs other New York townsRetirement61st pctFamilies26th pctQuiet39th pctWalkability10th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals19th pctVibrancy16th pctHip & trendy54th pctCollege town68th pctUpscale28th pctVacation homes83rd pctSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving86th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Chesterfield is worth $142,900, below the typical New York town ($217,700). Homes cost about 2.2 times the median household income of $65,278, which is more affordable than 76% of New York towns. Median rent is $1,114 a month. 78.9% of households own their home.

Chesterfield vs Essex County vs typical New York townChesterfieldEssex CountyTypical New York townHome value$142,900$211,900$217,700Household income$65,278$71,661$80,740Monthly rent$1,114$934$1,080
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of New York towns with 500+ people.
HousingChesterfieldTypical New York town
Median home value$142,900$217,700
Median rent$1,114$1,080
Median household income$65,278$80,740
Home value ÷ income2.2×2.8×
Homeownership78.9%79.5%
Median year built19761965
Seasonal / vacation homes17.6%—

Who lives in Chesterfield

PeopleChesterfieldTypical New York town
Median age43.243.5
Age 65 and over23.0%20.4%
Under 1824.3%—
Bachelor's degree or higher33.7%30.4%
Below the poverty line18.5%9.3%
Veterans8.5%—
Born outside the U.S.1.0%—
Work from home3.8%11.1%
Average commute20.6 min26.0 min
Homes with broadband91.3%91.1%

Weather in Chesterfield

July highs average 80.7°F and January lows 10.0°F. About 30.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 70.9 inches of snow (typical New York town: 62.9 in). Expect about 7 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 154 nights at or below freezing.

Chesterfield monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing28°10°Jan31°11°Feb40°21°Mar54°33°Apr68°44°May75°53°Jun81°59°Jul79°57°Aug71°49°Sep58°38°Oct46°29°Nov34°19°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue1.416.41.216.51.314.42.53.42.94.13.63.63.13.00.22.34.61.815.4
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Plattsburgh Intl Ap station (13.6 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

NOAA's Storm Events Database has no tornado within 10 miles of Chesterfield since 1950.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 12 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on July 14, 1957.

Severe weather in Essex County since 1996

Storm events in Essex County since 1996 by typeHail78Heat10Flood65High Wind46Heavy Snow11Flash Flood59Strong Wind60Winter Storm216
NOAA Storm Events Database, Essex County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 2 deaths recorded.

Essex County has been included in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, other.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
September 24, 2024Tropical StormDR-4825: Remnants Of Tropical Storm Debby
August 29, 2024FloodDR-4814: Severe Storm, Tornadoes, And Flooding
July 22, 2023Severe StormDR-4723: Severe Storms And Flooding
March 20, 2020BiologicalDR-4480: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3434: Covid-19

Jobs and pay in Essex County

Essex County had 14,768 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $58,601 a year. Unemployment was 3.8% in 2023; in Chesterfield itself the ACS puts it at 9.7%.

Largest industries in Essex CountyHotels & restaurants2,535 jobs · $36,365Retail1,745 jobs · $36,886Health care & social assistan…1,740 jobs · $54,827Construction1,030 jobs · $101,726Manufacturing879 jobs · $84,890Other services473 jobs · $45,522
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Essex County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Essex 3.8%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Chesterfield

Chesterfield questions

Is Chesterfield, New York a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Chesterfield scores better for retirees than 61% of New York towns and quieter than 39%. 23.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 43.2).

How much does a house cost in Chesterfield?

The median owner-occupied home in Chesterfield is valued at $142,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $65,278, so homes cost about 2.2 times income. Median rent is $1,114 a month.

What is the weather like in Chesterfield?

July highs average 80.7°F and January lows 10.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 30.9 inches of precipitation a year and 70.9 inches of snow.

Does Chesterfield get tornadoes?

No tornado has been recorded within 10 miles of Chesterfield in NOAA's Storm Events Database since 1950.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Chesterfield's Census boundary (GEOID 3603115330). Comparisons use the median of New York towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.