La Plata County, Colorado
Located in Colorado, La Plata County has a population of 56,331 residents and a median age of 43.2 years, making it the #938 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 11.7%. The median home value is $591,500, and the median household income is $86,056, which is 15% above the national median.
Demographics
La Plata County has a population of 56,331, making it the #938 most populous county in the US. The median age is 43.2 years, which is 11.1% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in La Plata County is $86,056, ranking #404 out of 3,222 counties — 14.5% above the national median. The poverty rate is 11.7% and unemployment stands at 3.8%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in La Plata County is $591,500 (+109.8% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,504/mo and the homeownership rate is 70.9%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In La Plata County, 49.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 46.3% above the national average, ranking #108 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in La Plata County is 80.3 years. 12.1% of adults report poor or fair health and 10.4% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
11.5% of adults in La Plata County smoke , 24.8% are obese , and 23.5% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 21.3 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in La Plata County is 4.3 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 22.0 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 14.5 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
13.0% of children in La Plata County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 7.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in La Plata County is 79.1%. The mean commute time is 22.5 min, which is 18.3% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, La Plata County voted Democratic with a margin of 18.6%. The vote was 57.9% Dem / 39.3% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted +0.9 toward Democrats .
Vote Share Over Time
About La Plata County, Colorado
La Plata County, Colorado has a total population of 56,331, making it the 938th most populous county in the United States. The median age in La Plata County is 43.2 years, which is 11.1% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in La Plata County is $86,056, which ranks #404 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 14.5% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 11.7%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.8%.
The median home value in La Plata County is $591,500, 109.8% above the national median. Renters in La Plata County pay a median gross rent of $1,504 per month. The homeownership rate is 70.9%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In La Plata County, 49.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 46.3% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 91.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 22.5 min.
La Plata County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 76.1% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (12.9%) and American Indian (non-Hispanic) (4.6%).
All data for La Plata County, Colorado comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.