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COUNTY

Chelan County

Washington · 81,941 residents (2025 est.) · 2,921.178 sq mi
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Part of the Wenatchee metro area
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Notable rankings
#144Most expensive homesof 3,139$490,100
The short version

Chelan County has roughly average household income, with a median household income of $82,381. Population has grown 20% since 2000. Median home value has roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $490,100. It ranks in the top 5% of US counties for household income.

At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 40.4
US median: 38.9
Average education
31% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 88%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
80,172
+20%since 2000
from 66,616 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
27 / sq mi
+13%since 2009
from 24 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
40.4
+11%since 2000
from 36.3 in 2000
US average: 38.9

PEP 2025 EST:81,941 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)

Population, 1990 – 2024
49K58K66K75K83K1990201020202024Chelan County
202480K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.5%(4,405)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.1%(4,869)
US avg: 6%
10 to 147.1%(5,712)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196%(4,840)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.6%(4,520)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3412.4%(9,945)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4412.8%(10,227)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5410.8%(8,639)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6412.8%(10,246)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7412.5%(10,053)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 845.7%(4,598)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.6%(2,118)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$82,381
+21%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $37,316 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$44,369
+130%since 2000
from $19,273 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
53.5%
+27.6 ptssince 2009
from 26.0% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
8.3%
−4.2 ptssince 2000
from 12.4% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.465
+8%since 2010
from 0.432 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information12.2%
US avg: 10.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing8.5%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction8.5%
US avg: 1.2%
Wholesale trade7%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance5.6%
US avg: 5.9%
Retail trade5.3%
US avg: 9.9%
Other services4.1%
US avg: 6.7%
Professional, scientific, technical3.6%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing2.8%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services2%
US avg: 0.9%
Public administration2%
US avg: 4.8%
Arts, entertainment, food1.3%
US avg: 1.9%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$490,100
+88%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $143,400 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,226
+26%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $535 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
64.6%
−0.1 ptssince 2000
from 64.7% in 2000
35.4% rent
Vacancy rate
18.5%
−2.6 ptssince 2009
from 21.1% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Owner cost-burdened
19.0%
−8.2 ptssince 2009
from 27.2% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
37.5%
+2.0 ptssince 2009
from 35.5% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
5.9
+24%since 2009
from 4.8 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
81
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Chelan County on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic77.4%(51,590)
Black0.2%(111)
Hispanic / Latino19.3%(12,831)
Asian0.7%(441)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic65%(52,097)
Black0.4%(333)
Hispanic / Latino29%(23,247)
Asian0.8%(661)
Other4.8%(3,834)
Diversity Score
61
+22%since 2009
from 50 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
27
−16%since 2020
from 32 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican25.8%(20,701)
Spaniard0.5%(370)
Guatemalan0.4%(293)
Argentine0.3%(228)
Dominican0.3%(201)
Salvadoran0.2%(153)
Venezuelan0.1%(89)
Cuban0%(33)
Colombian0%(29)
+ 5 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Chinese0.2%(169)
Filipino0.2%(144)
Vietnamese0.1%(116)
Asian Indian0.1%(75)
Indonesian0.1%(66)
Korean0%(27)
Japanese0%(25)
Pakistani0%(12)
Cambodian0%(10)
Thai0%(7)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0.1%(71)
Chamorro0.1%(49)
Fijian0%(8)
Ancestry
German15.5%(12,404)
English12.1%(9,675)
Irish8.3%(6,654)
American5.8%(4,614)
Norwegian4.2%(3,406)
Italian2.8%(2,221)
Scottish2.5%(2,040)
Swedish2.1%(1,664)
French1.9%(1,556)
Dutch1.8%(1,452)
Polish1.1%(897)
Welsh1.1%(882)
+ 35 more ancestry groups with data
Scotch-Irish0.7%(530)
Danish0.6%(520)
Russian0.6%(454)
British0.6%(444)
Czech0.5%(401)
Finnish0.5%(368)
Swiss0.4%(288)
Ukrainian0.3%(264)
Portuguese0.3%(240)
Arab0.2%(192)
Greek0.2%(189)
Austrian0.2%(169)
Croatian0.2%(152)
Hungarian0.2%(134)
Canadian0.2%(131)
Lithuanian0.1%(90)
Lebanese0.1%(83)
Armenian0.1%(60)
Jordanian0.1%(55)
Ethiopian0.1%(54)
Romanian0%(34)
Turkish0%(31)
Slovak0%(26)
Brazilian0%(21)
Slovene0%(19)
Belgian0%(13)
Syrian0%(11)
Latvian0%(10)
Serbian0%(9)
Iranian0%(3)
RANKED:Largest Mexican population · Largest German population · Largest English population · Largest Irish population · Largest American population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
31.2%
+9.3 ptssince 2000
from 21.9% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
86.8%
+7.7 ptssince 2000
from 79.1% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
11.2%
+3.8 ptssince 2000
from 7.4% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
20.2 min
+64%since 2000
from 12.3 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
72.5%
−3.7 ptssince 2009
from 76.3% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
9.9%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 9.5% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
2.1%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 1.9% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
9.6%
+3.6 ptssince 2009
from 6.0% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
3.5%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 3.8% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.7%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.5% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
5.8%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 6.0% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
3.7%
−3.8 ptssince 2011
from 7.6% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
59.6%
−2.7 ptssince 2011
from 62.3% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Self-employed
15.1%
+1.0 ptssince 2009
from 14.1% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
36.9%
−23.7 ptssince 2009
from 60.6% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
50.4%
+0.8 ptssince 2009
from 49.6% in 2009
Female
49.6%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 50.4% in 2009
Foreign born
14.0%
+3.2 ptssince 2009
from 10.8% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
6.4%
−42.9 ptssince 2009
from 49.3% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
15.7%
+3.7 ptssince 2012
from 12.0% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
10.5%
−69.1 ptssince 2013
from 79.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
90.7%
+17.0 ptssince 2017
from 73.7% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
English only at home
74.7%
−0.3 ptssince 2016
from 75.0% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
23.5%
+0.4 ptssince 2016
from 23.2% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married30.9%(10,094)
Married56.9%(18,556)
Widowed3.2%(1,043)
Divorced9%(2,932)
Women 15+
Never married25.4%(8,271)
Married52.9%(17,230)
Widowed7.9%(2,564)
Divorced13.8%(4,496)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Drill deeper

Places similar to Chelan County

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Pop 82,153
Bartholomew County
Pop 85,729
Walton County
Pop 93,288
Monroe County
Pop 80,406
Places similar to Chelan County
Head to head

Compare Chelan County to nearby counties

CHELAN COUNTY VS
Douglas County
Income$80,363−2%
Home value$432,500−12%
Population46,473−43%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHELAN COUNTY VS
Kittitas County
Income$73,804−10%
Home value$497,400+1%
Population48,803−40%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHELAN COUNTY VS
Snohomish County
Income$111,246+35%
Home value$696,000+42%
Population870,656+963%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHELAN COUNTY VS
King County
Income$124,746+51%
Home value$859,900+75%
Population2,344,939+2762%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Chelan County, Washington?

Chelan County, Washington has about 80,172 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Chelan County, Washington?

The typical household in Chelan County, Washington earns about $82,381 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Chelan County, Washington expensive?

In Chelan County, Washington, the median home is worth about $490,100, and the typical rent is about $1,226 a month.

How educated are people in Chelan County, Washington?

About 31.2% of adults age 25 and over in Chelan County, Washington hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Chelan County, Washington?

About 8.3% of people in Chelan County, Washington live below the federal poverty line.

Has Chelan County, Washington grown since 1990?

Yes, Chelan County, Washington has grown since 1990. The population has added about 27,922 residents, a change of about 53 percent over that period.

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Explore from here

23 census tracts (top 20 by population)
Census Tract 9611.02Census Tract 9608.04Census Tract 9605.02Census Tract 9612Census Tract 9604Census Tract 9613.04Census Tract 9602.01Census Tract 9613.03Census Tract 9606Census Tract 9611.01Census Tract 9607Census Tract 9608.03Census Tract 9610.02Census Tract 9605.01Census Tract 9608.01Census Tract 9603.02Census Tract 9610.01Census Tract 9601Census Tract 9603.01Census Tract 9603.03
13 ZIP codes
ZIP 98801ZIP 98815ZIP 98816ZIP 98826ZIP 98831ZIP 98822ZIP 98828ZIP 98847ZIP 98821ZIP 98836ZIP 98817ZIP 98852ZIP 98811
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →