96020 ZIP Code, Chester, CA
96020 is a ZIP code in Chester, California in Plumas County. It covers 56 square miles of land. The closest ZIP codes are 95923, 96137 and 96061. 2,222 people live here in 1,119 households. It is rural, with fewer than 100 people per square mile, and most homes are owner-occupied (72%). Median household income is $50,489, well below the California median of $99,122; the median age is 63.4, older than most ZIP codes.
Quick facts
- Mailing city: Chester, CA
- County: Plumas County
- Land area: 56 sq mi
- Population: 2,222
- Median household income: $50,489
- Carrier routes: 2 (464 homes)
Key figures
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Residents | 2,222 |
| Households | 1,119 |
| Median household income | $50,489 |
| Income per person | $55,482 |
| Median age | 63.4 |
| Homeowners | 71.6% |
| Median home value | $350,200 |
| Median rent | $1,130 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.1% |
| Average commute (minutes) | 24.9 |
| Households with kids under 18 | 8.1% |
| Moved in the past year | 31.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 12.2% |
| Broadband internet | 94.2% |
| Speak a non-English language at home | 6.4% |
Household income
| % of households | Value |
|---|---|
| <$10K | 8.3% |
| $10–15K | 4.1% |
| $15–25K | 2.5% |
| $25–35K | 9.0% |
| $35–50K | 25.6% |
| $50–75K | 12.7% |
| $75–100K | 6.3% |
| $100–150K | 8.2% |
| $150–200K | 5.7% |
| $200K+ | 17.4% |
Age
| % of all residents | Value |
|---|---|
| <10 | 9.3% |
| 10–19 | 1.6% |
| 20–24 | 2.5% |
| 25–34 | 13.3% |
| 35–44 | 2.8% |
| 45–54 | 6.0% |
| 55–64 | 17.2% |
| 65–74 | 33.2% |
| 75+ | 14.2% |
Tenure
| % of housing units | Value |
|---|---|
| Owned, with mortgage | 18.0% |
| Owned outright | 22.6% |
| Rented | 16.0% |
| Vacant | 43.5% |
Type of building
| % of housing units | Value |
|---|---|
| Detached house | 84.6% |
| Townhome | 2.5% |
| 2–4 units | 3.2% |
| 5–19 units | 0.0% |
| 20+ units | 5.1% |
| Mobile / other | 4.5% |
Businesses in 96020
103 business establishments with 652 employees (ZIP Codes Business Patterns 2023).
- Retail Trade: 22
- Construction: 20
- Accommodation and Food Services: 16
- Other Services (except Public Administration): 8
- Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services: 6
- Health Care and Social Assistance: 6
- Finance and Insurance: 5
- Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services: 4
EDDM carrier routes
96020 has 2 USPS carrier routes with 464 residential and 2 business mailboxes. Open the EDDM route map.
Carrier routes in 96020
96020 has 2 USPS carrier routes (2 highway contract (H)) with 464 residential and 2 business mailboxes. Routes range from 11 homes (H002) to 453 homes (H001); the median route has 232 homes. The Census counted 1,119 households in 96020 (2020–2024 average); USPS counts current mailboxes, including new and vacant homes.
| Homes per route | Routes |
|---|---|
| 1–249 | 1 |
| 250–499 | 1 |
| 500–749 | 0 |
| 750–999 | 0 |
| 1,000–1,499 | 0 |
| 1,500+ | 0 |
Every carrier route in 96020
| Route | Type | Homes | Businesses | Est. median income | Est. owners | Est. families with kids | Est. moved in past year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| H001 | Highway contract | 453 | 2 | $106,448 | — | — | — |
| H002 | Highway contract | 11 | 0 | $79,611 | — | — | — |
Income, owners, families and movers are estimates for each route (how we estimate them); mailbox counts are current USPS figures. Open 96020 on the EDDM route map.
How route demographics are estimated
Mailbox counts come from USPS; demographics are estimates
The number of homes and businesses on each carrier route is the current USPS EDDM count. The Census Bureau does not publish figures for carrier routes, so income, homeownership, ages, families, movers and housing age on a route are EDDM2GO estimates built from Census block groups (neighborhood areas of roughly 600 to 3,000 people).
How a route gets its figures: the block-group length-share method
We trace each route's streets every 25 meters and record which block group each stretch falls in. The route's homes are spread along its streets in proportion to length, so a route with 60% of its street length in one block group is assumed to have 60% of its homes there. Each block group then contributes its Census counts in proportion to the share of its housing units that sit on the route (capped at the whole block group). Medians are recalculated from the combined income, home-value and age brackets, the way the Census Bureau computes them, not averaged.
Margins of error
Census survey figures carry a margin of error at 90% confidence; we carry it through the calculation and show it as ±. Our margins treat the route-to-block-group split as exact, so the real uncertainty is larger. Routes with fewer than 100 estimated households, large margins, or streets we could not place are flagged.
Different years
USPS mailbox counts are current. Census figures are 5-year averages for 2020–2024, so a new subdivision may have more homes on the route today than the Census counted. Use the route figures to compare routes with each other, not as an exact head count.
Why some routes show identical figures
Two routes that run through the same block group get the same percentages and medians, because the Census publishes one set of figures for the whole block group. Their mailbox counts still differ, and those are exact.
Route and mailbox counts: USPS EDDM route data. Route demographics: EDDM2GO estimates from U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year block-group data (2020–2024) and 2024 cartographic block-group boundaries. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Nearby ZIP codes
- 95923 — Almanor CDP, CA (10.8 mi)
- 96137 — Westwood CDP, CA (11.4 mi)
- 96061 — Mineral CDP, CA (12.2 mi)
- 96063 — Mineral CDP, CA (18.7 mi)
- 95915 — Tobin CDP, CA (21.9 mi)
- 95984 — Twain CDP, CA (23.5 mi)
- 95947 — Greenville CDP, CA (24.3 mi)
Areas that include 96020
- Chester, CA ZIP codes — 1 ZIP code
- Lake Almanor West, CA ZIP codes — 1 ZIP code
- Warner Valley, CA ZIP codes — 1 ZIP code
- Plumas County ZIP codes — 18 ZIP codes
- California ZIP code data
Where it ranks
- No. 3 of 7: highest median home value in Plumas County
- No. 5 of 7: highest share of owner-occupied homes in Plumas County
- No. 1 of 7: highest share of residents who moved in during the past year in Plumas County
- No. 2 of 7: highest median age in Plumas County
- No. 3 of 7: fastest population growth in Plumas County
Mail every home in 96020
Route counts on this page price as Full Service 6.5 × 9 postcards: we print, bundle by carrier route and hand the mailing to USPS. Prefer to take it to the Post Office yourself? Print only costs less and you pay postage at drop-off.
EDDM guides
ZIP code statistics describe the Census ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) 96020, which approximates the USPS ZIP code area. Census figures: American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024.
Frequently asked questions
- What city is 96020 in?
- 96020 is a Chester, CA mailing address. By land area, 31% lies inside Warner Valley, 13% lies inside Chester and 4% lies inside Lake Almanor West; the rest is outside any Census-defined city or community.
- What county is 96020 in?
- 96020 is in Plumas County.
- What is the population of 96020?
- About 2,222 people (±477), according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates for 2020–2024. The 2020 Census counted 2,407.
- What is the median household income in 96020?
- $50,489 (±$18,930), compared with $99,122 for California as a whole. Half the households in the ZIP code earn more and half earn less.
- How many carrier routes and mailboxes are in 96020?
- 2 USPS carrier routes with 464 residential and 2 business mailboxes (466 in all), from the route data stored by EDDM2GO. An EDDM mailing can target any combination of these routes.
- What ZIP codes are near 96020?
- The closest, measured center to center: 95923 (10.8 mi, Almanor), 96137 (11.4 mi, Westwood), 96061 (12.2 mi, Mineral), 96063 (18.7 mi, Mineral), 95915 (21.9 mi, Tobin) and 95984 (23.5 mi, Twain).
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.