Rio Grande County, CO

County

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2023 Population

11,394

0.42% 1-year decline

US Senator

Michael Bennet

Democratic Party

US Senator

John Hickenlooper

Democratic Party

2023 Median Age

43.2

4.6% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

14.9%

45.4% 1-year increase

2023 Median Household Income

$62,166

7.94% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$215,400

6.48% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

5,208

1.75% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Rio Grande County, CO had a population of 11.4k people with a median age of 43.2 and a median household income of $62,166. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Rio Grande County, CO declined from 11,442 to 11,394, a −0.42% decrease and its median household income grew from $57,591 to $62,166, a 7.94% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Rio Grande County, CO are White (Non-Hispanic) (55.2%), White (Hispanic) (19.3%), Two+ (Hispanic) (12.9%), Other (Hispanic) (6.29%), and Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (2.13%).

None of the households in Rio Grande County, CO reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

95.8% of the residents in Rio Grande County, CO are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Rio Grande County, CO was $215,400, and the homeownership rate was 68.4%.

Most people in Rio Grande County, CO drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 21.1 minutes. The average car ownership in Rio Grande County, CO was 2 cars per household.

Rio Grande County, CO borders Alamosa County, CO, Archuleta County, CO, Conejos County, CO, Mineral County, CO, and Saguache County, CO.

United States Colorado

Population & Diversity

Rio Grande County, CO is home to a population of 11.4k people, from which 95.8% are citizens. As of 2023, 4.85% of Rio Grande County, CO residents were born outside of the country (553 people).

In 2023, there were 2.85 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (6.28k people) in Rio Grande County, CO than any other race or ethnicity. There were 2.2k White (Hispanic) and 1.47k Two+ (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

95.8%

2023 Citizenship

97%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 95.8% of Rio Grande County, CO residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Rio Grande County, CO was 97%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Rio Grande County, CO

White (Non-Hispanic)
6.28k ± 43
White (Hispanic)
2.2k ± 452
Two+ (Hispanic)
1.47k ± 486

40.6%

Hispanic Population

4.63k people

40.6% of the people in Rio Grande County, CO are hispanic (4.63k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Rio Grande County, CO as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

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

Most Common Origin

Mexico
206,571 ± 10,957 people
India
22,427 ± 3,670 people
China
17,909 ± 3,280 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Colorado was Mexico, the natal country of 206,571 Colorado residents, followed by India with 22,427 and China with 17,909.

Foreign-Born Population

4.85%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

553 people

3.93%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

450 people

As of 2023, 4.85% of Rio Grande County, CO residents (553 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Rio Grande County, CO was 3.93%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
214 ± 87
Gulf War (1990s)
86 ± 43
Korea
59 ± 51

Rio Grande County, CO has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.49 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Rio Grande County, CO employs 5.21k people. The largest industries in Rio Grande County, CO are Health Care & Social Assistance (945 people), Educational Services (498 people), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (478 people), and the highest paying industries are Wholesale Trade ($99,459), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($83,817), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($83,017).

Males in Colorado have an average income that is 1.31 times higher than the average income of females, which is $67,859. The income inequality in Colorado (measured using the Gini index) is 0.464, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

5.21k

2023 Value

± 563

−1.75%

1 Year decline

± 15.5%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Rio Grande County, CO declined at a rate of −1.75%, from 5.3k employees to 5.21k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Rio Grande County, CO, are Management Occupations (912 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (534 people), and Health Diagnosing & Treating Practitioners & Other Technical Occupations (443 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Rio Grande County, CO.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

5.21k

2023 Value

± 563

−1.75%

1 Year decline

± 15.5%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Rio Grande County, CO declined at a rate of −1.75%, from 5.3k employees to 5.21k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Rio Grande County, CO, are Health Care & Social Assistance (945 people), Educational Services (498 people), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (478 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Rio Grande County, CO, though some of these residents may live in Rio Grande County, CO and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$51,223

Median earning men ± $12,614

$44,771

Median earning women ± $7,891

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Wholesale Trade ($99,409), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($83,646), and Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation, & Accommodations & Food Services ($66,250).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Wholesale Trade ($207,604), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($83,150), and Public Administration ($62,012).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

1.73%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 2.87M people employed in Colorado. This represents a 1.73% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 11.9%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Colorado.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

42
Construction
30
Other Services (except Public Administration)
25
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$20.5k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$16.2k
Wholesale Trade
$14.3k
Retail Trade

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Rio Grande County, CO went to Donald J. Trump with 58% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (39.6%), followed by Other (1.33%).

Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper are the senators currently representing the state of Colorado. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Colorado is currently represented by 8 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

2020 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (58%)
Republican Party
Joseph R Biden Jr. (39.6%)
Democratic Party
Other (1.33%)
Green and Other Party

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Rio Grande County, CO went to Donald J. Trump with 58% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (39.6%), followed by Other (1.33%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Rio Grande County, CO for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Colorado

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Colorado.

Michael Bennet

Senator from Colorado

Assumed office on January 21, 2009
Appointed to the seat following the resignation of Ken Salazar, who had become Secretary of the Interior.

John Hickenlooper

Senator from Colorado

Assumed office on January 3, 2021

Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper are the senators currently representing Colorado.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Colorado over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Colorado

Colorado is currently represented by 8 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Colorado have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

Completions

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.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2022, 0.886% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.84% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

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

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were Bachelors Degree (1.16M), Some college (997k), and High School or Equivalent (997k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Rio Grande County, CO was $215,400 in 2023, which is 0.71 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $202,300 to $215,400, a 6.48% increase. The homeownership rate in Rio Grande County, CO is 68.4%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Rio Grande County, CO have an average commute time of 21.1 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Rio Grande County, CO is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2023, 15.1% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Rio Grande County, CO. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 1.97%.

Housing

Property

$215,400

Median Property Value 2023

±$14,180

$3,442

Median Property Taxes

±$394

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 Rio Grande County, CO the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

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

Rent vs Own

68.4%

Homeownership

2023

66%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 68.4% of the housing units in Rio Grande County, CO were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 72.5%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Rio Grande County, CO compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 9767
Census Tract 9768

The following map shows all of the tracts in Rio Grande County, CO colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

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

$62,166

Median Household Income

± $8,856

5.03k

Number of Households

± 531

In 2023, the median household income of the 5.03k households in Rio Grande County, CO grew to $62,166 from the previous year's value of $57,591.

The following chart displays the households in Rio Grande County, 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 Rio Grande County, CO is from Colorado.

0.464

2022 Wage GINI in Colorado

0.465

2021 Wage GINI in Colorado

In 2022, the income inequality in Colorado was 0.464 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.265% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Colorado was lower than than the national average of 0.478. 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 2023

Drove Alone (80.3%)
Carpooled (8.37%)
Worked At Home (7.06%)

In 2023, 80.3% of workers in Rio Grande County, CO drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (8.37%) and those who worked at home (7.06%).

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

21.1 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Rio Grande County, CO have a shorter commute time (21.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 2.17% of the workforce in Rio Grande County, CO have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Rio Grande County, CO distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Rio Grande County, CO have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2023, 15.1% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Rio Grande County, CO. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 1.97%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

14.9% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Rio Grande County, CO (1.66k out of 11.1k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Males 35 - 44 and then Males 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Rio Grande County, CO is White, followed by Hispanic and Two Or More.

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.

Children in Poverty

In 2023, 21% of the children was living in poverty in Rio Grande County, CO. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 11.3%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

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

Health

86.2% of the population of Rio Grande County, CO has health coverage, with 31.8% on employee plans, 27.6% on Medicaid, 16.2% on Medicare, 9.38% on non-group plans, and 1.28% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Rio Grande County, CO see 1130 patients per year on average, which represents a 10.4% increase from the previous year (1024 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1630 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 2852 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.2% were men and 49.8% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,130 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Rio Grande County, CO

Primary care physicians in Rio Grande County, CO see an average of 1,130 patients per year. This represents a 10.4% increase from the previous year (1,024 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Rio Grande County, CO in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22.3% under 18 years, 14.4% between 18 and 34 years, 41.8% between 35 and 64 years, and 21.4% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.2% were men and 49.8% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

13.8%

Uninsured

31.8%

Employer Coverage

27.6%

Medicaid

16.2%

Medicare

9.38%

Non-Group

1.28%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Rio Grande County, CO declined by 3% from 14.2% to 13.8%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Rio Grande County, CO changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.