The Town FilesChester, Vermont
Town in Windsor County · population 3,005 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $232,900
- Household income
- $62,125
- Jan low / Jul high
- 11° / 81°
- Snow a year
- 83 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 6
- Median age
- 49.7
Chester is a town of 3,005 people in Windsor County, Vermont. The median home is worth $232,900, below the typical Vermont town ($278,700). It ranks quieter than 72% of Vermont towns.
How Chester ranks
Percentile among Vermont towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Vermont towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Chester is worth $232,900, below the typical Vermont town ($278,700). Homes cost about 3.7 times the median household income of $62,125, which is more affordable than 46% of Vermont towns. Median rent is $960 a month. 86.7% of households own their home.
| Housing | Chester | Typical Vermont town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $232,900 | $278,700 |
| Median rent | $960 | $1,117 |
| Median household income | $62,125 | $76,895 |
| Home value ÷ income | 3.7× | 3.6× |
| Homeownership | 86.7% | 81.6% |
| Median year built | 1972 | 1976 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 24.4% | — |
Who lives in Chester
| People | Chester | Typical Vermont town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 49.7 | 45.7 |
| Age 65 and over | 29.8% | 22.2% |
| Under 18 | 14.1% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 33.1% | 38.9% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.0% | 8.6% |
| Veterans | 10.7% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 2.8% | — |
| Work from home | 14.0% | 14.9% |
| Average commute | 27.7 min | 25.2 min |
| Homes with broadband | 83.4% | 89.3% |
Weather in Chester
July highs average 81.4°F and January lows 11.2°F. About 40.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 83.3 inches of snow (typical Vermont town: 84.3 in). Expect about 8 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 167 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
6 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Chester since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical Vermont town. 5 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on June 5, 2002 about 8.8 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 21, 2019.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 11 times; the largest was 1.00 inches on August 4, 2023.
Severe weather in Windsor County since 1996
Windsor County has been included in 27 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| August 8, 2024 | Tropical Storm | EM-3609: Tropical Depression Debby |
| March 2, 2024 | Severe Storm | DR-4762: Severe Storm And Flooding |
| July 14, 2023 | Flood | DR-4720: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| July 10, 2023 | Flood | EM-3595: Flooding |
| August 22, 2021 | Hurricane | EM-3567: Tropical Storm Henri |
Jobs and pay in Windsor County
Windsor County had 23,153 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $62,855 a year. Unemployment was 1.8% in 2023; in Chester itself the ACS puts it at 2.8%.
Public schools in Chester
2 public schools with 575 students, about 9.6 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green Mountain Union High School | 7-12 | 293 | 8.4 |
| Chester Andover Elementary School | PK-6 | 282 | 11.3 |
Towns near Chester
- Springfield, VT7.5 mi · 4,189 people · home $147,200
- Springfield, VT7.5 mi · 9,062 people · home $192,400
- Rockingham, VT10.1 mi · 4,832 people · home $210,900
- Weathersfield, VT10.6 mi · 2,842 people · home $252,700
- Charlestown, NH12.7 mi · 4,806 people · home $228,000
- Bellows Falls, VT13.5 mi · 2,747 people · home $195,600
- Westminster, VT15.8 mi · 3,016 people · home $273,800
- Claremont, NH16.4 mi · 12,949 people · home $204,600
Chester questions
Is Chester, Vermont a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Chester scores better for retirees than 60% of Vermont towns and quieter than 72%. 29.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 49.7).
How much does a house cost in Chester?
The median owner-occupied home in Chester is valued at $232,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $62,125, so homes cost about 3.7 times income. Median rent is $960 a month.
What is the weather like in Chester?
July highs average 81.4°F and January lows 11.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 40.3 inches of precipitation a year and 83.3 inches of snow.
Does Chester get tornadoes?
6 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Chester since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on June 5, 2002. The typical Vermont town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)