La Junta, CO

Census Place

2024 Population

7,140

US Senator

Michael Bennet

Democratic Party

US Senator

John Hickenlooper

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

38.2

3.54% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

27.4%

5.47% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$52,315

3.57% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$194,800

Population & Diversity

La Junta, CO is home to a population of 7.14k people, from which 98.7% are citizens.

As of 2024, 3.66% of La Junta, CO residents were born outside of the country (261 people).

In 2024, there were 3.43 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (3.75k people) in La Junta, CO than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.09k Other (Hispanic) and 1.02k White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.7%

2024 Citizenship

99.1%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.7% of La Junta, CO residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in La Junta, CO was 99.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in La Junta, CO compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in La Junta, CO

White (Non-Hispanic)
3.75k ± 372
Other (Hispanic)
1.09k ± 437
White (Hispanic)
1.02k ± 362

42.7%

Hispanic Population

3.05k people

42.7% of the people in La Junta, CO are hispanic (3.05k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in La Junta, CO as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Colorado.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
205,206 ± 10,925 people
India
23,918 ± 3,789 people
China
18,011 ± 3,290 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Colorado was Mexico, the natal country of 205,206 Colorado residents, followed by India with 23,918 and China with 18,011.

Foreign-Born Population

3.66%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

261 people

2.94%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

212 people

As of 2024, 3.66% of La Junta, CO residents (261 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in La Junta, CO was 2.94%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in La Junta, CO compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
195 ± 134
Vietnam
150 ± 103
Gulf War (1990s)
37 ± 33

La Junta, CO has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.3 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in La Junta, CO.

Economy

The economy of La Junta, CO employs 2.79k people. In 2024, the largest industries in La Junta, CO were Health Care & Social Assistance (718 people), Educational Services (459 people), and Public Administration (321 people), and the highest paying industries were Transportation & Warehousing ($83,214), Information ($75,658), and Construction ($73,347).

Employment

Occupations

2.79k

2024 Value

± 446

−14.3%

1 Year decline

± 25.7%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in La Junta, CO declined at a rate of −14.3%, from 3.25k employees to 2.79k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in La Junta, CO, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (444 people), Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (384 people), and Construction & Extraction Occupations (221 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of La Junta, CO.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Colorado.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Colorado (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

2.79k

2024 Value

± 446

−14.3%

1 Year decline

± 25.7%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in La Junta, CO declined at a rate of −14.3%, from 3.25k employees to 2.79k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in La Junta, CO, are Health Care & Social Assistance (718 people), Educational Services (459 people), and Public Administration (321 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of La Junta, CO, though some of these residents may live in La Junta, CO and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$47,332

Median earning men ± $15,193

$33,796

Median earning women ± $6,503

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($75,658), Construction ($73,347), and Manufacturing ($60,128).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($60,110), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($42,552), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($26,504).

Education

The student population of La Junta, CO in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 396 male students and 563 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in La Junta, CO are White (131 and 46.5%), Hispanic or Latino (119 and 42.2%), Black or African American (12 and 4.26%), and Two or More Races (10 and 3.55%).

The largest universities in La Junta, CO by number of degrees awarded are Otero College (299 and 100%).

The most popular majors in La Junta, CO are Liberal Arts & Sciences (83 and 27.8%), Nursing Assistant & Patient Care Assistant (34 and 11.4%), and Criminal Justice - Police Science (28 and 9.36%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2024 there were 959 students enrolled in La Junta, CO, 41.3% men and 58.7% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 429 records, of which 60.4% were women and 39.6% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Liberal Arts & Sciences
83 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
22 degrees awarded
Other Liberal Arts & Sciences, General Studies, & Humanities
15 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in La Junta, CO was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 83 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in La Junta, CO according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Otero College

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

299 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Otero College with 299 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2024, 137 men were awarded degrees from institutions in La Junta, CO, which is 0.846 times less than the 162 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 131 degrees mean that there were 1.1 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 119 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Public, 2-year ($4,058) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Public, 2-year ($502) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Public, 2-year ($1,500) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in La Junta, CO was $194,800 in 2024, which is 0.586 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $180,700 to $194,800, a 7.8% increase. The homeownership rate in La Junta, CO is 67%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in La Junta, CO have an average commute time of 22.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in La Junta, CO is higher than the national average, with an average of 3 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$194,800

Median Property Value 2024

±$39,798

$2,030

Median Property Taxes

±$355

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In La Junta, CO the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in La Junta, CO compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

67%

Homeownership

2024

71.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 67% of the housing units in La Junta, CO were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 65.2%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in La Junta, CO compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$52,315

Median Household Income

± $7,059

3.03k

Number of Households

± 450

In 2024, the median household income of the 3.03k households in La Junta, CO declined from $52,315 from the previous year's value of $54,253.

The following chart displays the households in La Junta, CO distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for La Junta, CO is from Colorado.

0.46

2024 Wage GINI in Colorado

0.462

2023 Wage GINI in Colorado

In 2024, the income inequality in Colorado was 0.46 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.498% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Colorado was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Colorado in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Colorado across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (78.7%)
Carpooled (11.2%)
Worked At Home (7.12%)

In 2024, 78.7% of workers in La Junta, CO drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (11.2%) and those who worked at home (7.12%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

22.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in La Junta, CO have a shorter commute time (22.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 5.87% of the workforce in La Junta, CO have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in La Junta, CO compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

3 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in La Junta, CO distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in La Junta, CO have 3 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

27.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in La Junta, CO (1.87k out of 6.83k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 55 - 64, followed by Males < 5 and then Females < 5.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in La Junta, CO is Hispanic, followed by White and Other.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798, followed by New York (5,087).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

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