Cost of living in Chester research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Chester is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in South Carolina, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Chester is 86, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Chester is 0.9x lower than the national average.
Chester ranks as the #15 cheapest in South Carolina out of 99.
Chester ranks as the #938 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Chester is $79,800.
The median income in Chester is $31,210.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Chester has an overall cost of living index of 86, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to South Carolina, Chester has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than South Carolina's index of 96.
The standard of living in Chester ranks as #15 most affordable out of the 99 places we measured in South Carolina. By definition, that implies Chester ranks as the #84 most expensive place in the Palmetto State.
For more reading on life in Chester, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Chester. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Chester is 104.
The Groceries index in Chester is 103.
The Health index in Chester is 102.
The Housing index in Chester is 45.
The Transportation index in Chester is 101.
The Utilities index in Chester is 98.
Living Expense | Chester | South Carolina | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 86 | 96 | 100 | |
Services | 104 | 99 | 100 | |
Groceries | 103 | 100 | 100 | |
Health | 102 | 96 | 100 | |
Housing | 45 | 89 | 100 | |
Transportation | 101 | 90 | 100 | |
Utilities | 98 | 107 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in South Carolina, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Chester is $79,800.
The Median Rent in Chester is $681.
The Median Income in Chester is $31,210.
The Home Value To Income in Chester is 2.6x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Chester is 0.26x.
Statistic | Chester | South Carolina | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $79,800 | $181,800 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $681 | $970 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $31,210 | $58,234 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 2.6x | 3.1x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.26x | 0.2x | 0.2x |
Item | Chester | South Carolina |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $1.0 | $1.06 |
Movie | $10.0 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $22.35 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $16.9 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $39.1 | $39.05 |
Item | Chester | South Carolina |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $3.88 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.46 | $1.39 |
Milk | $1.69 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $3.65 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $9.09 | $10.62 |
Beer | $10.42 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $2.27 | $2.34 |
Item | Chester | South Carolina |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $119.06 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $121.12 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $112.88 | $99.13 |
Item | Chester | South Carolina |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.35 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $45.59 | $50.07 |
Item | Chester | South Carolina |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $158.05 | $167.67 |
Phone | $179.94 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Chester. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Charlotte, NC has a cost of living index of 103, 1.2x Chester.
Indian Trail, NC has a cost of living index of 103, 1.2x Chester.
Matthews, NC has a cost of living index of 107, 1.2x Chester.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Chester |
---|---|---|---|
Charlotte, NC | 864,871 | 103 | 1.2x |
Indian Trail, NC | 39,603 | 103 | 1.2x |
Matthews, NC | 29,417 | 107 | 1.2x |
Mint Hill, NC | 26,236 | 107 | 1.2x |
Lexington, SC | 23,068 | 99 | 1.2x |
Stallings, NC | 15,932 | 109 | 1.3x |
Weddington, NC | 12,851 | 142 | 1.7x |
Wesley Chapel, NC | 8,661 | 122 | 1.4x |
Unionville, NC | 6,634 | 102 | 1.2x |
Marvin, NC | 6,326 | 172 | 2.0x |