Health Profile of Custer County, Colorado
Custer 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.
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B
Custer County Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Custer County | Colorado Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 82.7 | 80.0 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 5.0% | 7.7% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 12.9% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Custer County is 82.7 years, about 2.7 years longer than the Colorado average of 80.0 years. The uninsured rate is 5.0%, lower than the Colorado average of 7.7%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 12.9% of residents, lower than the Colorado average of 13.2%.
Population by Age
Older residents
3,106 residents in Custer County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 103 27 men · 75 women
- 75–84 358 197 men · 161 women
- 65–74 1,114 558 men · 556 women
- 50–64 1,531 766 men · 765 women
Younger residents
780 residents in Custer County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 313 177 boys · 136 girls
- 7–12 257 136 boys · 121 girls
- 3–7 140 72 boys · 67 girls
- 0–3 71 32 boys · 39 girls
About 137 residents in Custer County (2.6% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 82.7 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Custer County | Colorado Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 10.6% | 9.3% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 8.9% | 6.7% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.7% | 6.2% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 24.6% | 26.3% | 34.3% |
The rate of cancer in Custer County is about 32% higher than in Colorado. The rate of heart disease in Custer County is about 25% higher than in Colorado.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Custer County | Colorado Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 14.9% | 16.1% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 15.7% | 17.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 18.2% | 19.9% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Custer County are about the same as in Colorado.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 6,747 cigarettes a day, 202,402 a month, or 2.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 74,214 minutes a day and 27.1 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Custer County is 82.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 0.62 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 | Custer County | Colorado Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 3.63 | 4.49 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 3.6 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Custer County is very good — well within WHO health guidelines, with minimal health risk from air pollution.
Custer County, CO Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Custer County, CO is the 5th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 5,247 residents against a local median of 16,581. Where Custer County, CO breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 23% below the local median of 6.5% at 5.0%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Obesity tells the same story from another angle: 24.6% against a local median of 29.4%, 16% below it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, so Custer County, CO is not trading one advantage for another, it reads stronger than its neighbours across the board. The counties themselves spread 4.9% on uninsured, so Custer County, CO sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Custer County, CO has the 2nd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Custer County, CO | 5,247 | 82.7 yrs #1/6 | 5.0% #2/6 | 24.6% #1/6 |
| Fremont County, CO | 49,630 | 76.1 yrs | 6.5% | 29.4% |
| Huerfano County, CO | 6,972 | 81.4 yrs | 3.6% | 25.8% |
| Alamosa County, CO | 16,581 | 78.2 yrs | 5.8% | 31.1% |
| Teller County, CO | 24,825 | 80.4 yrs | 6.9% | 25.3% |
| Costilla County, CO | 3,607 | 79.5 yrs | 8.5% | 31.5% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Custer County, Colorado has an overall health index grade of B, making it somewhat better than Colorado, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Custer County, Colorado.
Is Custer County, Colorado a healthy place to live?
Custer 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 Custer County, Colorado one of the healthiest counties in Colorado?
Custer County ranks 35th 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.
How long do people live in Custer County, Colorado?
People in Custer County, Colorado can expect to live 82.7 years on average, 2.7 years longer than the Colorado average of 80.0.
What is the uninsured rate in Custer County, Colorado?
5.0% of residents in Custer County, Colorado have no health insurance, about 1 in 20 people, 2.7 points below the Colorado rate of 7.7%.
What is the obesity rate in Custer County, Colorado?
24.6% of adults in Custer County, Colorado are classified as obese, about 1 in 4, 1.7 points below the Colorado rate of 26.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Custer County, Colorado go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 6,747 cigarettes a day, 202,402 a month, or 2.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 74,214 minutes a day and 27.1 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Custer County is 82.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 0.62 lifetimes a year.
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