HomeSouth CarolinaChester County
Chester County, South Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Chester County, South Carolina has a population of 32,182 across 581 square miles, up 0.1 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.82 bn in 2024, 560 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 9 7(a) approvals worth $6.4 m.
119 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Chester County
How many people live in Chester County
- Population32,182
- Households13,159
- Average household size2.45
- Median household income$52,458
- Median age42.4
- Median gross rent$853 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$158,300
- Home value to household income3.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income19.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher14.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over22,483
- Population under 187,183
- Share under 1822.3 percent
- Population 65 and over6,189
- Share 65 and over19.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6418,810
- Civilian labor force15,046
- Unemployment rate5.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over60.2 percent
- Rank by population among South Carolina counties28th of 46
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1416th
Chester County is the 28th largest of 46 South Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 3.0 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.3 percent against 19.2 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Chester County
Is Chester County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.07 percent
- Census 2020 base population32,300
- Births, 2024326
- Deaths, 2024558
- Natural change, 2024-232
- Net domestic migration, 2024378
- Net international migration, 202414
- Total net migration, 2024392
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024861
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1801st
The county has grown 0.07 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Chester County
Where people moving to Chester County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving806
- People arriving, from those returns1,560
- Adjusted gross income arriving$44.3 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$54,984
- Largest single originChester County Non-migrants (11,388 households)
- Largest single destination (11,388 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chester County Non-migrants | 11,388 | 23,173 | $599.3 m |
| York County | 335 | 659 | $19.9 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 176 | 329 | $9.7 m |
| Other flows - South | 130 | 233 | $7.1 m |
| Lancaster County | 95 | 207 | $3.7 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 83 | 146 | $2.5 m |
| Mecklenburg County | 67 | 117 | $6.9 m |
| Fairfield County | 25 | 51 | $907,000 |
The largest single source of arrivals is Chester County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Chester County
What the Chester County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.82 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.65 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 202410.2 percent
- GDP change over five years53.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among South Carolina counties28th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1360th
- GDP per resident$56,610
Output grew 10.2 percent in the latest year and 53.1 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Chester County
Who employs people in Chester County
- Covered employment, annual average10,409
- Establishments reporting671
- Average annual pay$58,462
- Average weekly wage$1,124
- Sector 31-33, employment3,567
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$67,231
- Sector 42, employment957
- Sector 42, average annual pay$71,997
- Sector 44-45, employment865
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$28,406
- Sector 23, employment774
- Sector 23, average annual pay$74,558
- Sector 62, employment384
- Sector 48-49, employment282
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 3,567 | 56 | $67,231 |
| Sector 42 | 957 | 36 | $71,997 |
| Sector 44-45 | 865 | 104 | $28,406 |
| Sector 23 | 774 | 54 | $74,558 |
| Sector 62 | 384 | 62 | $43,702 |
| Sector 48-49 | 282 | 35 | $47,337 |
| Sector 54 | 212 | 52 | $136,632 |
| Sector 81 | 186 | 50 | $37,325 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 3,567 jobs, 34.3 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job exceeds median household income, which usually means single earner households and a wage base that can carry rent.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Chester County
What businesses operate in Chester County
- Establishments, all industries560
- Employment at those establishments8,824
- Annual payroll$459.1 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents17.4
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Chester County
What is being built in Chester County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024269
- Declared construction value permitted$91.1 m
- Single family units authorised269
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$338,662
- Units authorised per 1,000 households20.4
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Chester County
How much SBA lending happens in Chester County
- 7(a) approvals recorded9
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$6.4 m
- Average 7(a) approval$714,778
- Median 7(a) approval$385,000
- 10th percentile approval$150,000
- 90th percentile approval$2,075,000
- Largest single approval$2,075,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)69
- Jobs per approval7.7
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active8
- Distinct industries receiving approvals9
- Median 7(a) term121 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer44.4 percent
- Loans on real estate terms4
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter4
- Franchise loans3
- Franchise share of approvals33.3 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (1)
- Most active lenderFirst-Citizens Bank & Trust Company (2)
- 504 approvals recorded2
- 504 gross approval dollars$946,000
- Average 504 approval$473,000
- Median 504 approval$475,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval6.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved12.7
- Most active CDCCatawba Regional Development Corporation (2)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals81.8 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$7.4 m
The average approval of $714,778 sits well above the median of $385,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. 44.4 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Chester County
Do SBA loans in Chester County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full2
- Status: Exempt from disclosure5
- Status: Cancelled1
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 2 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Chester County
Which parts of Chester County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending4
- CHESTER, approvals4
- BLACKSTOCK, approvals2
- RICHBURG, approvals2
- Great Falls, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| CHESTER | 4 | $2,354,000 |
| BLACKSTOCK | 2 | $300,000 |
| RICHBURG | 2 | $3,529,000 |
| Great Falls | 1 | $250,000 |
CHESTER accounts for 4 approvals against 2 in BLACKSTOCK. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Chester County
How big is Chester County
- Land area581 sq mi
- Rank by land area among South Carolina counties25th of 46
- Width, east to west35.2 mi
- Height, north to south19.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land55
- Establishments per square mile0.96
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Chester County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Chester County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population32,182
- Households13,159
- Average household size2.45
- Median household income$52,458
- Median age42.4
Common questions
Chester County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Chester County, South Carolina?
32,182, in 13,159 households, ranking 28th of 46 South Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Chester County growing?
The population has grown 0.07 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 326 births against 558 deaths, with net migration of 392. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Chester County?
$52,458. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $158,300, which is 3.0 times income, and median gross rent is $853 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Chester County?
560 establishments, employing 8,824 people with an annual payroll of $459.1 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Chester County?
Average annual pay is $58,462, or $1,124 a week, across 10,409 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Chester County?
9 7(a) approvals totalling $6.4 m since FY2020, across 8 lenders, with a median approval of $385,000, plus 2 504 approvals worth $946,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Chester County?
269 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $91.1 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Chester County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Chester County come from?
The largest single origin is Chester County Non-migrants, with 11,388 households. Arriving households report an average income of $54,984 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Chester County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Chester County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.