Health Profile of Otero County, Colorado
Otero 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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C
Otero County Below averageAmong the 3 least healthy counties in Colorado
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Otero County | Colorado Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 76.9 | 80.0 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 6.6% | 7.7% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 19.6% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Otero County is 76.9 years, about 3.1 years shorter than the Colorado average of 80.0 years. The uninsured rate is 6.6%, lower than the Colorado average of 7.7%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 19.6% of residents, higher than the Colorado average of 13.2%.
Population by Age
Older residents
7,084 residents in Otero County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 559 183 men · 376 women
- 75–84 1,019 450 men · 568 women
- 65–74 2,034 1,034 men · 1,000 women
- 50–64 3,473 1,745 men · 1,728 women
Younger residents
4,166 residents in Otero County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 1,412 735 boys · 677 girls
- 7–12 1,226 632 boys · 594 girls
- 3–7 875 453 boys · 421 girls
- 0–3 653 349 boys · 304 girls
About 1,355 residents in Otero County (7.4% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 76.9 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Otero County | Colorado Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 13.4% | 9.3% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.4% | 6.7% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 8.5% | 6.2% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 31.4% | 26.3% | 34.3% |
The rate of diabetes in Otero County is about 44% higher than in Colorado. The rate of heart disease in Otero County is about 37% higher than in Colorado. The rate of obesity in Otero County is about 19% higher than in Colorado.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Otero County | Colorado Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 18.7% | 16.1% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 15.1% | 17.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 27.4% | 19.9% | 25.1% |
The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Otero County is about 37% higher than in Colorado. The rate of smoking in Otero County is about 16% higher than in Colorado. The rate of binge drinking in Otero County is about 15% lower than in Colorado.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 26,306 cigarettes a day, 789,185 a month, or 9.6 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 289,368 minutes a day and 105.6 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Otero County is 76.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.61 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 | Otero County | Colorado Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 4.62 | 4.49 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 4.6 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Otero County is very good — well within WHO health guidelines, with minimal health risk from air pollution.
Otero County, CO Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Otero County, CO is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 18,321 residents against a local median of 5,647. Otero County, CO sits close to the middle of its own neighbourhood. No measure below is more than 15% off the local median, so the choice between these counties turns on things this data does not capture.
The largest of those small differences is uninsured, 14% below the local median at 6.6% against 7.6%. Otero County, CO has the 2nd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Otero County, CO | 18,321 | 76.9 yrs #4/6 | 6.6% #2/6 | 31.4% #5/6 |
| Crowley County, CO | 5,647 | 76.4 yrs | 8.1% | 30.1% |
| Bent County, CO | 5,549 | 78.0 yrs | 7.4% | 34.0% |
| Las Animas County, CO | 14,413 | 78.6 yrs | 8.4% | 28.9% |
| Pueblo County, CO | 169,356 | 76.3 yrs | 5.2% | 30.7% |
| Lincoln County, CO | 5,550 | 80.8 yrs | 7.6% | 30.1% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Otero County, Colorado has an overall health index grade of C, making it about on par with Colorado, and about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Otero County, Colorado.
What is the health grade for Otero County, Colorado?
Otero County, Colorado has a Map AI Health Index grade of C, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; a C grade means residents are close to the U.S. average.
Is Otero County, Colorado one of the healthiest counties in Colorado?
Otero County ranks 61st 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 Otero County, Colorado?
People in Otero County, Colorado can expect to live 76.9 years on average, 3.1 years shorter than the Colorado average of 80.0.
What is the uninsured rate in Otero County, Colorado?
6.6% of residents in Otero County, Colorado have no health insurance, about 1 in 15 people, 1.1 points below the Colorado rate of 7.7%.
How common is obesity in Otero County, Colorado?
31.4% of adults in Otero County, Colorado are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 5.1 points above the Colorado rate of 26.3%.
What is the biggest health concern in Otero County, Colorado?
Compared with Colorado as a whole, diabetes stands out most: the adult rate here is 13.4%, about 44% higher than the Colorado rate of 9.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Otero County, Colorado go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 26,306 cigarettes a day, 789,185 a month, or 9.6 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 289,368 minutes a day and 105.6 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Otero County is 76.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.61 lifetimes a year.
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