Health Profile of El Paso County, Colorado
El Paso 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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A
El Paso County Above average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | El Paso County | Colorado Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 79.0 | 80.0 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 7.2% | 7.7% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 11.3% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in El Paso County is 79.0 years, about 1.0 years shorter than the Colorado average of 80.0 years. The uninsured rate is 7.2%, lower than the Colorado average of 7.7%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 11.3% of residents, lower than the Colorado average of 13.2%.
Population by Age
Older residents
218,262 residents in El Paso County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 9,856 3,589 men · 6,267 women
- 75–84 26,158 11,045 men · 15,112 women
- 65–74 54,593 25,532 men · 29,062 women
- 50–64 127,656 62,367 men · 65,289 women
Younger residents
170,258 residents in El Paso County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 52,310 27,053 boys · 25,257 girls
- 7–12 50,627 25,885 boys · 24,742 girls
- 3–7 38,851 19,788 boys · 19,063 girls
- 0–3 28,470 14,646 boys · 13,824 girls
About 23,489 residents in El Paso County (3.2% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 79.0 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | El Paso County | Colorado Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 7.5% | 9.3% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.8% | 6.7% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 4.6% | 6.2% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 26.9% | 26.3% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in El Paso County is about 25% lower than in Colorado. The rate of diabetes in El Paso County is about 19% lower than in Colorado.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | El Paso County | Colorado Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 15.7% | 16.1% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 16.1% | 17.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 18.2% | 19.9% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in El Paso County are about the same as in Colorado.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 898,327 cigarettes a day, 26.9 million a month, or 327.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 9.9 million minutes a day and 3.6 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in El Paso County is 79.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.24 lifetimes a day, or 87 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 | El Paso County | Colorado Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 4.94 | 4.49 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 4.9 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in El Paso County is very good — well within WHO health guidelines, with minimal health risk from air pollution.
El Paso County, CO Health Compared With Nearby Counties
El Paso County, CO is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 742,974 residents against a local median of 169,356. The measure that sets El Paso County, CO apart most is uninsured: 7.2%, 38% above the local median of 5.2%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 5.4% on uninsured, so El Paso County, CO sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. El Paso County, CO has the 5th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Paso County, CO | 742,974 | 79.0 yrs #5/6 | 7.2% #5/6 | 26.9% #4/6 |
| Elbert County, CO | 27,839 | 80.5 yrs | 5.1% | 26.9% |
| Teller County, CO | 24,825 | 80.4 yrs | 6.9% | 25.3% |
| Douglas County, CO | 377,140 | 82.1 yrs | 3.9% | 20.7% |
| Pueblo County, CO | 169,356 | 76.3 yrs | 5.2% | 30.7% |
| Arapahoe County, CO | 647,849 | 79.7 yrs | 9.3% | 25.0% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, El Paso County, Colorado has an overall health index grade of A, making it somewhat better than Colorado, and notably better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in El Paso County, Colorado.
What is the health grade for El Paso County, Colorado?
El Paso County, Colorado has a Map AI Health Index grade of A, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; an A grade means residents are much healthier than the U.S. average.
Is El Paso County, Colorado one of the healthiest counties in Colorado?
El Paso County ranks 21st 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 El Paso County, Colorado?
People in El Paso County, Colorado can expect to live 79.0 years on average, 1.0 years shorter than the Colorado average of 80.0.
How many people lack health insurance in El Paso County, Colorado?
7.2% of residents in El Paso County, Colorado have no health insurance, about 1 in 14 people, 0.5 points below the Colorado rate of 7.7%.
What is the obesity rate in El Paso County, Colorado?
26.9% of adults in El Paso County, Colorado are classified as obese, about 1 in 4, 0.6 points above the Colorado rate of 26.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in El Paso County, Colorado go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 898,327 cigarettes a day, 26.9 million a month, or 327.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 9.9 million minutes a day and 3.6 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in El Paso County is 79.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.24 lifetimes a day, or 87 lifetimes a year.
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