• county
  • FIPS 08051
  • Largest town: Gunnison

Gunnison County, Colorado

Gunnison County had 17,310 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 3,239.1 square miles of land. It ranks 29th of 64 in Colorado by population and 5th by land area.

Population
17,310
#29 of 64 in Colorado · #1,959 in US
Area
3,239.1 sq mi
#5 of 64 in Colorado · #157 in US
Density
5.3 / sq mi
#44 of 64 in Colorado · #2,753 in US
Median household income
$79,658
#28 of 64 in Colorado · #488 in US

Census Vintage 2024 estimates · SAIPE 2023 income · 2024 Gazetteer land area

Gunnison County within Colorado. Pin: Denver.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Gunnison County

Gunnison County population, land area and income

Gunnison County had 17,310 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 3,239.1 square miles of land. It ranks 29th of 64 in Colorado by population and 5th by land area. That works out to 5.3 people per square mile, below the US average of 96.3, and in the bottom quarter nationally.

The median county-equivalent in Colorado has 15,336 residents; Gunnison County is somewhat larger.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $79,658 is in the top quarter among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

17,310

3144th1st

1959th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

3,239 sq mi

3144th1st

157th of 3,144 (US)

Density

5.3 / sq mi

3144th1st

2753rd of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$79,658

3143rd1st

488th of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Colorado (64)

Population

17,310

64th1st

29th of 64 (CO)

Land area

3,239 sq mi

64th1st

5th of 64 (CO)

Density

5.3 / sq mi

64th1st

44th of 64 (CO)

Median household income

$79,658

64th1st

28th of 64 (CO)

How Gunnison County's population changed since 2020

Gunnison County gained 364 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a rise of 2.1%. That ranks 29th of 64 in Colorado for growth. The median Colorado county changed by +1.7%, and the state as a whole by +2.9%.

Since the April 2020 estimates base, Gunnison County recorded 540 births and 347 deaths, a natural change of +193. Net international migration added +66 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +148. The largest single component was natural change, which added 193 people.

16.9k202017.3k202117.3k202217.3k202317.3k2024
Census Vintage 2024 county estimates for July 1 of each year. The axis starts above zero so year-to-year changes are visible.

Components of change, April 2020 to July 2024

Births
540
Deaths
347
Net international migration
+66
Net domestic migration
+148
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
-24

Where Gunnison County is

The Census internal point of Gunnison County is at 38.670500, -107.056900. It sits in UTM zone 13N. The map shades Colorado's 64 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with Gunnison County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

Otero County: -3.6%Lake County: -0.6%Adams County: +4.3%Kit Carson County: +0.2%Phillips County: -0.9%Bent County: +5.5%Lincoln County: -1.1%Washington County: -0.9%Hinsdale County: -5.1%Alamosa County: +1.9%Kiowa County: -4.1%Arapahoe County: +1.8%Archuleta County: +5.1%Montrose County: +4.6%Jefferson County: -0.8%Gilpin County: +2.5%Larimer County: +4.1%Custer County: +17.5%Saguache County: +4.3%Mineral County: +7.1%Broomfield County: +5.1%Logan County: -2.1%Mesa County: +3.4%Eagle County: -2.4%Denver County: +1.6%Pitkin County: -4.2%Boulder County: -0.2%El Paso County: +2.6%Las Animas County: +0.1%San Miguel County: -2.9%Douglas County: +9.3%Cheyenne County: -1.9%Garfield County: +2.2%Ouray County: +6.5%San Juan County: +16.0%Yuma County: +0.8%Elbert County: +12.1%Prowers County: -0.5%Morgan County: +4.2%Delta County: +3.7%Chaffee County: +6.6%Huerfano County: +2.4%Teller County: +0.5%Costilla County: +5.3%Baca County: -3.3%Routt County: +1.6%Conejos County: +1.3%Summit County: -1.1%Clear Creek County: -3.0%Fremont County: +2.5%Rio Blanco County: +1.3%Dolores County: +5.8%Grand County: +2.6%Gunnison County: +2.1%Park County: +5.1%Sedgwick County: -5.5%Montezuma County: +3.7%La Plata County: +2.1%Moffat County: -1.0%Rio Grande County: -3.6%Weld County: +11.5%Pueblo County: +0.9%Jackson County: -7.6%Crowley County: -1.5%
Change 2020 to 2024
  1. < -1.9%
  2. < +0.5%
  3. < +2.4%
  4. < +5.1%
  5. ≥ +5.1%
no data

Orange pin: Gunnison County internal point. Dark pin: Denver.

Internal point

Decimal
38.670500, -107.056900
DMS
38°40'13.80"N 107°03'24.84"W
UTM
13N 321057.8E 4282220.1N
Geohash
9wgggzexc
Plus code
85CJMWCV+66

Towns in Gunnison County

2 incorporated places of 1,000+ people have residents in Gunnison County, 8,464 people together, or 49% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Gunnison County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Gunnison with 6,821.

  1. 01Gunnison6,821
  2. 02Crested Butte1,643
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Gunnison County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 8 neighbors for Gunnison County. The most populous is Mesa County, CO, with 161,260 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Denver and the nearest big city

Denver is 133.2 miles NE of Gunnison County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Colorado Springs, CO (population 493,554), 124.5 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Montrose, CO (population 21,646), 45.5 miles away.

Gunnison County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Gunnison County is 08051: state code 08 for Colorado plus county code 051. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $79,658.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Gunnison County, Colorado?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 17,310. That is up 364 people (2.1%) from the July 2020 estimate of 16,946.

What is the FIPS code of Gunnison County?

08051. The first two digits (08) are Colorado; the last three (051) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Gunnison County?

Gunnison, with 6,821 residents inside Gunnison County in 2024.

Which counties border Gunnison County?

8 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Mesa County, CO; Montrose County, CO; Delta County, CO; Chaffee County, CO; Pitkin County, CO; Saguache County, CO; Ouray County, CO; Hinsdale County, CO.

Sources and data as of

Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.

  1. 01Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
  2. 02Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
  3. 03Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
  4. 04Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
  5. 05Census 2024 county adjacency file
  6. 06Census 2024 cartographic boundary file, counties (1:5,000,000)

How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.