Home Insurance in Chester, Arkansas
The typical home in Chester was built around 1984. Aging wiring, roofing and plumbing in older homes can push up the cost to insure or rebuild them. About 26% of homes were built before 1960, about 15 points above Crawford County's 11%.
The housing stock in Chester is 87% single-family homes, 5% apartments in buildings with 5+ units and 8% mobile or manufactured homes. Mobile and manufactured homes typically need a manufactured-home (HO-7) policy rather than a standard homeowners policy.
In Chester, about 24% of owner-occupied homes have a mortgage - lenders require hazard insurance on every mortgaged home.
About 52% of occupied homes in Chester are owner-occupied. The vacancy rate is 15%; vacant or unoccupied homes typically need a different coverage form than an owner-occupied policy.
Most homes in Chester - 76% - are primarily heated with electricity. Homes heated with propane can carry added fire risk. Fuel-tank leaks and spills are often excluded from standard homeowners policies.
Crawford County's top FEMA-rated hazard is wildfire (Relatively Moderate), per FEMA's National Risk Index. Crawford County had 137 active NFIP flood policies as of September 2026. See the full Crawford County home insurance overview for all FEMA hazard ratings and flood coverage details.
In Arkansas, the statewide average premium for a standard HO-3 homeowners policy is $1,870 per year (NAIC, 2023 data).
Key figures
| Median year built | 1984 |
|---|---|
| Owner-occupied share | 52% |
| Share of owner-occupied homes with a mortgage | 24% |
| Top county hazard | Wildfire (Relatively Moderate) |
| Active NFIP policies in Crawford County | 137 |
| Home insurance premium | $1,870 - statewide average (NAIC, 2023 data) |
Nearby towns
Sources
Data last updated: 2026-09-29
- U.S. Census Bureau Gazetteer Files (2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates (2024)
- FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025)
- FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Policies v3 (2026)
- NAIC Dwelling Fire, Homeowners Owner-Occupied, and Homeowners Tenant and Condominium/Cooperative Unit Owners Insurance: Data for 2023 (published 2026) (2023)