Map the Block › Places › South Carolina › Chester County
Chester County, South Carolina in numbers: crime, income, hazards
FBI reports put Chester County at 6.6 violent crimes per 1,000 people a year over 2021-2025, 42% higher than the rate for South Carolina (4.6). The median household earns $52,458 and the unemployment rate was 5.3% in August 2026. It is home to roughly 32,182 residents.
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Chester County?
Police agencies in Chester County reported an average of 211 violent crimes and 564 property crimes a year from 2021 to 2025. The violent rate, 6.6 per 1,000 people, is 42% higher than the South Carolina rate (4.6); nationally it is 3.7. Property crime ran at 17.6 per 1,000, against 21.3 statewide. Most violent crimes here are aggravated assaults (84%). CDC death records show about 4 homicide deaths a year in the county (13.8 per 100,000), a count that includes cases police may classify differently.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Chester County | Per 1,000 | South Carolina per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 211 | 6.6 | 4.6 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 6 | 0.19 | 0.09 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 16 | 0.50 | 0.39 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 13 | 0.41 | 0.39 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 177 | 5.5 | 3.8 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 564 | 17.6 | 21.3 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 116 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 391 | 12.2 | 15.8 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 57 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (4 agencies; 100% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Chester County?
Median household income is $52,458, 24% lower than the statewide figure ($69,324). The typical owner-occupied home is valued at $158,300 by its owners; renters pay a median $853. 16.7% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 10.5%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 5.3% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 794 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Chester County | South Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 32,182 | 5,296,225 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $52,458 | $69,324 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $158,300 | $250,000+ | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $853 | $1,180 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 5.6% | 4.9% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 18.7% | 14.1% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 16.7% | 10.5% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 14.0% | 32.1% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 78.4% | 71.9% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 42.4 | 40.2 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 83.0% | 88.8% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 11.7% | 9.6% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Chester County?
Chester County carries a “Relatively Low” overall rating in FEMA's National Risk Index. No single hazard among floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat waves, earthquakes and hurricanes is rated higher than “Relatively Moderate”. The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
1 Superfund site is on or proposed for EPA's National Priorities List in Chester County: Carolawn, Inc.. A listing means EPA is managing a long-term cleanup; it does not by itself mean anyone is exposed today.
High-hazard dams
Chester County has 15 dams classed as high hazard in the National Inventory of Dams. 6 are rated Poor or Unsatisfactory in condition, 9 Satisfactory or Fair. Tallest on the list: Great Falls-Dearborn Dam (113 ft) and Rocky Creek WCD Dam 6 (43 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Industrial chemical releases
13 facilities in the county filed Toxics Release Inventory reports for 2024, together reporting 308,025 pounds of listed chemicals released on site. Reported releases are legal permitted amounts in most cases.
Disasters, air and water
Chester County was covered by 4 federal major disaster declarations from 2016 through 2025 (Hurricane 3, Severe Storm 1), not counting COVID-19. Of 1 community water system, none had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 3 (low). NHTSA counted 8 traffic deaths in the county in 2024.
Is there road construction in Chester County?
Chester County had 11 highway work zones in the October 11, 2026 feed from the state DOT (0 active that day). Listed roads include SC901, SC72 and US321. 1 is on interstates. The map's construction layer is refreshed every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Chester County?
Federal school lists show 12 public and 1 private schools in the county. 1 nursing home is certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 20 fire or EMS stations and 4 police or sheriff stations. 2 state parks or recreation areas: Chester State Park and Landsford Canal State Park.
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Chester County
Gun shops
4 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map in Chester County, plus 7 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). On the ATF list: Broad River Mercantile (Chester), James K Outdoors (Fort Lawn), Rocky Creek Sporting Clays (Richburg) and Walmart #1603 (Chester).
Liquor stores
4 liquor stores are on the map in Chester County: ABC Liquor Store (Richburg), ABC Party Store (Chester), Happy Spirits (Chester) and Tasty Spirits (Chester). South Carolina has no complete public liquor licence list we can use, so this count also draws on OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps and may miss some stores or include closed ones.
Planned Parenthood
There is no Planned Parenthood health center in Chester County on the map.
See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official; partial in some states); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Chester County?
Chester County averaged 211 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 6.6 per 1,000 residents, 42% higher than the South Carolina rate (4.6). The property-crime rate was 17.6 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Chester County?
$52,458 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $69,324 for South Carolina and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Chester County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 5.3% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 794 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Chester County?
Chester County carries a “Relatively Low” overall rating in FEMA's National Risk Index. No single hazard among floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat waves, earthquakes and hurricanes is rated higher than “Relatively Moderate”.
Are there Superfund sites in Chester County?
1 Superfund site is on or proposed for EPA's National Priorities List in Chester County: Carolawn, Inc..
Is there road construction in Chester County right now?
Chester County had 11 highway work zones in the October 11, 2026 feed from the state DOT (0 active that day). Listed roads include SC901, SC72 and US321. 1 is on interstates.
How many nursing homes are in Chester County?
1 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does Chester County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfield County | 20,550 | 7.0 | $47,885 |
| Lancaster County | 104,475 | 3.4 | $78,869 |
| Union County | 26,885 | 4.9 | $41,621 |
| York County | 293,673 | 2.8 | $89,095 |
More: South Carolina statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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