How many people live in Otero County, CO?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 18,000 people living in Otero County, CO. That makes Otero County the 28th-most populous county in Colorado. It is home to 0.3% of people living in the state.
18K
population of Otero County, CO (2024)
0.3%
County share of the Colorado population (2024)
About 18,000 people lived in Otero County, CO in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Otero County, CO’s age demographics?
About 4,000 Otero County, CO residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 22.5% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 16.5% of Colorado’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 4,100 Otero County residents, or 22.9% of the population, were children under 18. For comparison, the age group represents 20.5% of Colorado’s population and 21.6% in the US overall.
A higher share of Otero County, CO's population is aged 65 or older than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Otero County, CO’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Hispanic residents make up 42.7% of the Otero County, CO population, higher than the national share of 20%. Otero County, CO also has a larger share of people identifying as non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native (0.77%) than the US overall (0.72%).
In contrast, Otero County’s non-Hispanic Black or African American population accounts for 1.1%, below the 12.6% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic Asian population makes up 0.86% of the county, compared with 6.5% nationally.
Racial and ethnic make up differ based on location. These figures reflect how people identified their race alone (not in combination with other races), and separate out Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, following Census reporting standards.
Otero County, CO has a higher share of a Hispanic population than Colorado as a whole.
Population estimates by race and ethnicity, (2024)
The largest city or town in Otero County, CO is La Junta with about 7,000 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Otero County, CO ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | La Junta | 6,986 |
| 2. | Rocky Ford | 3,781 |
| 3. | Fowler | 1,203 |
| 4. | Swink | 587 |
| 5. | Manzanola | 326 |
| 6. | Cheraw | 231 |
| 7. | Balance of Otero County | 4,877 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
