Town · Colorado
Buena Vista, Colorado
Buena Vista, town, in Chaffee County, Colorado. Buena Vista had 3,248 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 13.8% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 2,855 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 3,010 (±42). GEOID 0810105.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
3,248
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 2,855 · ACS 2020-2024: 3,010 ±42
Median household income
$78,323
±$18,483 (90% margin)
Colorado: $95,470
Median home value
$572,700
±$113,734 (90% margin)
Colorado: $539,400
Median gross rent
$2,020
±$410 (90% margin)
Colorado: $1,761
Where is Buena Vista and what county is it in?
Buena Vista is a town in Chaffee County, Colorado. It covers 3.5 square miles of land, 822 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Buena Vista, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 3,248 people lived in Buena Vista on July 1, 2025, up 13.8% since 2020, faster than Colorado (+4.1%). The 2020 Census counted 2,855 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 3,010 (±42).
| Measure | Buena Vista | Chaffee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 3,010 ±42 | 20,178 | +228 |
| Households | 1,617 ±214 | 9,863 | +474 |
| Average household size | 1.86 ±0.25 | 1.90 | −0.57 |
| Housing units | 1,676 ±224 | 11,482 | no clear change |
Buena Vista's population since 2000
From 2,195 in 2000 to 3,248 in 2025: up 48.0%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Buena Vista as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Buena Vista?
The median resident of Buena Vista is 36.0 years old. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 92.8%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 4.5%.
| Measure | Buena Vista | Chaffee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.0 ±7.4 | 48.7 | −9.4 |
| Under 18 years | 23.9% ±7.3 pts | 13.9% | – |
| 65 years and over | 5.0% ±3.7 pts | 26.3% | – |
| Male | 56.1% ±5.6 pts | 53.1% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 4.5% ±4.5 pts | 9.8% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 92.8% ±5.1 pts | 84.2% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.4 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.4 pts | 0.5% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.1 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 1.2% ±1.0 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.5% ±1.8 pts | 3.6% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.4 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.7% ±1.7 pts | 2.5% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.1% ±1.4 pts | 5.2% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 1.1% ±1.8 pts | 6.6% | – |
| With a disability | 6.6% ±3.4 pts | 11.4% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 9.2% ±4.8 pts | 6.5% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 95.9% ±6.0 pts | 94.7% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 53.5% ±11.0 pts | 47.0% | +18.9 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 14.8% ±7.7 pts | 18.7% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 93.3% ±5.9 pts | 88.3% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.1% ±0.3 pts | 1.8% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Buena Vista earn?
Half of Buena Vista's 1,617 households earn less than $78,323 a year (±$18,483), against $84,132 in Chaffee County and $95,470 in Colorado. In 2015-2019 it was $54,279 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Buena Vista | Chaffee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $78,323 ±$18,483 | $84,132 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $94,854 ±$15,383 | $105,166 | – |
| Per capita income | $40,139 ±$6,344 | $48,535 | +$8,500 |
| People below the poverty line | 7.3% ±6.4 pts | 8.3% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 0.0% ±5.7 pts | 7.0% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 18.2% ±11.3 pts | 7.0% | – |
| Households with a computer | 90.8% ±8.1 pts | 96.4% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 84.3% ±9.8 pts | 89.7% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Buena Vista?
Owners occupy 45.9% of Buena Vista's occupied homes and renters 54.1%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $572,700 by its owner (±$113,734). The median renter pays $2,020 a month including utilities, and 49.5% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Buena Vista | Chaffee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $572,700 ±$113,734 | $665,700 | +$278,933 |
| Median gross rent | $2,020 ±$410 | $1,611 | – |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 49.5% ±30.8 pts | 45.6% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,448 ±$531 | $1,957 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 45.9% ±11.6 pts | 74.1% | −22.0 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 54.1% ±11.6 pts | 25.9% | – |
| Housing units | 1,676 ±224 | 11,482 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±5.6 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±4.7 pts | 2.5% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 80.5% ±8.4 pts | 80.8% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±2.5 pts | 5.4% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±2.5 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 12.2% ±7.6 pts | 20.3% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 7.4% ±6.7 pts | 12.2% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 4.0% ±3.5 pts | 1.7% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Buena Vista work and get to work?
75.0% of Buena Vista's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 13.8 minutes.
| Measure | Buena Vista | Chaffee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 75.4% ±8.2 pts | 55.8% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 12.4% ±12.6 pts | 4.8% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 75.0% ±12.8 pts | 59.6% | – |
| Carpooled | 1.9% ±2.6 pts | 7.4% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±2.7 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 1.3% ±2.0 pts | 3.5% | – |
| Worked from home | 16.1% ±10.9 pts | 24.5% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 13.8 min ±4.7 | 18.1 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Buena Vista?
1 census tract lies mostly in Buena Vista, and 1 more reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 4.04Chaffee County | 2,706 | $99,335 |
| Tract 4.02Chaffee County | 3,988 | $61,796 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Buena Vista) · Census block assignment files
How does Buena Vista compare with other places in Colorado?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Buena Vista is the 6,088th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 94th-most populous of 272 in Colorado.
Buena Vista ranks 145th of 218 places in Colorado with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 94th | 272 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 26th | 150 |
| Residents per square mile | 157th | 221 |
| Median household income | 145th | 218 |
| Per capita income | 133rd | 220 |
| Median home value | 91st | 217 |
| Median gross rent | 45th | 200 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 70th | 216 |
| Median age | 144th | 220 |
| Owner-occupied share | 208th | 218 |
| Travel time to work | 208th | 221 |
Buena Vista's figures with every place in Colorado (CSV)
Every place in Colorado, sortable · Compare Buena Vista with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Buena Vista?
25 of the 57 figures for Buena Vista on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Buena Vista are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Buena Vista.