Chester is a very small borough located in the state of New Jersey. With a population of 1,675 people and three associated neighborhoods, Chester is the 444th largest community in New Jersey. Housing costs in Chester are among some of the highest in the nation, although real estate prices here don't compare to real estate prices in the most expensive communities in New Jersey.Unlike some boroughs where white-collar or blue-collar occupations dominate the local economy, Chester is neither predominantly one nor the other. Instead, it has a mixed workforce of both white- and blue-collar jobs. Overall, Chester is a borough of professionals, managers, and sales and office workers. There are especially a lot of people living in Chester who work in management occupations (15.72%), sales jobs (11.82%), and business and financial occupations (9.18%). Of important note, Chester is also a borough of artists. Chester has more artists, designers and people working in media than 90% of the communities in America. This concentration of artists helps shape Chester’s character. Also of interest is that Chester has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US. A relatively large number of people in Chester telecommute to their jobs. Overall, about 19.18% of the workforce works from home. While this may seem like a small number, as a fraction of the total workforce it ranks among the highest in the country. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes. Chester is a good choice for families with children because of several factors. Many other families with children live here, making it a place where both parents and children are more likely to develop social ties with other families. The borough’s good public school district and large population of college-educated adults provide an environment conducive to academic success. Many people own their own single-family homes, providing areas for children to play and stability in the community. Finally, Chester’s overall crime rate is lower than average for the country. In Chester, however, the average commute to work is quite long. On average, people spend 30.55 minutes each day getting to work, which is significantly higher than the national average. Do you have a 4-year college degree or graduate degree? If so, you may feel right at home in Chester. 59.78% of adults here have a 4-year degree or graduate degree, whereas the national average for all cities and towns is just 21.84%. The per capita income in Chester in 2022 was $74,526, which is wealthy relative to New Jersey and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $298,104 for a family of four. Chester is a somewhat ethnically-diverse borough. The people who call Chester home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Chester residents report their race to be White, followed by Asian. Important ancestries of people in Chester include Italian, Irish, German, English, and Polish. The most common language spoken in Chester is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Scandinavian languages.
