Costilla County, Colorado Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Costilla County, CO Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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C
Health Below averageLeast healthy county in Colorado
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D
Income Well below averageAmong the 5 least wealthy counties in Colorado
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D
Education Well below averageLess educated than 81% of counties in Colorado
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Costilla County | Colorado Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 3,607 | 5,842,429 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2.9 | 56.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.09% | 1.09% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 51.3 | 35.2 | 37.3 |
| Households | 1,651 | 2,364,171 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Costilla County grew by 9.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 3,607 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Costilla County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 29.0% of residents. That is 13.8 points above Colorado as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 608 16.9% -5.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 556 15.4% -8.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 760 21.1% +1.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,046 29.0% +13.8 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Colorado, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 48.4% of the people living in Costilla County and men 51.6%.
- Women 48.4% Colorado 49.4%
- Men 51.6% Colorado 50.6%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Costilla County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Costilla County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Costilla County | Colorado Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $37,752 | $95,803 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.52% | 5.41% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Costilla County is about 61% lower than in Colorado.
Housing
| Metric | Costilla County | Colorado Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $224,999 | $484,034 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $926 | $1,761 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 79.0% | 66.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Costilla County is about 20.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $926 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Costilla County spend about 35 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 148 hours, about 6.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Costilla County | Colorado Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.7 | 22.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 35.5 | 44.1 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 148 | 184 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,581 | $5,694 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 16.1% | 21.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,633 | 8,183 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 181 | 1,277 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Colorado:
Hinsdale County (6.6 min), Prowers County (7.6 min), Cheyenne County (7.7 min).
Slowest:
Park County (42.5 min), Elbert County (41.5 min), Teller County (31.3 min).
The average commute time in Costilla County is 18 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in Colorado.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Costilla County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Costilla County | Colorado Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.3% | 40.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.17 | 2.42 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Colorado:
Boulder County (0.5), Douglas County (0.4), Broomfield County (0.4).
Lowest:
Crowley County (0.2), Bent County (0.2), Lincoln County (0.2).
Health
Costilla County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Costilla County | Colorado Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.5 | 80.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 25.5% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.8% | 16.1% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Colorado:
Douglas County (0.9), Boulder County (0.8), Broomfield County (0.8).
Lowest:
Costilla County (0.8), Otero County (0.8), Bent County (0.8).
Costilla County, CO Compared With Nearby Counties
How Costilla County, CO compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Costilla County, CO | 3,607 | $37,752 #2/2 | $224,999 #2/2 | 17.7 min #1/2 |
| Taos County, NM | 34,542 | $59,024 | $333,329 | 21.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Costilla County, Colorado.
How many people live in Costilla County, Colorado?
About 3,607 people live in Costilla County, Colorado, in 1,651 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 51.3, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 14 years.
Is Costilla County, Colorado mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Costilla County, Colorado has 3 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 3% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Costilla County, Colorado an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 6.0 times the median household income ($224,999 against $37,752), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $926 a month takes about 29% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Costilla County, Colorado?
Unemployment in Costilla County, Colorado is only 3.5%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What share of adults in Costilla County, Colorado have a college degree?
21.3% of adults in Costilla County, Colorado hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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