• county
  • FIPS 45023
  • Largest town: Chester

Chester County, South Carolina

Chester County had 32,323 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 580.9 square miles of land. It ranks 29th of 46 in South Carolina by population and 25th by land area.

Population
32,323
#29 of 46 in South Carolina · #1,387 in US
Area
580.9 sq mi
#25 of 46 in South Carolina · #1,694 in US
Density
56 / sq mi
#30 of 46 in South Carolina · #1,371 in US
Median household income
$51,383
#30 of 46 in South Carolina · #2,616 in US

Census Vintage 2024 estimates · SAIPE 2023 income · 2024 Gazetteer land area

Chester County within South Carolina. Pin: Columbia.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Chester County

Chester County population, land area and income

Chester County had 32,323 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 580.9 square miles of land. It ranks 29th of 46 in South Carolina by population and 25th by land area. That works out to 55.6 people per square mile, below the US average of 96.3, and above the national county median.

The median county-equivalent in South Carolina has 60,098 residents; Chester County is somewhat smaller.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $51,383 is in the bottom quarter among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

32,323

3144th1st

1387th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

581 sq mi

3144th1st

1694th of 3,144 (US)

Density

55.6 / sq mi

3144th1st

1371st of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$51,383

3143rd1st

2616th of 3,143 (US)

Rank within South Carolina (46)

Population

32,323

46th1st

29th of 46 (SC)

Land area

581 sq mi

46th1st

25th of 46 (SC)

Density

55.6 / sq mi

46th1st

30th of 46 (SC)

Median household income

$51,383

46th1st

30th of 46 (SC)

How Chester County's population changed since 2020

Chester County gained 32 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a rise of 0.1%. That ranks 32nd of 46 in South Carolina for growth. The median South Carolina county changed by +2.9%, and the state as a whole by +6.8%.

Since the April 2020 estimates base, Chester County recorded 1,378 births and 2,335 deaths, a natural change of -957. Net international migration added +47 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +910. The largest single component was natural change, which removed 957 people.

32.3k202032.2k202132.0k202232.2k202332.3k2024
Census Vintage 2024 county estimates for July 1 of each year. The axis starts above zero so year-to-year changes are visible.

Components of change, April 2020 to July 2024

Births
1,378
Deaths
2,335
Net international migration
+47
Net domestic migration
+910
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+160

Where Chester County is

The Census internal point of Chester County is at 34.689300, -81.161200. It sits in UTM zone 17N. The map shades South Carolina's 46 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with Chester County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

Union County: -1.9%Chester County: +0.1%Lee County: -3.6%Bamberg County: -2.9%Barnwell County: -0.5%Horry County: +16.9%Allendale County: -4.8%Chesterfield County: +2.9%Clarendon County: +0.6%Edgefield County: +14.7%Georgetown County: +4.0%McCormick County: +4.8%Pickens County: +4.9%Richland County: +3.6%Newberry County: +3.9%Spartanburg County: +12.1%Sumter County: -0.7%Marlboro County: -3.8%Berkeley County: +14.2%Charleston County: +5.1%Laurens County: +4.3%Saluda County: +2.9%Anderson County: +6.4%Dorchester County: +7.8%Dillon County: -2.5%Oconee County: +4.7%Beaufort County: +7.4%Cherokee County: +2.7%Greenville County: +8.2%York County: +6.7%Colleton County: +1.9%Darlington County: -0.7%Calhoun County: +1.0%Jasper County: +22.2%Marion County: -2.5%Fairfield County: -2.4%Hampton County: -1.9%Lancaster County: +15.6%Orangeburg County: -1.0%Aiken County: +6.0%Greenwood County: +0.9%Florence County: +0.9%Abbeville County: +1.4%Lexington County: +6.4%Kershaw County: +9.3%Williamsburg County: -3.4%
Change 2020 to 2024
  1. < -1.9%
  2. < +1.0%
  3. < +4.3%
  4. < +7.4%
  5. ≥ +7.4%
no data

Orange pin: Chester County internal point. Dark pin: Columbia.

Internal point

Decimal
34.689300, -81.161200
DMS
34°41'21.48"N 81°09'40.32"W
UTM
17N 485234.8E 3838600.3N
Geohash
dnnm34upy
Plus code
866WMRQQ+PG

Towns in Chester County

2 incorporated places of 1,000+ people have residents in Chester County, 7,156 people together, or 22% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Chester County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Chester with 5,230.

  1. 01Chester5,230
  2. 02Great Falls1,926
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Chester County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 4 neighbors for Chester County. The most populous is York County, SC, with 303,001 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Columbia and the nearest big city

Columbia is 48.1 miles S of Chester County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Charlotte, NC (population 943,476), 40.5 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Rock Hill, SC (population 75,798), 19.0 miles away.

Chester County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Chester County is 45023: state code 45 for South Carolina plus county code 023. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $51,383.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Chester County, South Carolina?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 32,323. That is up 32 people (0.1%) from the July 2020 estimate of 32,291.

What is the FIPS code of Chester County?

45023. The first two digits (45) are South Carolina; the last three (023) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Chester County?

Chester, with 5,230 residents inside Chester County in 2024.

Which counties border Chester County?

4 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: York County, SC; Lancaster County, SC; Union County, SC; Fairfield County, SC.

Sources and data as of

Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.

  1. 01Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
  2. 02Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
  3. 03Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
  4. 04Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
  5. 05Census 2024 county adjacency file
  6. 06Census 2024 cartographic boundary file, counties (1:5,000,000)

How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.