• county
  • FIPS 08089
  • Largest town: La Junta

Otero County, Colorado

Otero County had 17,991 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 1,262.0 square miles of land. It ranks 28th of 64 in Colorado by population and 37th by land area.

Population
17,991
#28 of 64 in Colorado · #1,933 in US
Area
1,262.0 sq mi
#37 of 64 in Colorado · #479 in US
Density
14 / sq mi
#29 of 64 in Colorado · #2,420 in US
Median household income
$52,169
#53 of 64 in Colorado · #2,541 in US

Census Vintage 2024 estimates · SAIPE 2023 income · 2024 Gazetteer land area

Otero County within Colorado. Pin: Denver.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Otero County

Otero County population, land area and income

Otero County had 17,991 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 1,262.0 square miles of land. It ranks 28th of 64 in Colorado by population and 37th by land area. That works out to 14.3 people per square mile, below the US average of 96.3, and in the bottom quarter nationally.

The median county-equivalent in Colorado has 15,336 residents; Otero County is somewhat larger.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $52,169 is in the bottom quarter among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

17,991

3144th1st

1933rd of 3,144 (US)

Land area

1,262 sq mi

3144th1st

479th of 3,144 (US)

Density

14.3 / sq mi

3144th1st

2420th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$52,169

3143rd1st

2541st of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Colorado (64)

Population

17,991

64th1st

28th of 64 (CO)

Land area

1,262 sq mi

64th1st

37th of 64 (CO)

Density

14.3 / sq mi

64th1st

29th of 64 (CO)

Median household income

$52,169

64th1st

53rd of 64 (CO)

How Otero County's population changed since 2020

Otero County lost 673 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a drop of 3.6%. That ranks 59th of 64 in Colorado for growth. The median Colorado county changed by +1.7%, and the state as a whole by +2.9%.

Since the April 2020 estimates base, Otero County recorded 837 births and 1,164 deaths, a natural change of -327. Net international migration added +30 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to -414. The largest single component was domestic migration, which removed 414 people.

18.7k202018.5k202118.3k202218.1k202318.0k2024
Census Vintage 2024 county estimates for July 1 of each year. The axis starts above zero so year-to-year changes are visible.

Components of change, April 2020 to July 2024

Births
837
Deaths
1,164
Net international migration
+30
Net domestic migration
-414
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
-157

Where Otero County is

The Census internal point of Otero County is at 37.884200, -103.721300. It sits in UTM zone 13N. The map shades Colorado's 64 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with Otero County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

Otero County: -3.6%Lake County: -0.6%Adams County: +4.3%Kit Carson County: +0.2%Phillips County: -0.9%Bent County: +5.5%Lincoln County: -1.1%Washington County: -0.9%Hinsdale County: -5.1%Alamosa County: +1.9%Kiowa County: -4.1%Arapahoe County: +1.8%Archuleta County: +5.1%Montrose County: +4.6%Jefferson County: -0.8%Gilpin County: +2.5%Larimer County: +4.1%Custer County: +17.5%Saguache County: +4.3%Mineral County: +7.1%Broomfield County: +5.1%Logan County: -2.1%Mesa County: +3.4%Eagle County: -2.4%Denver County: +1.6%Pitkin County: -4.2%Boulder County: -0.2%El Paso County: +2.6%Las Animas County: +0.1%San Miguel County: -2.9%Douglas County: +9.3%Cheyenne County: -1.9%Garfield County: +2.2%Ouray County: +6.5%San Juan County: +16.0%Yuma County: +0.8%Elbert County: +12.1%Prowers County: -0.5%Morgan County: +4.2%Delta County: +3.7%Chaffee County: +6.6%Huerfano County: +2.4%Teller County: +0.5%Costilla County: +5.3%Baca County: -3.3%Routt County: +1.6%Conejos County: +1.3%Summit County: -1.1%Clear Creek County: -3.0%Fremont County: +2.5%Rio Blanco County: +1.3%Dolores County: +5.8%Grand County: +2.6%Gunnison County: +2.1%Park County: +5.1%Sedgwick County: -5.5%Montezuma County: +3.7%La Plata County: +2.1%Moffat County: -1.0%Rio Grande County: -3.6%Weld County: +11.5%Pueblo County: +0.9%Jackson County: -7.6%Crowley County: -1.5%
Change 2020 to 2024
  1. < -1.9%
  2. < +0.5%
  3. < +2.4%
  4. < +5.1%
  5. ≥ +5.1%
no data

Orange pin: Otero County internal point. Dark pin: Denver.

Internal point

Decimal
37.884200, -103.721300
DMS
37°53'3.12"N 103°43'16.68"W
UTM
13N 612445.1E 4193737.5N
Geohash
9wwpxb87q
Plus code
859RV7MH+MF

Towns in Otero County

3 incorporated places of 1,000+ people have residents in Otero County, 11,970 people together, or 67% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Otero County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is La Junta with 6,986.

  1. 01La Junta6,986
  2. 02Rocky Ford3,781
  3. 03Fowler1,203
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Otero County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 5 neighbors for Otero County. The most populous is Pueblo County, CO, with 169,866 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Denver and the nearest big city

Denver is 145.1 miles NNW of Otero County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Pueblo, CO (population 111,166), 55.2 miles away.

Otero County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Otero County is 08089: state code 08 for Colorado plus county code 089. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $52,169.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Otero County, Colorado?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 17,991. That is down 673 people (3.6%) from the July 2020 estimate of 18,664.

What is the FIPS code of Otero County?

08089. The first two digits (08) are Colorado; the last three (089) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Otero County?

La Junta, with 6,986 residents inside Otero County in 2024.

Which counties border Otero County?

5 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Pueblo County, CO; Las Animas County, CO; Bent County, CO; Crowley County, CO; Kiowa County, CO.

Sources and data as of

Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.

  1. 01Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
  2. 02Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
  3. 03Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
  4. 04Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
  5. 05Census 2024 county adjacency file
  6. 06Census 2024 cartographic boundary file, counties (1:5,000,000)

How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.