Chester is a town in Penobscot County, Maine, home to about 598 people across 46 square miles. It has no ZIP code of its own: it’s part of 04457.
Homes sold for a median of $171 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a balanced market.
Mostly Lincoln; part is in Chester
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 | Portland International Jetport (PWM)147 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Bangor International Airport (BGR)41 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Boston, MA243 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | New York, NY424 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 549 residents in the 2020 census, up 5% since 2000.
It’s the 348th largest of 519 towns in Maine by population.
Penobscot County grew from 76,246 residents in 1900 to 152,199 in 2020.
Penobscot County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 79°F in summer, and winter lows average 3°F. About 44.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Lincoln Sanitary District/Wtp, ME weather station (2 miles away).
60,749 jobs at 4,222 businesses in Penobscot County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
92 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Chester.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 11 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 3 |
| Dentists | 7 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 18 |
| Mental health providers | 29 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 23 |
| Optometrists | 1 |
| Pharmacies | 4 |
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 (5 nearby)
Grocery stores (1 nearby)
Pharmacies (1 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Counts are within about 4.5 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 Rsu 67, Lincoln-Region 3. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ella P Burr SchoolLincoln | Pre-K–3 | 324 | Public | 1.9 mi |
| Mattanawcook Jr High SchoolLincoln | 4–8 | 304 | Public | 1.1 mi |
| Mattanawcook AcademyLincoln | 9–12 | 313 | Public | 2.0 mi |
| No Penobscot Tech-Region 3Lincoln | — | — | Career and Technical | 0.9 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Lincoln, Woodville and North Penobscot UT.
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.