Chelan County Demographics

A map of Chelan County's Population by Race

Chelan County, Washington has an estimated population of 80,172, a slight increase from the 79,074 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 65.0% White, 29.0% Hispanic, 3.4% Multiracial, 1.3% Native American/Other, 0.8% Asian, and 0.4% Black. This demographic dot map shows the population of Chelan County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Chelan has become slightly more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Washington overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Chelan County, that probability was 48.6% in 2020 and 49.2% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Chelan County is ranked the 17th most populous county in Washington, out of 39 counties. Chelan County was ranked the 17th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Chelan County's White Population

52,097 residents of Chelan County, or 65.0% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Chelan County is comparable to the share in Washington overall, where 63.1% of the population is White. Chelan County ranks 29th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 39 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Chelan County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Chelan County's population has decreased from 65.9% to 65.0%.

Chelan County is more White than neighboring Douglas County (57.9% White), Okanogan County (62.4% White), Snohomish County (62% White), and King County (52.9% White). Chelan County is less White than neighboring Kittitas County (79.3% White).

Chelan County's Black Population

333 residents of Chelan County, or 0.4% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Chelan County is slightly lower than in Washington overall, where 3.8% of the population is Black. Chelan County ranks 30th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 39 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Chelan County's Black population has grown by an estimated 31.6%. Black residents' share of Chelan County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.4%.

Chelan County is less Black than neighboring Kittitas County (1.1% Black), Okanogan County (1.3% Black), Snohomish County (3.6% Black), and King County (6.4% Black).

Chelan County's Asian Population

661 residents of Chelan County, or 0.8% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Chelan County is lower than in Washington overall, where 9.7% of the population is Asian. Chelan County ranks 26th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 39 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Chelan County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 16.0%. Asian residents' share of Chelan County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.8%.

Chelan County is more Asian than neighboring Okanogan County (0.6% Asian). Chelan County is less Asian than neighboring Kittitas County (1.7% Asian), Snohomish County (13.6% Asian), and King County (20.5% Asian).

Chelan County's Hispanic Population

23,247 residents of Chelan County, or 29.0% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Chelan County is considerably higher than in Washington overall, where 14.4% of the population is Hispanic. Chelan County ranks 6th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 39 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Chelan County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 5.2%. Hispanic residents' share of Chelan County's population has increased from 28.0% to 29.0%.

Chelan County is more Hispanic than neighboring Kittitas County (10.5% Hispanic), Okanogan County (21% Hispanic), Snohomish County (12.1% Hispanic), and King County (11% Hispanic). Chelan County is less Hispanic than neighboring Douglas County (35.5% Hispanic).

Chelan County's Native American/Other Population

1,080 residents of Chelan County, or 1.3% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Chelan County is comparable to the share in Washington overall, where 2.1% of the population is Native American/Other. Chelan County ranks 36th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 39 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Chelan County's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 20.3%. Native American/Other residents' share of Chelan County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.3%.

Chelan County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Douglas County (1.1% Native American/Other). Chelan County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Okanogan County (8.9% Native American/Other), Snohomish County (1.8% Native American/Other), and King County (1.7% Native American/Other).

Chelan County's Multiracial Population

2,754 residents of Chelan County, or 3.4% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Chelan County is slightly lower than in Washington overall, where 6.8% of the population is Multiracial. Chelan County ranks 35th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 39 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Chelan County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 6.3%. Multiracial residents' share of Chelan County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.4%.

Chelan County is less Multiracial than neighboring Kittitas County (6.1% Multiracial), Douglas County (4.4% Multiracial), Okanogan County (5.8% Multiracial), Snohomish County (6.9% Multiracial), and King County (7.3% 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.