Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Chester, Virginia
A $291,000 home here costs
$2,227per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,496. The real number is $731 higher every month — 49% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Chester against Chesterfield County and Virginia
| Measure | Chester | Chesterfield County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $290,600 | $336,700 |
| Median property tax | $2,288 | $2,636 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.787% | 0.783% |
| Median gross rent | $1,463 | $1,542 |
| Population | 23,519 | 371,610 |
The weather behind that power bill
Chester sits in Chesterfield County, which averages a high of 89.5°F in its hottest month and a low of 28.8°F in its coldest, with 45.5" of precipitation a year and 31% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,561 cooling and 3,736 heating degree days, which is what sets the $158 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Chesterfield County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Chesterfield County
Full Chesterfield County cost breakdown · Every county in Virginia
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Chester?
A $291,000 home in Chester, Virginia costs approximately $2,227 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,496 principal and interest, $191 property tax, $72 homeowners insurance, $226 utilities and $243 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Chester?
Chester has an effective property tax rate of 0.787%, based on a median home value of $290,600 and median real estate taxes of $2,288. That is in line with the Chesterfield County average of 0.783%.
What is the average home price in Chester?
The median owner-occupied home value in Chester, Virginia is $290,600, against $336,700 across Chesterfield County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Chester?
Median gross rent in Chester is $1,463 a month, against $2,227 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Chester — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Virginia.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.