Chester, Montana

Chester is a town in and the county seat of Liberty County, Montana, United States.[4] The population was 847 at the 2010 census.

Chester, Montana
Town
Liberty County Courthouse in Chester
Location of Chester, Montana
Coordinates: 48°30′40″N 110°58′2″W
Country	United States
State	Montana
County	Liberty
Area [1]
• Total	0.49 sq mi (1.26 km^2)
• Land	0.49 sq mi (1.26 km^2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km^2)
Elevation	3,133 ft (955 m)
Population  (2010)[2]
• Total	847
• Estimate  (2019)[3]	853
• Density	1,751.54/sq mi (676.23/km^2)
Time zone	UTC-7 (Mountain (MST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-6 (MDT)
ZIP code	59522
Area code(s)	406
FIPS code	30-14200
GNIS feature ID	0769799
Website	https://chester-montana.com/

Geography

Chester is located at 48°30′40″N 110°58′2″W (48.511105, -110.967126).[5]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.48 square miles (1.24 km²), all of it land.[6]

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1920	402		—
1930	387		−3.7%
1940	548		41.6%
1950	733		33.8%
1960	1,158		58.0%
1970	936		−19.2%
1980	963		2.9%
1990	942		−2.2%
2000	871		−7.5%
2010	847		−2.8%
Est. 2019	853	[3]	0.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[7][8]

2010 census

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 847 people, 395 households, and 223 families living in the town. The population density was 1,764.6 inhabitants per square mile (681.3/km²). There were 462 housing units at an average density of 962.5 per square mile (371.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.3% White, 0.2% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.2% Asian, and 2.0% from two or more races.

There were 395 households, of which 21.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.4% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 0.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.5% were non-families. 41.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.09 and the average family size was 2.86.

The median age in the town was 51 years. 21.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 17.2% were from 25 to 44; 29.3% were from 45 to 64; and 27.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 45.5% male and 54.5% female.

2000 census

As of the census[9] of 2000, there were 871 people, 384 households, and 228 families living in the town. The population density was 1,668.2 people per square mile (715.5/km²). There were 471 housing units at an average density of 1,010.2 per square mile (386.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.74% White, 0.23% Native American, 0.57% Asian, and 0.46% from two or more races.

There were 384 households, out of which 24.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.5% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.6% were non-families. 37.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.79.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 20.7% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 20.1% from 25 to 44, 27.2% from 45 to 64, and 27.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females there were 84.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $27,578, and the median income for a family was $42,639. Males had a median income of $26,154 versus $17,417 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,077. About 14.6% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.1% of those under age 18 and 13.5% of those age 65 or over.

Climate

Chester experiences a semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk) with long, cold, dry winters and short, hot, wetter summers. This type of a semi-arid climate is a dry continental variety with similar temperatures as the more humid ones, albeit with less precipitation.

Climate data for Chester, Montana
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	66 (19)	74 (23)	79 (26)	88 (31)	94 (34)	100 (38)	104 (40)	105 (41)	97 (36)	89 (32)	75 (24)	64 (18)	105 (41)
Average high °F (°C)	28.1 (−2.2)	35.1 (1.7)	45.1 (7.3)	58.0 (14.4)	67.7 (19.8)	75.4 (24.1)	82.6 (28.1)	82.2 (27.9)	71.2 (21.8)	59.3 (15.2)	40.5 (4.7)	30.4 (−0.9)	56.3 (13.5)
Daily mean °F (°C)	16.0 (−8.9)	22.1 (−5.5)	32.0 (0.0)	43.4 (6.3)	53.4 (11.9)	61.0 (16.1)	66.6 (19.2)	65.8 (18.8)	55.1 (12.8)	43.8 (6.6)	28.1 (−2.2)	18.3 (−7.6)	42.1 (5.6)
Average low °F (°C)	3.9 (−15.6)	9.1 (−12.7)	18.8 (−7.3)	28.7 (−1.8)	39.1 (3.9)	46.5 (8.1)	50.5 (10.3)	49.3 (9.6)	39.0 (3.9)	28.3 (−2.1)	15.6 (−9.1)	6.2 (−14.3)	27.9 (−2.3)
Record low °F (°C)	−57 (−49)	−44 (−42)	−38 (−39)	−19 (−28)	14 (−10)	24 (−4)	31 (−1)	28 (−2)	13 (−11)	−17 (−27)	−31 (−35)	−52 (−47)	−57 (−49)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	0.38 (9.7)	0.26 (6.6)	0.51 (13)	0.71 (18)	1.77 (45)	2.20 (56)	1.47 (37)	1.21 (31)	0.84 (21)	0.48 (12)	0.36 (9.1)	0.39 (9.9)	10.58 (268.3)
Source 1: NOAA (normals, 1971–2000) [10]
Source 2: The Weather Channel (Records) [11]

Notable people

• Philip Aaberg, a pianist, keyboardist, and composer was born in Chester in 1949.[12]
• Michael Claxton (born 1976), basketball player and coach

References

1. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
2. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-12-18.
3. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
4. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 3, 2015. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
5. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
6. "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2012-01-25. Retrieved 2012-12-18.
7. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
8. "Census & Economic Information Center". Retrieved July 3, 2015.
9. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
10. "Climatography of the United States NO.81" (PDF). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-07-15. Retrieved January 15, 2011.
11. "Monthly Averages for Chester, MT". The Weather Channel. Retrieved January 15, 2011.
12. Fallows, Deborah. "Listening to Montana: In Chester, Montana, a world away from city life inspires an artist's music". The Atlantic. Retrieved March 18, 2016.