Chaffee County, Colorado

County in CO, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

20,178

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

48.7

years ∙ half population younger than 48.7, half older

Diversity Index

28%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

2.5%

foreign-born population

97.5%Native

2.5% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Chaffee County is a county in Colorado, United States.

Location

County in CO, US

Co-ordinates

DEC38.734599° N, 106.300025° W

DMS38° 44′ 04.56″ N, 106° 18′ 00.09″ W

Population Density & area

19.92/sq mi (7.69/km²)

Total Area

1,015 sq mi (2,629 km²)

Land Area

1,013 sq mi (2,625 km²) · 99.85%

Water Area

2 sq mi (4 km²) · 0.15%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

53.1% male

Male 53.1%

Female 46.9%

males per 100 females

Chaffee County 113.1

Colorado 102.6

United States 98

Nativity

2.5%

foreign-born population

97.5%Native

2.5% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Chaffee County 2.5%

Colorado 9.8%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

48.7

years ∙ half population younger than 48.7, half older

Chaffee County

48.7

Colorado

37.7

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

67.2

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Chaffee County 67.2

Colorado 57.7

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Chaffee County	Colorado	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	13.9%	21%	22%
Working age (18-64)	59.8%	63.4%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	26.3%	15.6%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	67.2	57.7	64.4
Child dependency ratio	23.2	33.1	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	44	24.6	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

84.2%

Black

1.2%

Asian

0.5%

Hispanic

9.8%

Other

4.3%

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

28%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Chaffee County 28%

Colorado 52.5%

United States 61.4%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Chaffee County population

	Chaffee County	Colorado	United States
Hispanic or Latino	9.8%	22.5%	19.3%
Mexican	3.8%	15.8%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	0.2%	0.7%	1.8%
Cuban	0.5%	0.3%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	5.4%	5.7%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	90.2%	77.5%	80.7%
One race	86.6%	72.9%	76.4%
White	84.2%	64.8%	57.4%
Black or African American	1.2%	3.8%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.2%	0.4%	0.5%
Asian	0.5%	3.2%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0.2%	0.1%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0.3%	0.5%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	3.6%	4.6%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

62.1% family

Family 62.1%

Non family 37.9%

% family households

Chaffee County 62.1%

Colorado 61.7%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

1.9

persons per household

Chaffee County

1.9

Colorado

2.42

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Chaffee County population

	Chaffee County	Colorado	United States
Total households	9,863	2,374,218	129,227,496
Average houshold size	1.9	2.42	2.53
Family households	6,120	1,465,097	82,990,528
Average family size	2.3	3.01	3.14
Married couple family	5,387	1,147,437	60,637,388
Other families	733	317,660	22,353,140
Male householder	295	106,780	6,572,819
Female householder	438	210,880	15,780,321
Non-family households	3,743	909,121	46,236,968
One-person households	2,659	679,604	37,140,836
Male householder	1,202	330,797	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	499	88,830	5,225,110
Female householder	1,457	348,807	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	794	157,958	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	1,084	229,517	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

11,482

housing units

Chaffee County 11,482

Colorado 2,589,053

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

85.9% occupied

Occupied 85.9%

Vacant 14.1%

vacancy rate

Chaffee County 14.1%

Colorado 8.3%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

85.5%

Single family houses

85.5%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

Mobile homes

5.4%

Boat, RV, van, etc

0.2%

Median Year Built

1994

Half of houses were built before 1994, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

12.2%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

11.7%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

34.8%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

41.4%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Chaffee County	Colorado	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.5	5.7	5.5
1–3 rooms	9.3%	17.3%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	61.4%	43.7%	51.6%
7+ rooms	29.3%	39.1%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	0.6%	2.7%	2.9%
1 bedroom	6.5%	11.7%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	23.6%	24.1%	25%
3 bedrooms	53.5%	32.3%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	15.9%	29.2%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1994	1988	1981
Total housing units	11,482	2,589,053	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

74.1% owners

Renter-occupied 25.9%

Owner-occupied 74.1%

homeownership rate

Chaffee County 74.1%

Colorado 66.2%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

1.91

Owner-occupied

1.86

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Chaffee County 1.91

Colorado 2.56

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Chaffee County	Colorado	United States
Total occupied units	9,863	2,374,218	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	28.4%	30.5%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	40.5%	41%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	18.8%	14.8%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	12.3%	13.8%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	99.9%	97.6%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	0.1%	1.6%	2.2%
1.51 or more	0%	0.8%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	1.7%	5.2%	8.4%
1 vehicle	21.1%	30.7%	33.1%
2 vehicles	45%	38.8%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	32.2%	25.4%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	71.2%	71.3%	51.4%
Electricity	18%	25.6%	41.3%
Solar	1.4%	0.5%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0%	0.1%	3.9%
All other fuels	8.4%	2%	2%
No fuel used	1%	0.5%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.1%	0.3%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0.8%	0.7%	0.8%
No telephone service available	0.8%	0.7%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$665,700

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Chaffee County

$665,700

Colorado

$539,400

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

37%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

37%

Owners without a mortgage

11.1%

Renters

59.7%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Chaffee County	Colorado	United States
Property value
Median Value	$665,700	$539,400	$332,700
Under $100,000	2.7%	4.8%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	2.6%	3.6%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	3.2%	6.8%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	16.6%	30%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	58.6%	43.6%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	16.3%	11.1%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	56.1%	69.4%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	43.9%	30.6%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,957	$2,326	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$532	$663	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$1,611	$1,761	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

47%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Chaffee County 47%

Colorado 45.7%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

5.3%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Chaffee County 5.3%

Colorado 7.1%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

2,810

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

10.6%

K–12

70.4%

College / Undergraduate

14.2%

Graduate / Professional

4.8%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

9.5%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Chaffee County

9.5%

Colorado

38%

United States

40.9%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Chaffee County	Colorado	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	2,810	1,369,681	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	10.6%	5.9%	5.7%
K–12	70.4%	66.5%	67.6%
Kindergarten	0.6%	4.5%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	30.9%	19.4%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	18.1%	20.9%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	20.8%	21.7%	21.7%
College or graduate school	19%	27.6%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	14.2%	21%	21%
Graduate, professional school	4.8%	6.6%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	9.5%	38%	40.9%
School type
Public school	81.4%	86%	82%
Private school	18.6%	14%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

16,499

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

1.2%

9th-12th, no diploma

4.1%

HS graduate

20.6%

Some college no degree

20.2%

Associates degree

Bachelors degree

28.3%

Graduate or professional degree

18.7%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

84.8% · 15.2%

9th-12th, no diploma

84.8% · 15.2%

HS graduate

61.8% · 38.2%

Some college no degree

57.6% · 42.4%

Associates degree

25.8% · 74.2%

Bachelors degree

51.5% · 48.5%

Graduate or professional degree

41.5% · 58.5%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Chaffee County	Colorado	United States
Population (25+)	16,499	4,095,727	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	1.2%	3.1%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	4.1%	4%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	20.6%	19.7%	26%
Some college, no degree	20.2%	19.2%	19.1%
Associate's degree	7%	8.3%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	47%	45.7%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	28.3%	28.1%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	18.7%	17.6%	14.1%
High School or higher	94.7%	92.9%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$55,085

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$—

HS graduate

$43,833

Some college or associates

$55,976

Bachelors degree

$60,147

Graduate or professional degree

$63,994

Poverty Rate

6.7%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

25.3%

HS graduate

9.4%

Some college or associates

9.7%

Bachelors degree or higher

6.7%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Chaffee County	Colorado	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$55,085	$60,455	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$—	$37,820	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$43,833	$45,140	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$55,976	$50,210	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$60,147	$73,999	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$63,994	$90,992	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	25.3%	19.9%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	9.4%	11.5%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	9.7%	8.8%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	6.7%	3.9%	4.5%

Insights for Chaffee County, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

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