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La Junta, CO

City in Otero County, CO, US
Last updated
Key Indicators
A quick look at key numbers

Population

7,140
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

38.2
years ∙ half population younger than 38.2, half older

Diversity Index

Low High
54%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

3.7%
foreign-born population
96.3%Native
3.7% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

La Junta is a city within Otero County, Colorado, United States.
Location
City in Otero County, CO, US
Co-ordinates
DEC37.979414° N, 103.547336° W
DMS37° 58′ 45.89″ N, 103° 32′ 50.41″ W

Population Density & area

2,231/sq mi (862.3/km²)
Total Area
3.21 sq mi (8.29 km²)
Land Area
3.2 sq mi (8.28 km²) · 99.84%
Water Area
0.01 sq mi (0.01 km²) · 0.16%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

49.5% male
Male 49.5%
Female 50.5%
males per 100 females
La Junta 98.1
Otero County 99.5
Colorado 102.6

Nativity

3.7%
foreign-born population
96.3%Native
3.7% Foreign-born
% Foreign-born
La Junta 3.7%
Otero County 4.8%
Colorado 9.8%
Age Distribution
How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

38.2
years ∙ half population younger than 38.2, half older
La Junta
38.2
Otero County
41.8
Colorado
37.7

Dependency ratio

Low High
85.6
dependents per 100 working-age adults
La Junta 85.6
Otero County 79.7
Colorado 57.7

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group
Median age
La Junta Otero County Colorado
Age Group
Children (Under 18) 24.6% 23.1% 21%
Working age (18-64) 53.9% 55.6% 63.4%
Senior (65+) 21.5% 21.3% 15.6%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio 85.6 79.7 57.7
Child dependency ratio 45.6 41.5 33.1
Old-age dependency ratio 39.9 38.2 24.6
Racial & Ethnic Composition
Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White
52.6%
Black
1.3%
Asian
0.2%
Hispanic
42.7%
Other
3.2%
Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

Low High
54%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
La Junta 54%
Otero County 54.8%
Colorado 52.5%
Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity
Percentage of La Junta population
La Junta Otero County Colorado
Hispanic or Latino 42.7% 42% 22.5%
Mexican 37.4% 34.3% 15.8%
Puerto Rican 0% 0.1% 0.7%
Cuban 0.1% 0% 0.3%
Other Hispanic / Latino 5.3% 7.6% 5.7%
Not Hispanic or Latino 57.3% 58% 77.5%
One race 54.7% 55.1% 72.9%
White 52.6% 52.4% 64.8%
Black or African American 1.3% 1.1% 3.8%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.6% 0.3% 0.4%
Asian 0.2% 0.7% 3.2%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0.1%
Some Other Race 0% 0.5% 0.5%
Two or more races (Multiracial) 2.6% 2.9% 4.6%
Household & Families Composition
Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

57.6% family
Family 57.6%
Non family 42.4%
% family households
La Junta 57.6%
Otero County 63%
Colorado 61.7%

Average household size

2.25
persons per household
La Junta
2.25
Otero County
2.35
Colorado
2.42

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households
Percentage of La Junta population
La Junta Otero County Colorado
Total households 3,030 7,584 2,374,218
Average houshold size 2.25 2.35 2.42
Family households 1,745 4,778 1,465,097
Average family size 3.01 2.98 3.01
Married couple family 1,183 3,242 1,147,437
Other families 562 1,536 317,660
Male householder 108 426 106,780
Female householder 454 1,110 210,880
Non-family households 1,285 2,806 909,121
One-person households 1,010 2,420 679,604
Male householder 531 1,258 330,797
Senior (65+) living alone 156 551 88,830
Female householder 479 1,162 348,807
Senior (65+) living alone 325 776 157,958
Other living arrangements 275 386 229,517

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

3,281
housing units
La Junta 3,281
Otero County 8,746
Colorado 2,589,053

Occupancy status

92.3% occupied
Occupied 92.3%
Vacant 7.7%
vacancy rate
La Junta 7.7%
Otero County 13.3%
Colorado 8.3%
Housing Characteristics
How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

76.8%
Single family houses
Single family houses
76.8%
Apartments in multi-unit structures
15.3%
Mobile homes
8%
Boat, RV, van, etc
0%

Median Year Built

1960
Half of houses were built before 1960, and half after.
Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier
24.8%
Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969
32.2%
Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999
34.6%
Modern ∙ 2000 or later
8.3%
Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms
Physical characteristics of housing units
La Junta Otero County Colorado
Rooms per unit
Median rooms 6.1 5.8 5.7
1–3 rooms 12.5% 9.9% 17.3%
4–6 rooms 45% 55.3% 43.7%
7+ rooms 42.5% 34.8% 39.1%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio 1.4% 1.7% 2.7%
1 bedroom 12.1% 8.8% 11.7%
2 bedrooms 26.1% 24.7% 24.1%
3 bedrooms 24.4% 37.5% 32.3%
4+ bedrooms 36% 27.3% 29.2%
At a glance
Median year built 1960 1959 1988
Total housing units 3,281 8,746 2,589,053
Occupancy Profile
Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

67% owners
Renter-occupied 33%
Owner-occupied 67%
homeownership rate
La Junta 67%
Otero County 68.9%
Colorado 66.2%

Average household size

2.22
Owner-occupied
2.3
Renter-occupied
owner-occupied average size
La Junta 2.22
Otero County 2.34
Colorado 2.56

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
La Junta Otero County Colorado
Total occupied units 3,030 7,584 2,374,218
Year moved in
2020 or later 22.9% 20.5% 30.5%
2010 to 2019 39.4% 37.1% 41%
2000 to 2009 17.9% 18.4% 14.8%
1999 or earlier 19.8% 24% 13.8%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer 97.5% 96.3% 97.6%
1.01 to 1.50 0.9% 2.9% 1.6%
1.51 or more 1.6% 0.8% 0.8%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles 8.6% 7.6% 5.2%
1 vehicle 36.8% 28.3% 30.7%
2 vehicles 25% 27.6% 38.8%
3 or more vehicles 29.6% 36.5% 25.4%
House heating fuel used
Gas 80.1% 83.2% 71.3%
Electricity 17.4% 13.3% 25.6%
Solar 0% 0.2% 0.5%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc 0% 0.1% 0.1%
All other fuels 2.5% 3.1% 2%
No fuel used 0% 0.1% 0.5%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing 0% 0.4% 0.3%
Lacking complete kitchen 0% 0.1% 0.7%
No telephone service available 4% 2% 0.7%
Housing Value
What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$194,800
owner-occupied units
Median value(USD)
La Junta
$194,800
Otero County
$168,900
Colorado
$539,400

Housing Cost Burden

25.5%
of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened
% Cost-Burdened Households
Owners with a mortgage
25.5%
Owners without a mortgage
21.7%
Renters
45.1%
Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
La Junta Otero County Colorado
Property value
Median Value $194,800 $168,900 $539,400
Under $100,000 24.3% 25.9% 4.8%
$100,000 - $200,000 26.4% 32.4% 3.6%
$200,000 - $300,000 38% 24.5% 6.8%
$300,000 - $500,000 9.9% 13.8% 30%
$500,000 - $1,000,000 1.4% 2.5% 43.6%
$1,000,000 and more 0% 0.9% 11.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage 59.1% 50% 69.4%
Without a mortgage 40.9% 50% 30.6%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage $1,411 $1,370 $2,326
Without a mortgage $469 $459 $663
Gross rent
Median rent $642 $839 $1,761

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

18%
of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher
La Junta 18%
Otero County 18.2%
Colorado 45.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

16%
of adults (25+) without a high school diploma
La Junta 16%
Otero County 11.3%
Colorado 7.1%
School Enrollment
Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

1,799
population (age 3+) enrolled in school
Nursery / Preschool
8.1%
K–12
63.9%
College / Undergraduate
21.2%
Graduate / Professional
6.9%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

43.6%
of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school
La Junta
43.6%
Otero County
38.5%
Colorado
38%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split
Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school
La Junta Otero County Colorado
Total enrolled (age 3+) 1,799 4,284 1,369,681
Nursery / preschool 8.1% 6.9% 5.9%
K–12 63.9% 71.5% 66.5%
Kindergarten 2.3% 3.4% 4.5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4 16.3% 16.5% 19.4%
Elementary: Grades 5–8 25% 27.2% 20.9%
High School: Grades 9–12 20.2% 24.4% 21.7%
College or graduate school 28.1% 21.6% 27.6%
College, undergraduate 21.2% 16.5% 21%
Graduate, professional school 6.9% 5.2% 6.6%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds 43.6% 38.5% 38%
School type
Public school 82.3% 84.4% 86%
Private school 17.7% 15.6% 14%
Education Attainment by Level & Gender
What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

4,637
population 25 years and over
Total adults (25+)
Less than 9th grade
5.2%
9th-12th, no diploma
10.8%
HS graduate
25.5%
Some college no degree
25.4%
Associates degree
15.1%
Bachelors degree
9.1%
Graduate or professional degree
8.9%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female
Adults (25+) · Share within each education level
% male · % female
Less than 9th grade
79.6% · 20.4%
9th-12th, no diploma
53.5% · 46.5%
HS graduate
40.6% · 59.4%
Some college no degree
50% · 50%
Associates degree
49% · 51%
Bachelors degree
42% · 58%
Graduate or professional degree
31.6% · 68.4%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)
Highest credential completed · adults 25+
La Junta Otero County Colorado
Population (25+) 4,637 12,561 4,095,727
Less than 9th grade 5.2% 3.4% 3.1%
9th–12th, no diploma 10.8% 7.9% 4%
High school diploma or GED 25.5% 29.5% 19.7%
Some college, no degree 25.4% 24.9% 19.2%
Associate's degree 15.1% 16.1% 8.3%
Bachelor's degree or higher 18% 18.2% 45.7%
Bachelor's degree 9.1% 11.2% 28.1%
Graduate or professional 8.9% 7% 17.6%
High School or higher 84% 88.7% 92.9%
Earnings by education level
percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$39,603
Median earnings for adults 25+, by level
Less than HS graduate
$36,467
HS graduate
$27,386
Some college or associates
$35,308
Bachelors degree
$61,250
Graduate or professional degree
$64,618

Poverty Rate

6.5%
for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher
Less than HS graduate
57.5%
HS graduate
17.8%
Some college or associates
20.5%
Bachelors degree or higher
6.5%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)
Adults 25+
La Junta Otero County Colorado
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings $39,603 $37,930 $60,455
Less than high school graduate $36,467 $33,750 $37,820
High school graduate (includes equivalency) $27,386 $40,124 $45,140
Some college or associate's degree $35,308 $35,233 $50,210
Bachelor's degree $61,250 $45,714 $73,999
Graduate or professional degree $64,618 $64,271 $90,992
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate 57.5% 50% 19.9%
High school graduate (includes equivalency) 17.8% 14.8% 11.5%
Some college or associate's degree 20.5% 15.9% 8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher 6.5% 7.8% 3.9%

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