96020 ZIP Code — Chester, CA

Plumas County, California

ZIP code 96020 is located in Chester, California, within Plumas County. It covers approximately 56.31 square miles and serves a population of 2,593 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Pacific (PT) timezone, served by area code 530.

About ZIP code 96020

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1990s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $264,700. Owner-occupancy is high at 81%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($85,536) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 56% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is service, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 15 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 24% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 14% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 96020 reflects a community defined by a strong veteran community, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

2,593

population

56.31

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Pacific (PT)

timezone

96020 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 96020

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 96020. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Chester	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

95923 Canyon Dam (9.9 mi) 96061 Mill Creek (10.6 mi) 96137 Westwood (11 mi) 95942 Forest Ranch (19.8 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	2,593
Population density	46 / sq mi
State FIPS	06
County FIPS	063

Geography
Land area	56.31 sq mi
Water area	0.49 sq mi
Latitude	40.2564
Longitude	-121.2933
Timezone	Pacific (PT)
Area code	530

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	37.6%	45.8%	32.6%
$50k – $100k	33.5%	28.6%	27.7%
$100k – $200k	19.0%	21.2%	26.4%
Over $200k	9.9%	4.3%	13.3%

Demographics & statistics

2,593

Population

People per sq mi

59.1

Median age

$85,536

Median household income

$54,191

Per capita income

$264,700

Median home value

$1,031

Median monthly rent

80.8%

Home ownership

7.9%

Poverty rate

1.9%

Unemployment

1,773

Housing units

23.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

185

25–34

161

125

35–44

109

101

45–54

55–59

114

60–64

100

350

65–74

306

147

75–84

129

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	362	14.0%
18 and over	2,231	86.0%
65 and over	1,040	40.1%
Median age	59.1 years

Race & ethnicity

White 94.1%

Hispanic or Latino 2.4%

Two or more races 1.8%

Other race 1.1%

Black or African American 0.6%

Group	Count	%
White	2,499	94.1%
Hispanic or Latino	64	2.4%
Two or more races	49	1.8%
Other race	30	1.1%
Black or African American	15	0.6%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	37.6%	45.8%	32.6%
$50k – $100k	33.5%	28.6%	27.7%
$100k – $200k	19.0%	21.2%	26.4%
Over $200k	9.9%	4.3%	13.3%

Under $10k 2.9%

$10k–$15k 1.5%

$15k–$25k 5.2%

$25k–$35k 5.6%

$35k–$50k 13.5%

$50k–$75k 14.8%

$75k–$100k 18.5%

$100k–$150k 10.3%

$150k–$200k 6.3%

$200k+ 21.3%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.9%
$10k–$15k	1.5%
$15k–$25k	5.2%
$25k–$35k	5.6%
$35k–$50k	13.5%
$50k–$75k	14.8%
$75k–$100k	18.5%
$100k–$150k	10.3%
$150k–$200k	6.3%
$200k+	21.3%
Median income	$85,536

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 9.2%

$50k–$100k 0.9%

$100k–$150k 11.7%

$150k–$200k 7.4%

$200k–$300k 29.9%

$300k–$500k 18.9%

$500k–$1M 20.0%

$1M+ 2.0%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$264,700
Median rent / month	$1,031
Owner occupied	80.8%
Renter occupied	19.2%
Vacant	43.4%
Single-family detached	85.4%
Large apartment buildings	4.2%
Mobile homes	3.5%
Median rooms	5.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.33

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	0.3%
2000–2009	13.0%
1990–1999	26.6%
1980–1989	15.7%
1970–1979	15.9%
1960–1969	7.2%
1950–1959	14.4%
1940–1949	4.9%
1939 or earlier	1.9%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.7%
1 bedroom	10.8%
2 bedrooms	19.2%
3 bedrooms	55.9%
4 bedrooms	10.6%
5+ bedrooms	2.9%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.8%
1 vehicle	22.7%
2 vehicles	35.3%
3 or more	37.2%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	12.8%
Electricity	3.5%
Propane / LP gas	24.0%
Fuel oil	7.1%
Wood	50.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	625	55.6%
Cohabiting couple	62	5.5%
Male householder, no spouse	120	10.7%
Female householder, no spouse	318	28.3%
Households with children under 18	177	15.7%
Households with seniors (65+)	686	61.0%
Average household size	2.28

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	27.5%	6.7%
Married	60.5%	60.3%
Separated	0.0%	1.2%
Widowed	1.0%	13.5%
Divorced	11.0%	18.3%

Education

Less than 9th grade 4.4%

Some HS, no diploma 3.5%

HS graduate 19.6%

Some college, no degree 46.4%

Associate's degree 2.6%

Bachelor's degree 16.1%

Graduate / professional 7.5%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	92.2%
Bachelor's or higher	23.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	13	4.6%
Kindergarten	16	5.7%
Elementary school	206	73.3%
High school	30	10.7%
College / grad school	16	5.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 28.3%

Agriculture & mining 15.5%

Manufacturing 9.0%

Arts, food & hospitality 8.4%

Construction 7.3%

Retail trade 6.8%

Public administration 6.6%

Professional & management 6.1%

Information 3.8%

Finance & real estate 3.0%

Other services 2.9%

Wholesale trade 2.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	24.2%
Service	24.5%
Sales & office	22.9%
Natural resources & construction	11.5%
Production & transportation	17.0%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	61.5%
Government	34.2%
Self-employed	4.3%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	79.7%
Carpool	9.6%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.1%
Work from home	10.6%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	15.0

Poverty

All people 7.9%

Under 18 years 14.1%

18 and over 6.9%

Married-couple families 5.8%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	55.7%
Retirement income	44.9%
Supplemental Security	1.0%
Cash public assistance	3.2%
Food stamps / SNAP	8.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	30.6%
High blood pressure	33.6%
High cholesterol	36.0%
Diabetes	10.5%
Heart disease	7.3%
Stroke	3.4%
Asthma	10.3%
Arthritis	28.0%
Kidney disease	3.2%
Pulmonary disease	8.2%
Cancer	7.9%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	14.2%
Binge drinking	17.8%
No physical activity	19.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	31.8%
Depression	19.5%
Fair or poor health	14.7%
Poor mental health	14.7%
Poor physical health	11.6%
No health insurance	8.8%
Visited doctor (checkup)	69.4%
Visited dentist	67.2%
Cholesterol screening	92.6%
Teeth loss	10.6%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	317	14.2%

Disability	%
Any disability	19.6%
Under 18	3.9%
18–64 years	10.6%
65 and over	35.5%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	71.1%
Public insurance	59.0%
No insurance	2.5%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	2,507	96.7%
Spanish	1	0.0%
Other Indo-European	1	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	2,588	99.8%
Born in same state	2,588	99.8%
Born in different state	1,872	72.2%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	5	0.2%
Not a US citizen	1	20.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	285	11%
Italian	232	8.9%
English	36	1.4%
Irish	31	1.2%

Ancestry	Count	%
Dutch	23	0.9%
Polish	22	0.8%
Arab	9	0.3%
German	4	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	43.4%
Internet access	90.3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 96020

What city is ZIP code 96020 in?

ZIP code 96020 is primarily assigned to Chester, California.

What county is ZIP code 96020 in?

ZIP code 96020 falls within Plumas County, California.

Does ZIP code 96020 have an older population?

40% of residents in ZIP code 96020 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 96020 have a large retiree population?

56% of households in ZIP code 96020 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Is ZIP code 96020 mostly owner-occupied?

81% of occupied units in ZIP code 96020 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 96020 have a large veteran population?

14% of civilians in ZIP code 96020 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What timezone is ZIP code 96020 in?

ZIP code 96020 observes the PST timezone.