Chaffee County Demographics

A map of Chaffee County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	16,995	16,195	84.2%	83.2%
Hispanic	1,983	1,841	9.8%	9.5%
Multiracial	720	769	3.6%	3.9%
Black	243	295	1.2%	1.5%
Native American/Other	129	243	0.6%	1.2%
Asian	108	133	0.5%	0.7%

Chaffee County, Colorado has an estimated population of 20,178, an increase from the 19,476 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 84.2% White, 9.8% Hispanic, 3.6% Multiracial, 1.2% Black, 0.6% Native American/Other, and 0.5% Asian. This demographic dot map shows the population of Chaffee County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Chaffee has become less racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Colorado overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Chaffee County, that probability was 29.8% in 2020 and 28.0% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Chaffee County is ranked the 26th most populous county in Colorado, out of 64 counties. Chaffee County was ranked the 26th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Chaffee County's White Population

16,995 residents of Chaffee County, or 84.2% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Chaffee County is significantly higher than in Colorado overall, where 64.8% of the population is White. Chaffee County ranks 21st statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 64 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Chaffee County's White population has grown by an estimated 4.9%. White residents' share of Chaffee County's population has increased from 83.2% to 84.2%.

Chaffee County is more White than neighboring Lake County (58.3% White), Saguache County (54.9% White), Fremont County (77.8% White), and Gunnison County (84.1% White). Chaffee County is less White than neighboring Park County (85.3% White).

Chaffee County's Black Population

243 residents of Chaffee County, or 1.2% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Chaffee County is slightly lower than in Colorado overall, where 3.8% of the population is Black. Chaffee County ranks 12th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 64 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Chaffee County's Black population has declined by an estimated 17.6%. Black residents' share of Chaffee County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.2%.

Chaffee County is more Black than neighboring Lake County (0.1% Black), Park County (0.9% Black), Saguache County (0% Black), and Gunnison County (0.4% Black). Chaffee County is less Black than neighboring Fremont County (3.3% Black).

Chaffee County's Asian Population

108 residents of Chaffee County, or 0.5% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Chaffee County is slightly lower than in Colorado overall, where 3.2% of the population is Asian. Chaffee County ranks 33rd statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 64 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Chaffee County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 18.8%. Asian residents' share of Chaffee County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.5%.

Chaffee County is more Asian than neighboring Lake County (0.1% Asian). Chaffee County is less Asian than neighboring Park County (1.1% Asian), Saguache County (1.2% Asian), and Fremont County (0.9% Asian).

Chaffee County's Hispanic Population

1,983 residents of Chaffee County, or 9.8% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Chaffee County is considerably lower than in Colorado overall, where 22.5% of the population is Hispanic. Chaffee County ranks 52nd statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 64 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Chaffee County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 7.7%. Hispanic residents' share of Chaffee County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 9.8%.

Chaffee County is more Hispanic than neighboring Park County (7.6% Hispanic). Chaffee County is less Hispanic than neighboring Lake County (32.8% Hispanic), Saguache County (36.8% Hispanic), Fremont County (13.2% Hispanic), and Gunnison County (10% Hispanic).

Chaffee County's Native American/Other Population

129 residents of Chaffee County, or 0.6% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Chaffee County is comparable to the share in Colorado overall, where 1% of the population is Native American/Other. Chaffee County ranks 28th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 64 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Chaffee County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 46.9%. Native American/Other residents' share of Chaffee County's population has decreased from 1.2% to 0.6%.

Chaffee County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Lake County (0.9% Native American/Other), Park County (0.7% Native American/Other), Saguache County (0.7% Native American/Other), Fremont County (2% Native American/Other), and Gunnison County (1.1% Native American/Other).

Chaffee County's Multiracial Population

720 residents of Chaffee County, or 3.6% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Chaffee County is comparable to the share in Colorado overall, where 4.6% of the population is Multiracial. Chaffee County ranks 32nd statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 64 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Chaffee County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 6.4%. Multiracial residents' share of Chaffee County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.6%.

Chaffee County is more Multiracial than neighboring Fremont County (2.9% Multiracial). Chaffee County is less Multiracial than neighboring Lake County (7.7% Multiracial), Park County (4.3% Multiracial), Saguache County (6.4% Multiracial), and Gunnison County (3.8% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.