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Featured local agent — Chester, NJ
Sarah Mitchell
Compass Real Estate · Chester, NJ
“Your trusted relocation specialist since 2009. 350+ homes sold. Zero-pressure, data-first approach.”
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Chester, NJ Housing Market
The last median sale price Redfin published was $1.45M, +122.7% year over year (through May 2026). With 4.0 months of supply and homes going under contract in about 15 days, Chester is a seller's market. At today's 7.03% 30-year fixed rate, 20% down on a $1.45M home is about $7,741/mo in principal and interest.
Key numbers for Chester, NJ
Median sale price
$1.45M
+122.7% year over year
Redfin, through May 2026
Days on market
15
Fast-moving
Redfin, through May 2026
Active listings
4
4.0 months of supply
Redfin, through May 2026
30-yr fixed rate
7.03%
Freddie Mac weekly average
Freddie Mac via FRED, September 2026
Median household income
$152,578
Home costs 9.5x income
U.S. Census ACS, 2023
Sale-to-list ratio
105.5%
Selling above asking
Redfin, through May 2026
Zillow figures refresh monthly. Redfin figures are through May 2026 — Redfin stopped publishing its public market trackers in June 2026, so those numbers are final, not current. Mortgage rates come from Freddie Mac via FRED and update weekly.
Is Chester a buyer's or seller's market?
Chester, NJ is a seller's market, based on 4.0 months of supply and homes selling in about 15 days. 4 to 5 months of supply is the neutral band: neither side holds a structural advantage, and outcomes turn on the individual property.
Inputs are Redfin's final published period (May 2026). How we classify markets · Where the data comes from
What does the Chester housing market data show?
Every row below is Redfin's final published month for Chester, NJ. Redfin, through May 2026
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Median sale price | $1.45M |
| Median list price | $925,000 |
| Year-over-year price change | +122.7% |
| Median price per sq ft | $384/sq ft |
| Median days on market | 15 days |
| Active inventory | 4 listings |
| Months of supply | 4.0 months |
| Sale-to-list price ratio | 105.5% |
| Homes sold (that month) | 1 |
| New listings (that month) | 5 |
| Listings with a price cut | 25.0% |
| Market condition | Seller's market |
How to read these numbers
- Median sale price
- Half the homes that closed sold for more than this, half for less. It moves with what kind of home sold that month, so a quiet month with two big sales can swing it. Redfin's figure for Chester is frozen at May 2026.
- Typical home value (ZHVI)
- Zillow's estimate of what a mid-market home in Chester is worth right now, whether or not it sold. It is smoother than the median sale price and it still refreshes monthly, which is why this page leads with it.
- Months of supply
- How long it would take to sell every active listing at the current pace. Under 3 favors sellers, over 6 favors buyers, and 3 to 6 is the balanced band.
- Days on market
- Median time from listing to accepted offer. Short means you should have financing ready before you tour; long means there is room to negotiate on price and repairs.
- Sale-to-list ratio
- Sale price divided by the last asking price. Above 100% means bidding above asking is normal here; below 100% means the typical buyer got a discount.
- Price per square foot
- The size-adjusted price. Use it to compare a 1,400 sq ft house to a 2,600 sq ft house, not to value your own home — lot, condition and age move it a lot.
- Listings with a price cut
- Share of active listings that dropped their asking price in the month. A high share is the earliest visible sign that sellers are ahead of what buyers will pay.
- Typical asking rent (ZORI)
- Zillow's repeat-rent index for asking rents on new leases. Paired with the home value it gives the price-to-rent ratio in the rent-vs-buy section below.
How have Chester home prices moved?
Over the last three years the median sale price in Chester, NJ rose 1605.9%, from $85,000 to $1.45M. 25.0% of Chester listings cut their asking price in the final Redfin month — a modest share, which is what a market looks like when sellers are pricing close to where homes actually clear. For prices to fall meaningfully from here, supply would have to keep building past 4.0 months while the sale-to-list ratio slips below its current 105.5%. Watch those two together — they move before the median does.
Redfin, through May 2026 — the chart ends at Redfin's final published month.
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What does it cost to buy a home in Chester?
Priced off the median sale price of $1.45M at the current 7.03% 30-year fixed rate. These are principal and interest only — property taxes, homeowner's insurance, HOA dues and mortgage insurance are on top, and they vary enough by property that we will not guess them for you.
| Down payment | Cash at close | Loan amount | Monthly P&I |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20% | $290,000 | $1.16M | $7,741/mo |
| 5% | $72,500 | $1.38M | $9,192/mo |
Redfin, through May 2026 for the price · Freddie Mac via FRED, September 2026 for the rate
What income do you need?
Lenders generally want housing costs under 28% of gross income. On the 20%-down payment of $7,741, that implies roughly $331,753 a year before you add taxes and insurance. The median household in Chester earns $152,578, about $179,175 short of that threshold — the typical local household needs a larger down payment, a co-borrower, or a home below the median sale price to fit the 28% rule. That puts the price-to-income ratio at 9.5x — well above the 3x that was historically considered affordable, which is why down payment size drives who can buy here.
Run it with your own numbers: affordability calculator · mortgage calculator
Buying in Chester in the next 12 months?
Tell us your timeline. We send the Chester market brief: the price ranges that actually clear, how long homes sit, and what to fix on your credit before you apply.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Chester?
Zillow does not publish a rent index (ZORI) for Chester, NJ, so we cannot compute a price-to-rent ratio here without borrowing a nearby market's rents and calling them local — which we will not do. The rent vs. buy calculator works with a rent figure you supply.
Is inventory rising or falling in Chester?
Active listings in Chester, NJ went from 2 in April 2025 to 4 in May 2026, a +100.0% change. Rising inventory is the single most useful leading indicator for buyers: more choice, longer marketing times, and more sellers willing to negotiate before price cuts show up in the median.
| Month | Active listings | New listings |
|---|---|---|
| May 2025 | 3 | 5 |
| June 2025 | 3 | 2 |
| July 2025 | 4 | 1 |
| August 2025 | 3 | 1 |
| September 2025 | 2 | 2 |
| October 2025 | 2 | 1 |
| November 2025 | 3 | 1 |
| January 2026 | 4 | 3 |
| February 2026 | 3 | not published |
| March 2026 | 2 | 1 |
| April 2026 | 3 | 3 |
| May 2026 | 4 | 5 |
Redfin, through May 2026
How does Chester compare to New Jersey and the U.S.?
Chester homes sell for $1.45M — 150% above the New Jersey median of $579,900. Against the national median of $410,700, Chester runs 253% higher. Year-over-year, Chester moved +122.7% against New Jersey's +3.7% — a bigger swing than the state as a whole.
| Market | Median sale price | YoY | Days on market |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chester, NJ | $1.45M | +122.7% | 15 days |
| New Jersey statewide | $579,900 | +3.7% | 35 days |
| United States | $410,700 | not published | not published |
City and state rows: Redfin, through May 2026 · U.S. row: Freddie Mac via FRED, April 2026 (MSPUS, quarterly)
What to do next in Chester
What buyers should watch
- Months of supply, currently 4.0. It turns before price does — when it climbs past 6, sellers start taking offers they would have rejected a quarter earlier.
- The share of listings cutting price, currently 25.0%. A listing that has already cut once is the one most likely to accept below asking.
- The gap between 5% and 20% down here is $1,451 a month in principal and interest alone, before mortgage insurance. That gap, not the price, is usually what decides your timeline.
- Rate moves. At 7.03%, every full point of rate change moves the payment on a $1.45M home more than a 5% price change does.
- Your credit tier before you shop, not after — it sets the rate you are quoted. Run your numbers first.
What sellers should know
- The median Chester listing goes under contract in 15 days. If yours passes that mark, the market is telling you the price is wrong — not that you need more showings.
- Homes here close at 105.5% of asking. Price at the number you want and let competition do the rest.
- In the last published month Chester added 5 new listings against 1 sales — more competition arriving than clearing, so early timing matters.
- Comparable ZIP-level pricing inside Chester varies more than the citywide median suggests — check the ZIP pages below before you set a number.
Homes for sale in Chester
There are currently 4 homes listed for sale in Chester, New Jersey. The median listing price is $925K.
Active listings
4
Homes on market
Median list price
$925K
Avg. days on market
15
Days until sale
New this week
5
Newly listed
How much do homes cost in Chester by property type?
How the Chester, NJ market breaks down across single-family homes, condos and townhouses. Redfin, through May 2026
| Property type | Median price | Price / sq ft | Homes sold | Days on market |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single-family | $1.45M | $384/sq ft | 1 | 15 days |
Who lives in Chester?
American Community Survey estimates for Chester. U.S. Census ACS, 2023
Population
1,359
Households
549
Median income
$152,578/yr
Median age
43.6 years
Owner-occupied
76.3%
Median home value
$640,400
Median gross rent
$1,337/mo
Mean commute
29.9 min
76.3% of occupied homes in Chester are owner-occupied, and the rest are rented — which is the share that decides how much of the local housing stock ever reaches the for-sale market.
Which public schools serve Chester?
4 schools tracked · 2,047 students
The largest public schools serving Chester, NJ by enrollment, drawn from the National Center for Education Statistics. School quality is a commonly cited factor in home-buying decisions — these are the campuses families in this area are most likely to encounter.
West Morris Central High School
Grades 9-12 · 1,023 students
Dickerson Elementary School
Grades PK-2 · 370 students
Black River Middle School
Grades 6-8 · 330 students
Bragg Elementary School
Grades 3-5 · 324 students
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data directory. Updated annually. Ratings and test scores are not currently displayed.
Which cities are near Chester, NJ?
Ordered by distance from Chester, not by size. Compare Chester side by side with any of them.
Chester housing market FAQ
Is Chester a buyer's or seller's market?
Chester, NJ is currently a seller's market. That read comes from 4.0 months of supply, homes going under contract in about 15 days, and sellers getting 105.5% of their asking price in the last month Redfin published (May 2026).
How much do homes cost in Chester?
The median sale price in the last month Redfin published was $1.45M, about $384 per square foot.
Is Chester cheaper than the rest of New Jersey?
Chester's median sale price of $1.45M is 150% higher than the New Jersey statewide median of $579,900, and 253% above the U.S. median of $410,700. Both figures are for the same period.
How long do homes take to sell in Chester?
Homes in Chester, NJ spent a median of 15 days on market before going under contract, versus 35 days statewide. Under three weeks means well-priced listings move before most buyers can schedule a second showing. (Redfin, through May 2026.)
What income do you need to buy a home in Chester?
At the current 30-year fixed rate of 7.03%, 20% down on a $1.45M home is about $7,741 a month in principal and interest. Lenders typically want that under 28% of gross income, which works out to roughly $331,753 a year before taxes, insurance, HOA dues or mortgage insurance. The local median household income is $152,578.
Are home prices rising in Chester?
Redfin's last published year-over-year change for Chester, NJ was +122.7%, measured through May 2026. That series is frozen; treat it as a historical reading rather than a current trend.
What are the cheapest ZIP codes in Chester?
Chester ZIP-level sale prices are not all published for the same period, so ranking them would compare different months. The ZIP pages listed on this page show what we hold for each one individually.
Is now a good time to buy in Chester?
That depends on your timeline, not on a headline. What the data says today: Chester, NJ is a seller's market with 4.0 months of supply, the 30-year fixed rate is 7.03%. Properties Incorporated publishes the data; it does not give financial advice.
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