A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Chester$840/mo

Typical home $140K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.87% · or rent about $902/mo · Housing →

Dillon$680/mo

Typical home $121K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.45% · or rent about $630/mo · Housing →

The difference: $150 a month, about $1,900 a year, between Chester and Dillon.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Dillon places higher on 11 of 19 SC lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every South Carolina ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety

–ChesterNot graded D−DillonSafer than 0% of U.S. towns

Schools

CChesterBetter than 31% of districts in the state C−DillonBetter than 19% of districts in the state

Health

D−ChesterHealthier than 1% of U.S. towns D−DillonHealthier than 2% of U.S. towns

7Chester

11Dillon

Lists won, of 19 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Lowest property taxCost of living · 172 towns #83#9 Cheapest rentCost of living · 170 towns #61#8 Lowest depressionHealth · 173 towns #46#81 Highest incomeIncome · 172 towns #129#158 Most walkableOutdoors · 173 towns #47#27 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 173 towns #132#152 Highest graduation rateSchools · 160 towns #118#102 Most activeHealth · 173 towns #168#157

Left end = #1 in South Carolina. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Chester’s rankings →

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

ChesterDillon

Snow a year3″1″

January low31°F 32°F

July high92°F 92°F

Growing season (days)210d 227d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)40th 80th

Outdoors & history

ChesterDillon

Trails0 mi 1 mi

Conserved land4.2%4.2%

Settled—1888

National Register places4 4

Archive photos18 12

Famous people born here31 21

Community

ChesterDillon

Library hours a week48 hrs 48 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

106 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

ChesterSC DillonSC

Chester ↔ Dillon106 miles apart

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs South Carolina average

ChesterDillon

People

Population 5,218Lowest 6,354Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -6% SC: +10.7% -6% SC: +10.7%

Median age 38.8±7.7Lowest 3% below SC 40.4±5.8Highest about the SC average

Dillon and Chester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 24.7%±5.7 SC: 21.4% 24.7%±5.1 SC: 21.4%

Age 65+ 15.4%±3.5Lowest SC: 18.9% 20%±3.9Highest SC: 18.9%

Dillon and Chester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 14%Highest SC: 32.1% 12.4%Lowest SC: 32.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.2%±1.4Highest SC: 5.7% 0.9%±1Lowest SC: 5.7%

Chester and Dillon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $46,138±$7kHighest 33% below SC $35,891±$3kLowest 48% below SC

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $123,000±$34kHighest 53% below SC $115,500±$27kLowest 55% below SC

Chester and Dillon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $902±$102Highest 24% below SC $630±$22Lowest 47% below SC

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,075Highest 14% below SC $522Lowest 58% below SC

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 45%±13.6Lowest SC: 52.1% 49.9%±13.4Highest SC: 52.1%

Dillon and Chester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 19.4%Lowest SC: 14.1% 32.8%Highest SC: 14.1%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 59.1%Highest SC: 71.9% 53.9%Lowest SC: 71.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 1962Lowest 30 yrs older than SC 1972Highest 20 yrs older than SC

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 28 minHighest 11% above SC 28 minLowest 9% above SC

Work from home 1.6%±1.8Highest SC: 11.5% 0.6%±0.9Lowest SC: 11.5%

Chester and Dillon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 6.6%Lowest 20.2%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 26.8 miHighest 24.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.88Lowest 1.34Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Rock Hill (14%)Florence (8%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in DillonFew work in Chester

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 4.2% 4.2%

Trailsmapped miles 0.3 miLowest 1.4 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miLowest 0.3 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Highest 1Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 72.0Lowest 82.3Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #109 of 141 in SC #110 of 141 in SC

School district Chester 01Dillon 80 · Dillon 04

High school in town None in townDillon High

Students per teacherat that high school — 16.4

South Carolina average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Chester neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Chester’s Town Square.

Dillon neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Dillon’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Chester and Dillon

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Chester

+ Compare

Eureka Mill1,813 people · $180K homes

+ Compare

Gayle Mill974 people · $31K homes

Towns like Chester

+ Compare

Belton4,458 people · $134K homes

+ Compare

Walhalla4,157 people · $172K homes

+ Compare

Barnwell4,613 people · $145K homes

+ Compare

Abbeville4,872 people · $106K homes

Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks South Carolina towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Chester vs Dillon

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $150 more a month in Chester

Dillon places higher on 11 of 19 SC lists

What daily life feels like in each

106 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Chester and Dillon

Bordering Chester

Towns like Chester

Post to Chester

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