Chelan County, Washington Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Chelan County, WA 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 average
-
D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Chelan County | Washington Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 80,140 | 7,801,159 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 26.8 | 109.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.88% | 1.21% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.5 | 36.2 | 37.3 |
| Households | 31,508 | 3,058,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Chelan County grew by 13.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 80,140 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Chelan County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 20.3% of residents. That is 1.1 points below Washington as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 16,293 20.3% -1.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 15,691 19.6% -3.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 15,389 19.2% -0.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 15,521 19.4% +3.1 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 Washington, 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 49.4% of the people living in Chelan County and men 50.6%.
- Women 49.4% Washington 49.7%
- Men 50.6% Washington 50.3%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Chelan County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Chelan County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Chelan County | Washington Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $81,888 | $98,224 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.90% | 5.64% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 5.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Chelan County is about 17% lower than in Washington.
Housing
| Metric | Chelan County | Washington Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $480,590 | $485,016 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,225 | $1,759 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 64.6% | 63.8% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Chelan County is about 32.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,225 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Chelan County spend about 33 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 136 hours, about 5.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Chelan County | Washington Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 16.3 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 32.6 | 44.8 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 136 | 187 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,209 | $5,785 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.6% | 19.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,098 | 10,119 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,189 | 1,525 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Washington:
Walla Walla County (12.2 min), San Juan County (12.3 min), Asotin County (13.2 min).
Slowest:
Mason County (32.0 min), Garfield County (28.4 min), Snohomish County (28.3 min).
The average commute time in Chelan County is 16 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in Washington.
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
Chelan County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Chelan County | Washington Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.3% | 35.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.49 | 2.50 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Washington:
King County (0.4), San Juan County (0.4), Jefferson County (0.4).
Lowest:
Adams County (0.2), Yakima County (0.2), Grant County (0.2).
Health
Chelan County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Chelan County | Washington Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.4 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.5% | 15.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 15.2% | 16.4% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Washington:
King County (0.8), Whitman County (0.8), San Juan County (0.8).
Lowest:
Adams County (0.8), Okanogan County (0.8), Pacific County (0.8).
Chelan County, WA Compared With Nearby Counties
Chelan County, WA is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 80,140 residents against a local median of 47,168. Nothing separates Chelan County, WA sharply from the counties around it. Each measure below lands within 15% of the local median, close enough that the differences are within what survey sampling alone would produce.
The largest of those small differences is median home price, 7% above the local median at $480,590 against $450,000. Chelan County, WA has the 3rd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chelan County, WA | 80,140 | $81,888 #4/6 | $480,590 #3/6 | 16.3 min #3/6 |
| Kittitas County, WA | 47,168 | $73,884 | $337,500 | 13.6 min |
| Douglas County, WA | 44,366 | $82,191 | $450,000 | 16.8 min |
| Okanogan County, WA | 43,418 | $62,935 | $319,053 | 13.9 min |
| Snohomish County, WA | 843,136 | $111,921 | $550,004 | 28.3 min |
| King County, WA | 2,275,758 | $124,760 | $833,657 | 25.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Chelan County, Washington.
How many people live in Chelan County, Washington?
About 80,140 people live in Chelan County, Washington, in 31,508 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 40.5, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
Is Chelan County, Washington urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Chelan County, Washington has 27 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 31% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Chelan County, Washington?
The median home costs 5.9 times the median household income ($480,590 against $81,888), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,225 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 Chelan County, Washington?
Unemployment in Chelan County, Washington 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.
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