COUNTY · 1990 CENSUS

Chaffee County

Colorado · 12,684 residents · 1,013 sq mi

Time machine

VIEWING

COMPARE TO

The short version

Chaffee County is home to 12,684 people in Colorado. The median age is 37.4, about 4 years above the US median. Households here earn about 30% less than in Colorado as a whole. The population has fallen 22% since 2000. The typical home is worth $62,600. 71% of homes are owner-occupied.

At a glance

Lower income

below the US median

US median: $30,130

Older

median age 37.4

US median: 33.0

Less educated

15% hold a bachelor's degree

US average: 20%

More affordable

home values down 44%, inflation adjusted

US median home: $93,722

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population

12,684

−22%vs 2000

vs 16,242 in 2000

1990 – 2025

Median age

37.4

−11%vs 2000

vs 41.8 in 2000

US average: 33.0

Land area

1,013 sq mi

Population, 1990 – 2024

202420K

Age distribution, 1990

Under 55.4%(680)

US avg: 7.3%

5 to 96.1%(779)

US avg: 7.3%

10 to 147.1%(904)

US avg: 6.9%

15 to 196.3%(800)

US avg: 7.1%

20 to 246.3%(799)

US avg: 7.5%

25 to 3415.1%(1,910)

US avg: 17.5%

35 to 4416.3%(2,062)

US avg: 15.1%

45 to 5410.3%(1,305)

US avg: 10.2%

55 to 6410.5%(1,334)

US avg: 8.5%

65 to 749.6%(1,221)

US avg: 7.3%

75 to 845.6%(715)

US avg: 4%

85 and over1.4%(175)

US avg: 1.2%

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE

Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income

$21,174

−19%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $34,368 in 2000

US average: $30,130

1990 – 2024

Per capita income

$10,788

−44%vs 2000

vs $19,430 in 2000

US average: $14,340

Poverty rate

14.3%

+2.6 ptsvs 2000

vs 11.7% in 2000

US average: 13.2%

Section 03

Housing

Median home value

$62,600

−44%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $146,500 in 2000

US average: $93,722

1990 – 2024

Median gross rent

$336

−14%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $517 in 2000

US average: $450

Owner-occupied

70.9%

−2.4 ptsvs 2000

vs 73.4% in 2000

29.1% rent

Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000

White, non-Hispanic87.3%(14,174)

Black1.6%(257)

Hispanic / Latino8.6%(1,393)

Asian0.4%(65)

Other0%

1990

White, non-Hispanic95.4%(12,095)

Black1.3%(171)

Hispanic / Latino9.9%(1,262)

Asian0.2%(23)

Other3.1%(395)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin

Mexican3.8%(759)

Spaniard0.8%(167)

Central American0.8%(162)

Guatemalan0.8%(162)

Cuban0.5%(98)

South American0.2%(47)

Puerto Rican0.2%(36)

Asian origin

Korean0.1%(28)

Singaporean0.1%(25)

Vietnamese0.1%(24)

Hmong0.1%(19)

Japanese0.1%(11)

Asian Indian0%(1)

Pacific Islander origin

Samoan0%(1)

Ancestry

German20.7%(4,182)

English17.5%(3,541)

Irish13.1%(2,649)

Italian6.2%(1,245)

Scottish4.9%(990)

Swedish3.9%(778)

Polish3.6%(730)

American3.6%(721)

Dutch3%(607)

British2.4%(481)

Norwegian2%(403)

Scotch-Irish1.7%(353)

+ 22 more ancestry groups with data

French1.6%(332)

Russian1.4%(281)

French Canadian0.8%(171)

Austrian0.8%(153)

Danish0.7%(146)

Slovak0.7%(138)

Welsh0.6%(127)

Czech0.5%(96)

Lithuanian0.5%(93)

Swiss0.4%(78)

Ukrainian0.4%(75)

Portuguese0.3%(54)

Canadian0.2%(36)

Finnish0.2%(36)

Belgian0.2%(33)

Hungarian0.1%(29)

Slovene0.1%(26)

Greek0.1%(25)

Serbian0.1%(23)

Croatian0.1%(13)

Romanian0.1%(12)

Armenian0%(8)

RANKED:Largest German population · Largest English population · Largest Irish population · Largest Italian population · Largest Scottish population

Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

15.2%

−9.1 ptsvs 2000

vs 24.3% in 2000

US average: 20.3%

High school or higher

81.0%

−7.5 ptsvs 2000

vs 88.5% in 2000

US average: 75.2%

Graduate degree

4.7%

−3.4 ptsvs 2000

vs 8.0% in 2000

US average: 7.1%

Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute

17.8 min

+47%vs 2000

vs 12.1 min in 2000

US average: 21.9

Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)

Men 15+

Never married22.6%(2,151)

Married62.9%(5,977)

Widowed2.8%(264)

Divorced11.7%(1,108)

Women 15+

Never married14.3%(1,192)

Married63.8%(5,337)

Widowed8.4%(702)

Divorced13.5%(1,128)

SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024

Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured

6.5%

−10.5 ptssince 2013

from 17.0% in 2013

US average: 8.4%

Employer-based

50.5%

+7.3 ptssince 2020

from 43.2% in 2020

US average: 54.8%

Direct-purchase

23.1%

+2.9 ptssince 2020

from 20.2% in 2020

US average: 13.8%

Medicare

28.0%

+0.9 ptssince 2020

from 27.1% in 2020

US average: 18.4%

Medicaid

14.6%

−5.7 ptssince 2020

from 20.3% in 2020

US average: 20.9%

VA health care

1.8%

−0.3 ptssince 2020

from 2.1% in 2020

US average: 2.2%

Any private

70.7%

+9.7 ptssince 2020

from 61.0% in 2020

US average: 67.1%

Any public

40.4%

−5.8 ptssince 2020

from 46.2% in 2020

US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024

Gulf War (2001 or later)13.2%(151)

US avg: 26.4%

Gulf War (1990s)21%(240)

US avg: 24.3%

Vietnam era37.1%(425)

US avg: 33.1%

Korean War13.4%(154)

US avg: 4.5%

World War II0%(0)

US avg: 1%

Share of the 1,145 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE

Drill deeper