Chester County, Tennessee Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Chester County is located in Tennessee with a total population of 17,452. It is the 74th most populous county out of 95 in Tennessee. The county encompasses 2 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Chester County is 37.8 years. This is 3% lower than the state median of 38.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Chester County is $60,543. This is 10% lower than the state median of $67,097. It is also 23% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 15.6%. This is 13% higher than the state poverty rate of 13.8%. The unemployment rate is 5.4%. This is 14% higher than the state rate of 4.7%. The median home value is $155,200. Housing costs are 40% lower than the state median of $256,800. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.6x, Chester County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 76.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 14% higher than the state average of 67.0%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Chester County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 84.0% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 9.8%. The Hispanic or Latino population (3.1%) is well below the state average of 7.1%. The Asian population (0.2%) is well below the state average of 1.8%.

Education

19.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 37% lower than the state rate of 30.4%. Nationally, 35.0% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 85.7%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Chester County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023), with comparisons drawn against Tennessee and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.