Chester Apartments and Rentals

Chester is a census designated place located in eastern Virginia, roughly 16 miles south of Richmond. Chester apartments for rent are excellent ways to join the nearly 24,000 people living here and can easily be found across the 13 square miles of land. As 26.7 percent of the population is under the age of 18, Chester is a family-friendly area and the population is growing rapidly.

Chester sits in Chesterfield County and its population is significantly diverse, with more than 22 different major ancestry groups represented. Approximately 13 percent of Chester residents report German ancestry and 11 percent report Irish ancestry. Since 2000, Chester has experienced a population growth of roughly 2.4 percent according to county studies. The county expects to see a 1.2 growth rate moving forward and adding roughly 1,425 people to the community by 2015.

Chesterfield County was first explored by European settlers in 1607. Within a few short years, tobacco began to be cultivated in the area creating an agricultural market in the area that would lead to much prosperity. America's first lead mine and first iron furnace were also created in Chesterfield, making it a hot bed of ingenuity even in its earliest days. By the 1800s, the area became even more accessible with the addition of a paved road, and the first commercial tramway, arriving in 1811, only created more transportation options.

Chester apartments provide residents with a number of advantages. According to data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau, the Chester community has roughly 6,720 single-family homes, with an owner occupancy rate of 92 percent and a turnover rate of 6.7 percent.

Chester apartments for rent are particularly popular options for business professionals and students in the area. The Chester community made up roughly six percent of business licenses in the county of Chesterfield, issuing 1,183 business licenses in 2009. The Chester community also represents six percent of the number of building permits, and five percent of the total Chesterfield County estimated value of renovations made. According to City-Data information, manufacturing, construction and retail trade are the most common industries in Chester, and the most common occupation type is production and supervisor occupations.

Students can take advantage of a number of higher education opportunities nearby at John Tyler Community College located here. The John Tyler Community College is well known for its program designed for unemployed workers. Called On-Ramp, the program requires participants to be at least 18 years old, either unemployed or underemployed and looking to acquire a degree or certificate of some sort. The college additionally offers more than 50 traditional certificates and associate degrees for programs such as business, arts, science, nursing and engineering.

According to information collected by the U.S. Census Bureau, Chester rentals have a vacancy rate of 9 percent and median gross rent was $953 as of 2010. The largest number of renters, 40 percent, falls in the gross rental range of $1,000 to $1,499, with more than 70 percent of all renters falling in the wider range $750 to $1,499. The data further indicated that nearly one-third of all renters reported spending 35 percent or more of their household income on gross rental costs.

City-Data information revealed that in March 2012, the cost of living in Chester was assigned a value of 94.0, which is 6 percent less than the national average of 100.

Visitors and residents in apartments near Chester can find numerous historical attractions in the community and throughout Chesterfield County. With the rich history that extends across the entire county, a number of area museums, historical sites and state parks work to preserve the unique history of the area and provide prime recreation to its residents and visitors.

Located within Chesterfield County is the Pocahontas State Park, just three miles west of Chester. Many locals enjoy heading to the park for a day of recreational fun and their activities include hiking, biking, camping and horseback riding. The state park also encompasses a number of shelters and make for easy picnicking.

Residents also enjoy the Playroom TriCities, which is an indoor amusement park designed especially for kids across all ages. The center stretches across 6,500 square feet of room for children to play and hold parties.

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