Health Profile of Alamosa County, Colorado
Alamosa County Health Score
The Map AI Health Index is a score that reflects local life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and physical environment to help you quickly compare the overall health and well-being of different areas.
-
B
Alamosa County Around averageLess healthy than 90% of counties in Colorado
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Alamosa County | Colorado Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 78.2 | 80.0 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 5.8% | 7.7% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 17.1% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Alamosa County is 78.2 years, about 1.9 years shorter than the Colorado average of 80.0 years. The uninsured rate is 5.8%, lower than the Colorado average of 7.7%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 17.1% of residents, higher than the Colorado average of 13.2%.
Population by Age
Older residents
4,845 residents in Alamosa County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 231 64 men · 167 women
- 75–84 634 299 men · 334 women
- 65–74 1,354 662 men · 693 women
- 50–64 2,626 1,267 men · 1,359 women
Younger residents
3,759 residents in Alamosa County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 1,152 654 boys · 498 girls
- 7–12 1,129 556 boys · 573 girls
- 3–7 852 399 boys · 453 girls
- 0–3 626 304 boys · 321 girls
About 635 residents in Alamosa County (3.8% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 78.2 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Alamosa County | Colorado Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 11.0% | 9.3% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.8% | 6.7% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.3% | 6.2% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 31.1% | 26.3% | 34.3% |
The rate of diabetes in Alamosa County is about 18% higher than in Colorado. The rate of obesity in Alamosa County is about 18% higher than in Colorado.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Alamosa County | Colorado Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 17.4% | 16.1% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 17.0% | 17.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 24.3% | 19.9% | 25.1% |
The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Alamosa County is about 22% higher than in Colorado.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 22,029 cigarettes a day, 660,861 a month, or 8.0 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 242,316 minutes a day and 88.4 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Alamosa County is 78.2 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.15 lifetimes a year.
* Source: Shaw M, Mitchell R, Dorling D. "Time for a smoke? One cigarette reduces your life by 11 minutes." BMJ. 2000;320:53.
Illustrative only. This is not an estimate of how many people actually die from smoking each day or year - it's a rough, order-of-magnitude comparison meant to help grasp the scale of smoking in this area. We take no responsibility for any decisions made based on this figure.
Air Quality
| Metric | Alamosa County | Colorado Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 4.46 | 4.49 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 4.5 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Alamosa County is very good — well within WHO health guidelines, with minimal health risk from air pollution.
Alamosa County, CO Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Alamosa County, CO is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 16,581 residents against a local median of 6,580. Alamosa County, CO's uninsured, at 5.8%, runs 46% below the 10.6% typical of the counties around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 8.6% on uninsured, so Alamosa County, CO sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Alamosa County, CO has the 2nd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alamosa County, CO | 16,581 | 78.2 yrs #6/6 | 5.8% #2/6 | 31.1% #5/6 |
| Costilla County, CO | 3,607 | 79.5 yrs | 8.5% | 31.5% |
| Conejos County, CO | 7,530 | 82.3 yrs | 13.6% | 30.9% |
| Rio Grande County, CO | 11,321 | 78.9 yrs | 10.6% | 28.7% |
| Custer County, CO | 5,247 | 82.7 yrs | 5.0% | 24.6% |
| Saguache County, CO | 6,580 | 82.6 yrs | 12.6% | 27.4% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Alamosa County, Colorado has an overall health index grade of B, making it about on par with Colorado, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Alamosa County, Colorado.
How healthy is Alamosa County, Colorado?
Alamosa County, Colorado has a Map AI Health Index grade of B, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; a B grade means residents are somewhat healthier than the U.S. average.
Is Alamosa County, Colorado one of the healthiest counties in Colorado?
Alamosa County ranks 56th healthiest out of 62 counties in Colorado by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the life expectancy in Alamosa County, Colorado?
People in Alamosa County, Colorado can expect to live 78.2 years on average, 1.9 years shorter than the Colorado average of 80.0.
How many people lack health insurance in Alamosa County, Colorado?
5.8% of residents in Alamosa County, Colorado have no health insurance, about 1 in 17 people, 2.0 points below the Colorado rate of 7.7%.
What is the obesity rate in Alamosa County, Colorado?
31.1% of adults in Alamosa County, Colorado are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 4.7 points above the Colorado rate of 26.3%.
Which health problem stands out most in Alamosa County, Colorado?
Compared with Colorado as a whole, physical inactivity stands out most: the adult rate here is 24.3%, about 22% higher than the Colorado rate of 19.9%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Alamosa County, Colorado go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 22,029 cigarettes a day, 660,861 a month, or 8.0 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 242,316 minutes a day and 88.4 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Alamosa County is 78.2 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.15 lifetimes a year.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →