HomeWashingtonChelan County
Chelan County, Washington: commercial real estate data.
Chelan County, Washington has a population of 80,172 across 2,921 square miles, up 2.6 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $7.13 bn in 2024, 2,782 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 100 7(a) approvals worth $79.8 m.
122 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Chelan County
How many people live in Chelan County
- Population80,172
- Households31,520
- Average household size2.54
- Median household income$82,381
- Median age40.4
- Median gross rent$1,226 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$490,100
- Home value to household income5.9 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher31.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree11.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over55,826
- Population under 1818,109
- Share under 1822.6 percent
- Population 65 and over16,769
- Share 65 and over20.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6445,294
- Civilian labor force38,096
- Unemployment rate3.7 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over61.4 percent
- Rank by population among Washington counties17th of 39
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents726th
Chelan County is the 17th largest of 39 Washington counties by population. A median home costs 5.9 times median household income, which is a stretched ownership market and usually shows up as rental demand. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.6 percent against 20.9 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Chelan County
Is Chelan County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.63 percent
- Census 2020 base population79,144
- Births, 2024776
- Deaths, 2024917
- Natural change, 2024-141
- Net domestic migration, 2024200
- Net international migration, 2024730
- Total net migration, 2024930
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024780
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents972nd
The county has grown 2.63 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Chelan County
Where people moving to Chelan County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving2,630
- People arriving, from those returns4,601
- Adjusted gross income arriving$275.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$104,849
- Largest single originChelan County Non-migrants (32,078 households)
- Largest single destination (32,078 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chelan County Non-migrants | 32,078 | 64,787 | $3.15 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 695 | 1,177 | $62.1 m |
| Douglas County | 687 | 1,265 | $40.0 m |
| Other flows - West | 426 | 746 | $42.0 m |
| King County | 367 | 619 | $85.6 m |
| Snohomish County | 182 | 329 | $23.1 m |
| Other flows - South | 145 | 242 | $9.1 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 133 | 245 | $10.7 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Chelan County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Chelan County
What the Chelan County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$7.13 bn
- County GDP, 2023$7.08 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20240.7 percent
- GDP change over five years46.7 percent
- Rank by GDP among Washington counties14th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents576th
- GDP per resident$88,957
Output grew 0.7 percent in the latest year and 46.7 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Chelan County
Who employs people in Chelan County
- Covered employment, annual average44,962
- Establishments reporting3,251
- Average annual pay$57,540
- Average weekly wage$1,107
- Sector 62, employment7,105
- Sector 62, average annual pay$77,321
- Sector 72, employment4,857
- Sector 72, average annual pay$31,682
- Sector 44-45, employment4,328
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$38,579
- Sector 23, employment2,700
- Sector 23, average annual pay$94,496
- Sector 31-33, employment2,132
- Sector 42, employment1,954
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 7,105 | 258 | $77,321 |
| Sector 72 | 4,857 | 342 | $31,682 |
| Sector 44-45 | 4,328 | 304 | $38,579 |
| Sector 23 | 2,700 | 464 | $94,496 |
| Sector 31-33 | 2,132 | 140 | $56,274 |
| Sector 42 | 1,954 | 105 | $65,258 |
| Sector 56 | 1,436 | 190 | $47,917 |
| Sector 81 | 1,048 | 226 | $42,069 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 7,105 jobs, 15.8 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Chelan County
What businesses operate in Chelan County
- Establishments, all industries2,782
- Employment at those establishments32,779
- Annual payroll$1.84 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents34.7
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Chelan County
What is being built in Chelan County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024762
- Declared construction value permitted$181.5 m
- Single family units authorised332
- Multifamily units authorised430
- Multifamily share of units56.4 percent
- Average declared value per unit$238,160
- Units authorised per 1,000 households24.2
Multifamily is 56.4 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Chelan County
How much SBA lending happens in Chelan County
- 7(a) approvals recorded100
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$79.8 m
- Average 7(a) approval$797,676
- Median 7(a) approval$200,000
- 10th percentile approval$20,000
- 90th percentile approval$3,200,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)780
- Jobs per approval7.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active35
- Distinct industries receiving approvals60
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer26.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms26
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter68
- Franchise loans12
- Franchise share of approvals12.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (13)
- Most active lenderPeoples Bank (9)
- 504 approvals recorded39
- 504 gross approval dollars$34.1 m
- Average 504 approval$873,308
- Median 504 approval$491,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval6.6
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved7.6
- Most active CDCEvergreen Business Capital (17)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals71.9 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$113.8 m
The average approval of $797,676 sits well above the median of $200,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 26.0 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Chelan County
Do SBA loans in Chelan County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded12
- Paid in full12
- Charged off0
- Charge off rate on resolved loans0.0 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure68
- Status: Paid in full12
- Status: Cancelled19
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Of the 12 loans that have reached a final outcome, 0.0 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Chelan County
Which parts of Chelan County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending7
- WENATCHEE, approvals59
- LEAVENWORTH, approvals12
- Cashmere, approvals11
- Chelan, approvals10
- Manson, approvals5
- PESHASTIN, approvals2
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| WENATCHEE | 59 | $53,230,100 |
| LEAVENWORTH | 12 | $4,883,500 |
| Cashmere | 11 | $14,034,500 |
| Chelan | 10 | $2,043,300 |
| Manson | 5 | $5,456,200 |
| PESHASTIN | 2 | $105,000 |
| MALAGA | 1 | $15,000 |
WENATCHEE accounts for 59 approvals against 12 in LEAVENWORTH. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Chelan County
How big is Chelan County
- Land area2,921 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Washington counties3rd of 39
- Width, east to west60.8 mi
- Height, north to south88.7 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land27
- Establishments per square mile0.95
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Chelan County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Chelan County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population80,172
- Households31,520
- Average household size2.54
- Median household income$82,381
- Median age40.4
Common questions
Chelan County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Chelan County, Washington?
80,172, in 31,520 households, ranking 17th of 39 Washington counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Chelan County growing?
The population has grown 2.63 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 776 births against 917 deaths, with net migration of 930. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Chelan County?
$82,381. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $490,100, which is 5.9 times income, and median gross rent is $1,226 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Chelan County?
2,782 establishments, employing 32,779 people with an annual payroll of $1.84 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Chelan County?
Average annual pay is $57,540, or $1,107 a week, across 44,962 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Chelan County?
100 7(a) approvals totalling $79.8 m since FY2020, across 35 lenders, with a median approval of $200,000, plus 39 504 approvals worth $34.1 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Chelan County get paid back?
Of the 12 loans that have reached a final outcome, 12 were paid in full and 0 charged off, a charge off rate of 0.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Chelan County?
762 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $181.5 m. Multifamily was 56.4 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Chelan County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Chelan County come from?
The largest single origin is Chelan County Non-migrants, with 32,078 households. Arriving households report an average income of $104,849 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Chelan County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Chelan County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.