Gunnison County, Colorado

CO · FIPS 08051 Democrat

Located in Colorado, Gunnison County has a population of 17,241 residents and a median age of 37.5 years, making it the #2,024 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 11.3%. The median home value is $621,800, and the median household income is $84,527, which is 12% above the national median.

17,241
Population
#2,024 of 3,222
$84,527
Median Income
+12.5% #436 of 3,222
37.5 years
Median Age
-3.6% #2,666 of 3,222
11.3%
Poverty Rate
-10.6% #1,079 of 3,222

Demographics

Gunnison County has a population of 17,241, making it the #2,024 most populous county in the US. The median age is 37.5 years, which is 3.6% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

96.3%
Native Born
3.7%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Gunnison County is $84,527, ranking #436 out of 3,222 counties — 12.5% above the national median. The poverty rate is 11.3% and unemployment stands at 4.7%.

Income#436
$84,527
+12.5%
vs nation
86th percentile
Per Capita#173
$52,685
+27.7%
vs nation
95th percentile
Poverty#1,079
11.3%
-10.6%
vs nation
67th percentile
Unemployment#1,777
4.7%
-11.9%
vs nation
45th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Gunnison County is $621,800 (+120.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,252/mo and the homeownership rate is 66.8%.

Home Value#74
$621,800
+120.6%
vs nation
98th percentile
Rent#474
$1,252
+7.7%
vs nation
85th percentile
Homeownership#2,589
66.8%
+3.7%
vs nation
20th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Gunnison County, 64.7% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 91.9% above the national average, ranking #7 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
64.7% +91.9% vs nation
Rank #7 of 3,222
100th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Gunnison County is 82.9 years. 10.7% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.9% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#43
82.9
+10.3%
vs nation
99th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#14
10.7%
-45.3%
vs nation
100th percentile
Diabetes#9
6.5%
-41.6%
vs nation
100th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#21
27.9%
-25.2%
vs nation
99th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#556
5.1
-9.8%
vs nation
82th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#194
3.5
-21.3%
vs nation
94th percentile
Uninsured Rate#782
6.9%
-34.0%
vs nation
75th percentile
Physical Inactivity#8
13.2%
-50.0%
vs nation
100th percentile
Food Insecurity#372
10.4%
-27.8%
vs nation
88th percentile

Substance Use

9.3% of adults in Gunnison County smoke , 23.7% are obese , and 23.9% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#33
9.3%
-48.2%
vs nation
99th percentile
Adult Obesity#20
23.7%
-37.5%
vs nation
99th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,852
23.9%
+20.5%
vs nation
9th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 20.1 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 12.5 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#1,555
20.1
+1.6%
vs nation
39th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,159
16.2
-9.5%
vs nation
53th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#636
12.5
-38.4%
vs nation
78th percentile

Families & Children

9.1% of children in Gunnison County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 6.6 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#162
6.6
-70.0%
vs nation
95th percentile
Child Poverty#246
9.1%
-52.1%
vs nation
92th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Gunnison County is 80.7%. The mean commute time is 22.7 min, which is 17.9% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
80.7% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
22.7 min −17.9% vs nation
Rank #2,409 of 3,222
25th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Gunnison County voted Democratic with a margin of 29.3%. The vote was 63% Dem / 33.7% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 1.0 toward Republicans .

2024 DEM +29.3%
63% 33.7%
Dem 10,939 votes Rep
2020 DEM +30.3%
63.7% 33.4%
Dem 11,190 votes Rep
2016 DEM +19.6%
54.5% 34.9%
Dem 9,299 votes Rep
2012 DEM +18.4%
57.7% 39.3%
Dem 7,912 votes Rep
2008 DEM +27.3%
62.6% 35.3%
Dem 8,870 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Gunnison County, Colorado

Gunnison County, Colorado has a total population of 17,241, making it the 2,024th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Gunnison County is 37.5 years, which is 3.6% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Gunnison County is $84,527, which ranks #436 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 12.5% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 11.3%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.7%.

The median home value in Gunnison County is $621,800, 120.6% above the national median. Renters in Gunnison County pay a median gross rent of $1,252 per month. The homeownership rate is 66.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Gunnison County, 64.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 91.9% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.0% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 22.7 min.

Gunnison County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 84.1% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (10.0%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).

All data for Gunnison 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.