Chester is a community in Plumas County, California, home to about 1,759 people across 7.3 square miles. Its ZIP code is 96020.
Homes sold for a median of $268 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a buyer’s market.
Mostly Chester; also Lake Almanor West and Warner Valley
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Chester. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Chester’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Reno Tahoe International Airport (RNO)95 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Redding Municipal Airport (RDD)58 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Reno, NV89 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Los Angeles, CA460 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Chester; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Chester had 2,187 residents in the 2020 census, down 6% since 2000.
It’s the 924th largest of 1,563 towns in California by population.
Plumas County grew from 4,657 residents in 1900 to 19,790 in 2020.
Plumas County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 86°F in summer, and winter lows average 22°F. About 34.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 110 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Chester, CA weather station (about a mile away).
3,857 jobs at 609 businesses in Plumas County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
14 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Chester.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 2 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 1 |
| Dentists | 3 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 4 |
| Mental health providers | 2 |
| Optometrists | 1 |
| Chiropractors | 1 |
| Pharmacies | 1 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (2 nearby)
Grocery stores (1 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums (1 nearby)
Counts are within about 2 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Public schools here are run by Plumas Unified. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chester ElementaryChester | K–6 | 171 | Public | 0.6 mi |
| Chester Junior/Senior HighChester | 7–12 | 124 | Public | 0.4 mi |
| Almanor High (Continuation)Chester | 9–12 | — | Alternative Education | 0.4 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Andrew's AcademyChester | Ungraded | 1 | Other religious | 1.0 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Lake Almanor West and Warner Valley.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.