Gunnison County, CO

County

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2024 Population

17,241

US Senator

Michael Bennet

Democratic Party

US Senator

John Hickenlooper

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

37.5

1.35% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

11.3%

13.9% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$84,527

9.27% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$621,800

4.12% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

10,414

0.241% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Gunnison County, CO reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

98.4% of the residents in Gunnison County, CO are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Gunnison County, CO are Western Colorado University (589 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Gunnison County, CO was $621,800, and the homeownership rate was 66.8%.

Most people in Gunnison County, CO drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 20.2 minutes. The average car ownership in Gunnison County, CO was 2 cars per household.

Gunnison County, CO borders Chaffee County, CO, Delta County, CO, Hinsdale County, CO, Mesa County, CO, Montrose County, CO, Ouray County, CO, Pitkin County, CO, and Saguache County, CO.

United States Colorado

Population & Diversity

Gunnison County, CO is home to a population of 17.2k people, from which 98.4% are citizens. As of 2024, 3.72% of Gunnison County, CO residents were born outside of the country (642 people).

In 2024, there were 28.3 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (14.5k people) in Gunnison County, CO than any other race or ethnicity. There were 513 White (Hispanic) and 444 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.4%

2024 Citizenship

98.9%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.4% of Gunnison County, CO residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Gunnison County, CO was 98.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Gunnison County, CO compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Gunnison County, CO

White (Non-Hispanic)
14.5k ± 166
White (Hispanic)
513 ± 226
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
444 ± 73

10%

Hispanic Population

1.73k people

10% of the people in Gunnison County, CO are hispanic (1.73k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Gunnison County, CO as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Colorado.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
203,143 ± 10,870 people
India
22,453 ± 3,672 people
China
17,281 ± 3,223 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Colorado was Mexico, the natal country of 203,143 Colorado residents, followed by India with 22,453 and China with 17,281.

Foreign-Born Population

3.72%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

642 people

2.88%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

495 people

As of 2024, 3.72% of Gunnison County, CO residents (642 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Gunnison County, CO was 2.88%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Gunnison County, CO compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
321 ± 79
Gulf War (1990s)
136 ± 123
Gulf War (2001-)
101 ± 57

Gunnison County, CO has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.36 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Gunnison County, CO.

Economy

The economy of Gunnison County, CO employs 10.4k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Gunnison County, CO were Educational Services (1,291 people), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (1,119 people), and Construction (1,098 people), and the highest paying industries were Public Administration ($83,247), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($81,343), and Manufacturing ($77,917).

Employment

Occupations

10.4k

2024 Value

± 944

0.241%

1 Year growth

± 11.8%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Gunnison County, CO grew at a rate of 0.241%, from 10.4k employees to 10.4k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Gunnison County, CO, are Management Occupations (2,077 people), Sales & Related Occupations (878 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (815 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Gunnison County, CO.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Colorado.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Colorado (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

10.4k

2024 Value

± 944

0.241%

1 Year growth

± 11.8%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Gunnison County, CO grew at a rate of 0.241%, from 10.4k employees to 10.4k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Gunnison County, CO, are Educational Services (1,291 people), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (1,119 people), and Construction (1,098 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Gunnison County, CO, though some of these residents may live in Gunnison County, CO and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$59,424

Median earning men ± $11,810

$46,087

Median earning women ± $6,059

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Wholesale Trade ($182,083), Information ($143,162), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($102,021).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Construction ($123,197), Manufacturing ($96,964), and Public Administration ($83,349).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Colorado.

Y-Axis

1.73%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 2.87M people employed in Colorado. This represents a 1.73% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 11.9%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Colorado.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

186
Construction
143
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
100
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$51.1k
Construction
$47.4k
Accommodation and Food Services
$40.5k
Health Care and Social Assistance

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Colorado went to Kamala Harris with 54.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (43.1%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.12%).

Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper are the senators currently representing the state of Colorado. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Colorado is currently represented by 8 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Gunnison County, CO. Showing the available data for Colorado.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (54.1%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (43.1%)
Republican Party
Robert Kennedy (1.12%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Colorado went to Kamala Harris with 54.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (43.1%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.12%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Colorado for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Colorado

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Colorado.

Michael Bennet

Senator from Colorado

Assumed office on January 21, 2009
Appointed to the seat following the resignation of Ken Salazar, who had become Secretary of the Interior.

John Hickenlooper

Senator from Colorado

Assumed office on January 3, 2021

Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper are the senators currently representing Colorado.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Colorado over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2023, universities in Gunnison County, CO awarded 589 degrees. The student population of Gunnison County, CO in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 1,959 male students and 2,094 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Gunnison County, CO are White (417 and 71.3%), Hispanic or Latino (59 and 10.1%), Unknown (55 and 9.4%), and Two or More Races (21 and 3.59%).

The largest universities in Gunnison County, CO by number of degrees awarded are Western Colorado University (589 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Gunnison County, CO are General Business Administration & Management (100 and 17%), Environmental Studies (65 and 11%), and General Education (50 and 8.49%).

The median tuition cost in Gunnison County, CO for a public four year colleges is $7,128 for in-state students and $19,728 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Gunnison County, CO, the percentage of applicants admitted was 97.5%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 13.2%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 4,053 (48.3% men and 51.7% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 4,053 students enrolled in Gunnison County, CO, 48.3% men and 51.7% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 2,434 records, of which 50.6% were women and 49.4% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
77 degrees awarded
General Biological Sciences
43 degrees awarded
Kinesiology & Exercise Science
32 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Gunnison County, CO was General Business Administration & Management with 77 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Gunnison County, CO according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Western Colorado University

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

589 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Western Colorado University with 589 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 289 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Gunnison County, CO, which is 0.963 times less than the 300 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 417 degrees mean that there were 7.07 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 59 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Public, 4-year or above ($7,128) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($3,955) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,350) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Gunnison County, CO was $621,800 in 2024, which is 1.87 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $597,200 to $621,800, a 4.12% increase. The homeownership rate in Gunnison County, CO is 66.8%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Gunnison County, CO have an average commute time of 20.2 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Gunnison County, CO is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 20.1% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Gunnison County, CO. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.26%.

Housing

Property

$621,800

Median Property Value 2024

±$50,763

$5,673

Median Property Taxes

±$582

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Gunnison County, CO the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Gunnison County, CO compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

66.8%

Homeownership

2024

72.1%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 66.8% of the housing units in Gunnison County, CO were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 66.9%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Gunnison County, CO compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$84,527

Median Household Income

± $10,945

8.49k

Number of Households

± 832

In 2024, the median household income of the 8.49k households in Gunnison County, CO grew to $84,527 from the previous year's value of $77,358.

The following chart displays the households in Gunnison County, CO distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Gunnison County, CO is from Colorado.

0.462

2023 Wage GINI in Colorado

0.464

2022 Wage GINI in Colorado

In 2023, the income inequality in Colorado was 0.462 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.304% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Colorado was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Colorado in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Colorado across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (53.9%)
Worked At Home (18.5%)
Carpooled (10.9%)

In 2024, 53.9% of workers in Gunnison County, CO drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (18.5%) and those who carpooled to work (10.9%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

20.2 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Gunnison County, CO have a shorter commute time (20.2 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.25% of the workforce in Gunnison County, CO have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Gunnison County, CO compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Gunnison County, CO distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Gunnison County, CO have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 20.1% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Gunnison County, CO. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.26%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

11.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Gunnison County, CO (1.82k out of 16.2k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 18 - 24, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 6 - 11.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Gunnison County, CO is White, followed by Hispanic and Black.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 9.1% of the children was living in poverty in Gunnison County, CO. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 9.8%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 179 in Gunnison County, CO. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 67.6 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

95% of the population of Gunnison County, CO has health coverage, with 48% on employee plans, 14.3% on Medicaid, 11.2% on Medicare, 20% on non-group plans, and 1.55% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Gunnison County, CO see 1,152 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,152 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2158 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 333 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 54.7% were men and 45.3% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,152 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Gunnison County, CO

Primary care physicians in Gunnison County, CO see an average of 1,152 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,152 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Gunnison County, CO in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 16.6% under 18 years, 29.9% between 18 and 34 years, 38.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 14.9% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 54.7% were men and 45.3% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

4.97%

Uninsured

48%

Employer Coverage

14.3%

Medicaid

11.2%

Medicare

20%

Non-Group

1.55%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Gunnison County, CO declined by 19.3% from 6.16% to 4.97%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Gunnison County, CO changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2020, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 87.3 in Gunnison County, CO.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Gunnison County, CO.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 23.7% in Gunnison County, CO.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Gunnison County, CO.