Chelan County, Washington Demographics 2026

Name: Chelan County, Washington Demographics
Creator: U.S. Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Chelan County, Washington has a population of 80,172, the 17th most populous county in Washington. The median household income is $82,381 and the median home value is $490,100. The poverty rate is 8.3%.

Data vintage: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates · refreshed July 2026 · Methodology & source notes

Chelan County Quick Facts

Population 80,172

Median Household Income $82,381

Median Home Value $490,100

Poverty Rate 8.3%

Unemployment Rate 3.7%

Median Age 40.4 years

Homeownership Rate 64.6%

Affordability Ratio 5.9x

Bachelor's Degree+ 31.2%

High School Graduation 86.8%

Cities/Places 9

Population 80,172 17th of 39

Median Income $82,381 16% lower than state

Poverty Rate 8.3%

Unemployment 3.7%

How Chelan County Changed

Change from the 2019–2023 ACS period to 2020–2024. These are rolling five-year estimates, not year-over-year measurements.

Metric	2019–2023	2020–2024	Change
Population	79,518	80,172	+0.8%
Median household income	$78,306	$82,381	+5.2%
Median home value	$454,900	$490,100	+7.7%

Median Household Income

Chelan

$82,381

$98,141

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

Chelan

$490,100

$564,600

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 12.1%

$25K-$50K 17.5%

$50K-$100K 29.6%

$100K+ 40.8%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

3.9%

$10K-$15K

2.4%

$15K-$20K

2.7%

$20K-$25K

3.2%

$25K-$30K

3.7%

$30K-$35K

3.5%

$35K-$40K

3.9%

$40K-$45K

2.9%

$45K-$50K

3.6%

$50K-$60K

7.6%

$60K-$75K

9.2%

$75K-$100K

12.7%

$100K-$125K

9.7%

$125K-$150K

8.1%

$150K-$200K

10.3%

$200K+

12.6%

Employment

3.7% Unemployment Rate State: 5.1%|National: 5.2%

59.6% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 64.6%

Renter 35.4%

Affordability Index Expensive

5.9x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $1,226/mo 17.9% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

22.6%

18-34

20.2%

35-54

23.5%

55-74

25.3%

75+

8.4%

Race & Ethnicity

Diversity Index

Moderate Diversity

Moderate diversity with one or two groups making up the majority.

State average: 56 | National average: 61

Education

Educational Attainment (Adults 25+)

Cities & Places in Chelan County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
Wenatchee	35,484	$73,040	10.4%	$433,700
Chelan	4,350	$82,637	8.4%	$518,000
Sunnyslope	3,706	$135,769	4.1%	$714,200
Cashmere	3,304	$64,053	7.4%	$442,900
Leavenworth	2,569	$69,943	2.9%	$617,000
Manson	1,462	$91,319	22.6%	$596,700
Entiat	1,284	$76,111	4.9%	$364,500
South Wenatchee	1,226	$63,929	8.8%	$249,100
Chelan Falls	233	N/A	0.0%	N/A

Explore Washington Rankings

Cities by Population All cities ranked by size Richest Cities Ranked by median income Most Educated By bachelor's degree rate Most Affordable By housing affordability

Population Overview

Chelan County is located in Washington with a total population of 80,172. It is the 17th most populous county out of 39 in Washington. The county encompasses 9 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Chelan County is 40.4 years. This is 5% higher than the state median of 38.3 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Chelan County is $82,381. This is 16% lower than the state median of $98,141. It is also 2% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 8.3%. This is 16% lower than the state poverty rate of 9.9%. The unemployment rate is 3.7%. This is 27% lower than the state rate of 5.1%. The median home value is $490,100. Housing costs are 13% lower than the state median of $564,600. The home-value-to-income ratio is 5.9x. 64.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 1% higher than the state average of 63.8%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Chelan County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 65.0% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 29.0%. The Black or African American population (0.4%) is well below the state average of 3.9%. The Hispanic or Latino population is significantly higher than the state average (29.0% vs 14.4%). The Asian population (0.8%) is well below the state average of 9.7%.

Education

31.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 21% lower than the state rate of 39.6%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 86.8%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Chelan County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Washington and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Chelan County, Washington?

Chelan County has a population of 80,172, making it the 17th most populous county in Washington.

What is the median income in Chelan County?

The median household income in Chelan County is $82,381 with a poverty rate of 8.3%.

How many cities are in Chelan County, Washington?

Chelan County contains 9 Census-designated places.