Chester, CA · standard
ZIP Code 96020
Plumas County, California - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 2,416
- 23/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $50,489
- Median income Below-median income area
- $350,200
- Median home value Above-median home value
- 29.1%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Chester pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 15th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 26%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 23
- people per sq mi
- 72%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 96020 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 96020 covers 103.7 square miles in Chester, Plumas County, California (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 2,416 residents on file, a density of 23 people per square mile, in the Los Angeles time zone.
ZIP 96020 reports a modest median household income of $50,489 (50% below the average California ZIP), while per-capita income is $55,482. The poverty rate is 12.2%, with unemployment at 3.2%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $350,200 (55% below the average California ZIP), and median rent is $1,130; owner occupancy is 71.6%.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 29.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 63.4, and the average commute is -. No nearby ZIP peer set is available for this delivery area, so the California and national benchmarks above are the appropriate context for 96020.
Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →
Top industries in ZIP 96020
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Chester, CA
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 96020.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
22 establishments
- Construction
Construction
20 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
16 establishments
- Other services (except public administration) 8
Other services (except public administration)
8 establishments
- Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 6
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
6 establishments
What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 96020, Chester, CA · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
2,416
Population
103.7
Area (sq mi)
23
People / sq mi
Los Angeles
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 96020?
63.4
Median Age
49.3%
Male
50.7%
Female
0.2%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$50,489
Median Household Income
-50% vs state ZIP avg
$55,482
Per Capita Income
12.2%
Poverty Rate
3.2%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 96020 ranks among California ZIPs
Chester, CA household income vs. every California ZIP code
Median household income among 1,583 reporting California ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$50,489 7th percentile higher than 7% of 1,583 California ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more California ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
1,983housing units
1,983
Total Housing Units
1,119
Occupied Units
864
Vacant Units
1.97
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$350,200
Median Home Value
-55% vs state ZIP avg
$1,130
Median Rent
1983
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 103 business establishments in ZIP 96020, employing approximately 652 people with a combined annual payroll of $37,371,000.
103
Businesses
652
Employees
$37.4M
Annual Payroll
11
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 22 | 21.4% |
| Construction | 20 | 19.4% |
| Accommodation and food services | 16 | 15.5% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 8 | 7.8% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 6 | 5.8% |
| Health care and social assistance | 6 | 5.8% |
| Finance and insurance | 5 | 4.8% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 4 | 3.9% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 3 | 2.9% |
| Manufacturing | 3 | 2.9% |
| Wholesale trade | 3 | 2.9% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 96020, both outside CA so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (2,416 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Plumas County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 96020 in?
ZIP code 96020 (Chester) is located in Plumas County, California. Plumas County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/plumas-ca.
What is the population of ZIP code 96020?
ZIP code 96020 in Chester, CA has a population of 2,416 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 96020?
The median household income in ZIP 96020 is $50,489, which is 34% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 96020?
The median home value in ZIP 96020 is $350,200, which is 26% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 96020?
The largest racial group in ZIP 96020 is White at 90.5%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 9.0% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 96020?
ZIP code 96020 has 103 business establishments employing approximately 652 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 96020?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 96020 are: Retail trade (22), Construction (20), Accommodation and food services (16). There are 11 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 96020?
In ZIP code 96020, 44.8% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 29.1% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 96020?
In ZIP code 96020, approximately 71.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 28.4% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 96020?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 96020 is 12.2% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
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- See how ZIP 96020 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Chester, CA ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
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ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.