Commercial Real Estate Market in Chester, IL
Updated monthly: sale, lease, property records, location trend, and more… · Last update: August 31
7 active listings and 222 off-market properties in Chester, IL.
Market Trends
Chester, IL spans 68.3 square miles in Randolph County, Illinois. Figures below refresh monthly; last updated 31 August 2026.
Office
Office vacancy in Chester, IL runs 21.3% across the Midwest region in 2025, up from 13.7% in 2019.
Vacancy Rate % in Midwest region
Retail
Retail vacancy in Chester, IL runs 6.3% across the Midwest region in 2025, down from 8% in 2020.
Vacancy Rate % in Midwest region
Industrial
Industrial vacancy in Chester, IL runs 4.9% across the Midwest region in 2025, up from 4.4% in 2019. Nearly 1.6x the 2022 low of 3.1%.
Vacancy Rate % in Midwest region
Multifamily
Multifamily vacancy in Chester, IL runs 8% across the Midwest region in 2025, up from 6.5% in 2022.
Vacancy Rate % in Midwest region
Zoning & Land Use
Land Use Mix share of zoned land by category
- Residential 52.9%
- Industrial 22.6%
- Commercial 17.6%
Largest Zones share of zoned land by district
General Residential
Industrial
Single Family Residential
Commercial
No Zoning
Chester, IL zones 3,770 acres across 6 districts. Commercial zoning covers 17.6% of zoned land, residential 52.9% and industrial 22.6%. The largest single district is General Residential at 32.6%. For commercial buyers the practical constraint is that only 40.2% of land carries a commercial or industrial designation.
General Residential (R-2)
General Residential District is intended to accommodate a wide variety of housing types and related educational, religious, and recreational facilities.
Market overview
Demographics & Economy
Chester, IL has 8,187 residents in 2,946 households. Density runs 120 people per square mile. Median household income here is $78,333 and median gross rent $645 a month.
8,187
Population
2,946
Households
2.8
Avg Household Size
41
Median Age
9%
College-Educated
80%
High-School Grad
68.3 sq mi
ZIP Area
120
Density / Sq Mi
$78,333
Median Household Income
$46,982
Median Earnings
$645
Median Rent
$111,500
Median Home Value
Tools
Nearby Markets
| Market | Average Sale Price, $/SF | Average Lease Price, $/SF/Yr |
|---|---|---|
| Bremen | — | — |
| Lithium | — | — |
| Welge | — | — |
| Saint Mary | — | — |
Commercial property in Chester, IL asks $51/SF.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average price per square foot for commercial property in Chester?
Commercial property in Chester, IL asks an average of $51 per square foot.
What zoning applies to commercial property in Chester?
Chester, IL zones 3,770 acres across 6 districts, of which 17.6% is commercial and 22.6% industrial. The largest single district is General Residential at 32.6% of zoned land. General Residential District is intended to accommodate a wide variety of housing types and related educational, religious, and recreational facilities. Residential zoning covers 52.9% and open space 0%.
Where does Realmo's Chester market data come from?
Realmo compiles Chester, IL figures from 5 recent recorded sales, 7 active sale listings, 222 tracked off-market properties, the current Chester zoning release. Sale and lease figures refresh monthly; vacancy annually. Last updated 31 August 2026.
Methodology & data sources
- Asking prices and averages
- Computed from 7 active for-sale and 0 active for-lease listings in Chester, IL. These are ASKING figures from live listings, not closed-transaction prices, and a segment carried by a handful of listings reads as indicative rather than an average.
- Vacancy rates
- Published per-sector market series, taken at the metro level where one exists and otherwise at the Census-region level — a chart reading "in <region> region" is a regional number, not this city's.
- Zoning and land use
- The current municipal zoning release: 3,770 zoned acres across 6 districts. Shares are of zoned land, so parcels the release leaves unclassified are excluded from the mix.
- Refresh
- The monthly aggregates close at the end of the previous month, so 31 August 2026 — not today — is the honest last update.
- Known limitations
- office vacancy is reported at Midwest region level, retail vacancy is reported at Midwest region level and industrial vacancy is reported at Midwest region level.
- Coverage
- Metrics below the 10-observation threshold fall back one geographic level. The geography used is named on each figure.
Compiled by the Realmo Data team · reviewed 31 August 2026 · report a data issue
