Cheshire West and Chester is home to around 373,951 residents (ONS Mid-2025 estimates). The borough is experiencing an aging population with the largest portion of residents (75,324) being aged 50-64. There are also 75,746 residents aged 65+. The projected population change over the plan period is 55,292 residents, totalling an estimated population of 429,243 by 2045 (Source: Cheshire West and Chester Housing Needs Assessment). The greatest increase expected is in the 65+ and 85+ age groups. The Council forecast that the number of residents aged 65+ will increase by 22%, rising by approximately 17,300 people. The population group 85+ is also expected to see an increase of 50%, totalling 15,600 people (Source: Population Forecasts | Cheshire West and Chester Council)
Households
There are around 155,154 households in Cheshire West and Chester. The largest household sizes are 1-person households (46,887) and 2-person households (56,529). It is important to note that this refers to how many people reside in the household not how many bedrooms it has (Source: Nomis - Household size) .
Deprivation
Cheshire West and Chester is currently ranked 186th out of 296 Local Authority districts in The English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (1 = most deprived). 29,500 residents live in 19 Lower Super Output Areas (LSOAs) in the most deprived 10% nationally and of these, 2 LSOAs fall within the most deprived 1% in England (Source: English indices of deprivation 2025: statistical release - GOV.UK). The median household income for Cheshire West and Chester is £39,200 compared to the national average of £40,100. It is estimated that 18% of households are experiencing income-based poverty, defined as having an income below 60% of the UK median household income (Source: Average household income, UK: financial year ending 2025 - GOV.UK).
The borough has a workplace-based housing affordability ratio of 6.9. This means that the median-priced homes in Cheshire West and Chester costs 6.9 times the annual earnings of the median full-time worker employed in the borough. This suggests that home ownership remains challenging for many households despite affordability being better than the England and Wales average ratio of 7.6.
Dwellings and households
There are 167,820 dwellings in the borough that equates to 155,154 households. There are also 4,370 vacant dwellings in the borough as of October 2025 (Source: Live tables on dwelling stock (including vacants) - GOV.UK). Around 66% of all households are 1 or 2-person households, a further 16% are 3 person households, and 17% are 4 or more people households (Source: Census 2021: General report for England and Wales - GOV.UK).
House prices, rent and affordability
At April 2026 the median house price in Cheshire West and Chester is £265,000, reflecting a 2.2% increase from the previous year. The national median house price is £270,080 (Source: UK House Price Index: monthly price statistics - Office for National Statistics).