Editing Chester Township, Eaton County, Michigan

{{Dablink|There is also [[Chester Township, Otsego County, Michigan]] and [[Chester Township, Ottawa County, Michigan]].}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = Chester Township, Michigan
| settlement_type    = [[Township (United States)|Township]]
| pushpin_map        = Michigan
| pushpin_map_caption = Location within the state of Michigan
| pushpin_mapsize    = 
| image_map          = 
| mapsize            = 
| map_caption        = 
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Michigan]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Michigan|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Eaton County, Michigan|Eaton]]
| government_type    = Township Board
| leader_title       = Supervisor
| leader_name        = Justin Vedder
| leader_title1      = Clerk
| leader_name1       = Shelia Draper
| leader_title2      = Treasurer
| leader_name2       = Leslie Garn
| leader_title3      = Trustee
| leader_name3       = Randy Carlson
| leader_title4      = Trustee
| leader_name4       = Kim Walters
| established_date   = 1839
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_total_km2     = 93.6
| area_land_km2      = 93.6
| area_water_km2     = 0.0
| area_total_sq_mi   = 36.1
| area_land_sq_mi    = 36.1
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.0
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_total   = 1769
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_density_sq_mi = auto
| timezone           = [[Eastern Time Zone|Eastern]]
| elevation_m        = 278
| elevation_ft       = 912
| coordinates        = {{coord|42|38|39|N|84|54|3|W|region:US-MI|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type   = 
| postal_code        = 
| area_code          = 
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 26-15260<ref name=GR2>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 1626071<ref>{{gnis|1626071}}</ref>
| website            = 
| footnotes          = 
}}
'''Chester Township''' is a [[civil township]] of [[Eaton County, Michigan|Eaton County]] in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Michigan]]. The population was 1,769 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 United States census]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Chester_township,_Eaton_County,_Michigan?g=060XX00US2604515260 |access-date=2024-04-26 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref>

==History==
Chester Township was organized in 1839.{{sfn|Romig|1986|page=113}}

==Communities==
* '''Chester''' is an [[unincorporated community]] in the southern part of the township at {{Coord|42|36|21|N|84|54|53|W|region:US-MI_type:city_scale:30000_source:GNIS|name=Chester, Michigan}}.<ref>{{gnis|623171|Chester, Michigan}}</ref>
* '''Gresham''' is an unincorporated community near the center of the township at {{Coord|42|38|27|N|84|53|42|W|region:US-MI_type:city_scale:30000_source:GNIS|name=Gresham, Michigan}}, southwest of [[M-50 (Michigan highway)|M-50]] (Clinton Trail) near the intersection of Gresham Hwy. and Mulliken Rd.<ref>{{gnis|627414|Gresham, Michigan}}</ref> It was established in 1883.{{sfn|Romig|1986|page=240}}
* '''Needmore''' is an unincorporated community in the northeast corner of the township, along the boundary with [[Roxand Township, Michigan|Roxand Township]] at {{Coord|42|41|00|N|84|51|22|W|region:US-MI_type:city_scale:30000_source:GNIS|name=Needmore, Michigan}} near the intersection of Needmore Hwy and Wheaton Rd.<ref>{{gnis|1620992|Needmore, Michigan}}</ref>
* '''Stalls Corner''' is a small community 5 miles (8&nbsp;km) NW of Charlotte.<ref>[https://www.google.com/maps/place/Stalls+Corner,+Chester+Township,+MI+48813/@42.641146,-84.9037456,15z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x8822a6fcee20e525:0x28c3cb717af93f14!8m2!3d42.6411469!4d-84.8949908 ''Stalls Corner, Chester Township, Eaton County MI''  Google Maps (accessed 30 September 2018)]</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau|US Census Bureau]], the township has a total area of {{convert|36.1|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|36.1|sqmi|km2}} is land and 0.03% is water. Nearly all of the township is in the drainage basin of the [[Thornapple River]], which flows through the northern part. The [[Little Thornapple River (Eaton County)|Little Thornapple River]] joins the Thornapple in [[section (land)|section]] 11.

==Demographics==
As of the [[2000 United States census]],<ref name=GR2/> there were 1,778 people, 648 households, and 517 families residing in the township. The population density was {{convert|49.2|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 670 housing units at an average density of 18.5 per square mile (7.2/km{{sup|2}}). The racial makeup of the township was 97.64% [[White (U.S. census)|White]], 0.39% [[African American (U.S. census)|African American]], 0.17% [[Native American (U.S. census)|Native American]], 0.39% [[Asian (U.S. census)|Asian]], 0.79% from [[Race (United States census)|other races]], and 0.62% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.69% of the population.

There were 648 households, out of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.6% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 4.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.2% were non-families. 17.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.09.

The township population contained 26.5% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 27.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.2 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $52,438, and the median income for a family was $57,188. Males had a median income of $40,119 versus $27,875 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the township was $21,588. About 3.4% of families and 5.3% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 7.6% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.

==References==
===Notes===
{{Reflist}}

===Sources===
*{{cite book|first1=Walter|last1=Romig|title=Michigan Place Names: The History of the Founding and the Naming of More Than Five Thousand Past and Present Michigan Communities|series=Great Lakes Books Series|type=Paperback|orig-year=1973|date=October 1, 1986|publisher=[[Wayne State University Press]]|isbn=081431838X|location=Detroit|id={{ISBN|978-0814318386}}}}

{{Eaton County, Michigan}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Townships in Eaton County, Michigan]]
[[Category:Lansing–East Lansing metropolitan area]]
[[Category:1839 establishments in Michigan]]
[[Category:Townships in Michigan]]