Chaffee County, Colorado

County Distress Index: Normal · 36.0 | 20,617 people · 44th most distressed in Colorado
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Chaffee County, CO falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 36.0 — 2588th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Colorado, it ranks 44th of 64 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 6 neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Chaffee County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 65.5 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 65.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 84
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 80
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 36
Homeownership Rate 57
Rent-to-Income Ratio 69
Employment & Wages 40.2
Unemployment Rate 30
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 89
Business Formation Rate 1
Community Vulnerability 27.5
Uninsured Rate 43
Disability Rate 12
Income & Poverty 24.9
Poverty Rate 16
Income vs. State Median 42
Child Poverty Rate 17
Debt & Delinquency 22.1
Debt in Collections 9
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 68
Auto Loan Delinquency 18
Credit Card Delinquency 12
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 19

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Chaffee County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Chaffee County
Chaffee County, CO 36.0 Normal —
Saguache County, CO 58.4 Elevated +22.4
Fremont County, CO 57.8 Elevated +21.7
Lake County, CO 40.3 Normal +4.3
Gunnison County, CO 33.1 Healthy -2.9
Park County, CO 31.3 Healthy -4.8
Pitkin County, CO 24.5 Healthy -11.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Chaffee County
Harrison County, IA 36.1 Normal +0.1
Blanco County, TX 36.1 Normal +0.1
Dunn County, WI 35.9 Normal -0.1
King William County, VA 35.9 Normal -0.1
Sagadahoc County, ME 36.2 Normal +0.2

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Chaffee County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Chaffee County

Find an Attorney

Colorado Bar Association — Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Colorado Bar Association — Lawyer Referral Service 303-831-8000

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Chaffee County residents at no cost.

Colorado Legal Services 303-837-1313 (Denver); 1-866-529-6257 (statewide)
Colorado Volunteer Lawyer Resource (CVLR) 303-722-0300
Colorado Bar Association — Lawyer Referral Service 303-831-8000 (Denver); 1-800-332-6736 (statewide)

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Chaffee County, Colorado?

    Chaffee County has a County Distress Index score of 36.0 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,588th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 44th in Colorado out of 64 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Chaffee County?

    The primary driver of distress in Chaffee County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 65.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Chaffee County compare to neighboring counties?

    Chaffee County (36.0) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Saguache County, CO (58.4); Fremont County, CO (57.8); Lake County, CO (40.3).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of Chaffee County?

    Chaffee County, Colorado has a population of approximately 20,617 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.