Chaffee County, Colorado
Located in Colorado, Chaffee County has a population of 20,178 residents and a median age of 48.7 years, making it the #1,870 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 8.3%. The median home value is $665,700, and the median household income is $84,132, which is 12% above the national median.
Demographics
Chaffee County has a population of 20,178, making it the #1,870 most populous county in the US. The median age is 48.7 years, which is 25.2% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Chaffee County is $84,132, ranking #448 out of 3,222 counties — 12.0% above the national median. The poverty rate is 8.3% and unemployment stands at 4.8%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Chaffee County is $665,700 (+136.1% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,611/mo and the homeownership rate is 74.1%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Chaffee County, 47.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 39.4% above the national average, ranking #136 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Chaffee County is 81.0 years. 15.3% of adults report poor or fair health and 9.9% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
14.6% of adults in Chaffee County smoke , 25.3% are obese , and 22.4% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 21.3 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 39.6 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 10.7 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
11.5% of children in Chaffee County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 5.1 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Chaffee County is 82.7%. The mean commute time is 19.8 min, which is 28.3% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Chaffee County voted Democratic with a margin of 13.5%. The vote was 55.4% Dem / 41.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted +6.7 toward Democrats .
Vote Share Over Time
About Chaffee County, Colorado
Chaffee County, Colorado has a total population of 20,178, making it the 1,870th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Chaffee County is 48.7 years, which is 25.2% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Chaffee County is $84,132, which ranks #448 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 12.0% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 8.3%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.8%.
The median home value in Chaffee County is $665,700, 136.1% above the national median. Renters in Chaffee County pay a median gross rent of $1,611 per month. The homeownership rate is 74.1%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Chaffee County, 47.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 39.4% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 19.8 min.
Chaffee County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 84.2% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (9.8%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
All data for Chaffee County, Colorado comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.