Custer County, Colorado Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Custer County, CO Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
B
Health Around average
-
C
Income Below averageLess wealthy than 74% of counties in Colorado
-
B
Education Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Custer County | Colorado Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 5,247 | 5,842,429 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 7.1 | 56.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 2.33% | 1.09% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 55.7 | 35.2 | 37.3 |
| Households | 2,672 | 2,364,171 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Custer County grew by 45.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 5,247 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Custer County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 36.8% of residents. That is 21.5 points above Colorado as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 690 13.1% -9.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 601 11.5% -12.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,324 25.2% +5.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,929 36.8% +21.5 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Colorado, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 49.8% of the people living in Custer County and men 50.2%.
- Women 49.8% Colorado 49.4%
- Men 50.2% Colorado 50.6%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Custer County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Custer County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Custer County | Colorado Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $72,416 | $95,803 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 8.59% | 5.41% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Custer County is about 24% lower than in Colorado.
Housing
| Metric | Custer County | Colorado Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $350,000 | $484,034 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,069 | $1,761 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 85.3% | 66.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Custer County is about 27.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,069 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Custer County spend about 45 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 188 hours, about 7.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Custer County | Colorado Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.5 | 22.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 45.0 | 44.1 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 188 | 184 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,812 | $5,694 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 23.5% | 21.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 443 | 8,183 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 125 | 1,277 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Colorado:
Hinsdale County (6.6 min), Prowers County (7.6 min), Cheyenne County (7.7 min).
Slowest:
Park County (42.5 min), Elbert County (41.5 min), Teller County (31.3 min).
The average commute time in Custer County is 23 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in Colorado.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Custer County has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Custer County | Colorado Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 34.4% | 40.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 1.95 | 2.42 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Colorado:
Boulder County (0.5), Douglas County (0.4), Broomfield County (0.4).
Lowest:
Crowley County (0.2), Bent County (0.2), Lincoln County (0.2).
Health
Custer County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Custer County | Colorado Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 82.7 | 80.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.9% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 14.9% | 16.1% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Colorado:
Douglas County (0.9), Boulder County (0.8), Broomfield County (0.8).
Lowest:
Costilla County (0.8), Otero County (0.8), Bent County (0.8).
Custer County, CO Compared With Nearby Counties
How Custer County, CO compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Custer County, CO | 5,247 | $72,416 #2/3 | $350,000 #2/3 | 22.5 min #2/3 |
| Fremont County, CO | 49,630 | $63,374 | $182,197 | 16.8 min |
| Teller County, CO | 24,825 | $84,363 | $446,907 | 31.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Custer County, Colorado.
How many people live in Custer County, Colorado?
About 5,247 people live in Custer County, Colorado, in 2,672 households of 2.0 people on average. The median age is 55.7, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 18 years.
How densely populated is Custer County, Colorado?
Averaged over its land area, Custer County, Colorado has 7 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 8% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Custer County, Colorado?
The median home costs 4.8 times the median household income ($350,000 against $72,416), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,069 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Custer County, Colorado?
Unemployment in Custer County, Colorado is only 3.7%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →