Population 16,581 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Alamosa County
Household size in Alamosa County
| Period | Alamosa County | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.42 | 2.57 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.57 | 2.63 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.48 | 2.64 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.40 | 2.54 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.02 | −0.04 | −0.03 |
Households in Alamosa County are small: just 2.40 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the south.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Alamosa County
| Period | Alamosa County | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.1 | 36.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 33.5 | 37.7 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 34.5 | 38.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 33.7 | 39.1 | 40.1 |
| Change | −1.4 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 33.7, Alamosa County is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples. Since 2006–10, the median age has dropped from 35.1, even as the national median rose. Alamosa County has the youngest population of any Colorado county.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Alamosa County
| Period | Alamosa County | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.4% | 10.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.3% | 10.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.7% | 9.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.9% | 9.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.5 pts | −1.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Alamosa County: 14.9% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share has risen 1.5 points since 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Only one other Colorado county has a higher share of single-parent households.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Alamosa County
Renters in Alamosa County
| Period | Alamosa County | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.8% | 32.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 41.2% | 35.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 42.2% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 44.1% | 33.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +7.3 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is more common in Alamosa County than nationally: 44.1% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% for the U.S. Among homeowners, 39.6% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. The renter share is up 7.3 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Few Colorado counties have a higher share of renters: only two of 64.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Alamosa County
| Period | Alamosa County | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.7% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.9% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 13.3% | 8.0% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.2% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.5 pts | −3.0 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Alamosa County as nationally: 9.2%, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in Colorado as a whole (7.3%). Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 3.5 points, as it has nationally.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Alamosa County
| Period | Alamosa County | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1974 | 1981 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1975 | 1982 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1980 | 1983 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1984 | 1988 | 1980 |
| Change | +10 | +7 | +6 |
The housing in Alamosa County is a little younger than the country's: half of it was built after 1984, against 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1974 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southwest, the oldest in the center.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Alamosa County
| Period | Alamosa County | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $562 | $1,051 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $619 | $1,165 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $810 | $1,450 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $951 | $1,963 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$389 | +$912 | +$606 |
Rent in Alamosa County runs $951 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $389 a month from 2006–10, a 69% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 29.5% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the center; the highest are in the east.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Alamosa County
Bachelor's degrees in Alamosa County
| Period | Alamosa County | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.7% | 36.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 24.3% | 37.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 26.5% | 40.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 33.1% | 45.9% | 35.6% |
| Change | +8.4 pts | +9.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are about as common in Alamosa County as nationally: 33.1% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share is lower than in Colorado as a whole (45.9%). The share with a degree is up 8.4 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Alamosa County
| Period | Alamosa County | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 85.3% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 84.3% | 90.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.1% | 91.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 88.3% | 92.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.0 pts | +3.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Alamosa County is close to the national rate: 88.3% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The rate is lower than in Colorado as a whole (92.8%). The share with a diploma has risen 3.0 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Alamosa County
| Period | Alamosa County | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.6% | 6.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.5% | 7.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.6% | 4.4% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.6% | 4.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −6.0 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Alamosa County runs below the national rate: 3.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has fallen 6.0 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Alamosa County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alamosa County | 2.40 | 33.7 | 14.9% | 44.1% | 9.2% | 1984 | $951 | 33.1% | 88.3% | 3.6% |
| Montezuma County | 2.37 | 45.9 | 10.2% | 23.8% | 9.5% | 1984 | $1,029 | 32.0% | 91.2% | 3.7% |
| Baca County | 2.05 | 46.5 | 8.5% | 28.5% | 15.7% | 1969 | $646 | 24.4% | 88.1% | 0.7% |
| San Juan County | 3.11 | 35.2 | 14.3% | 19.1% | 19.2% | 1987 | $904 | 20.9% | 87.7% | 11.6% |
| Stanton County | 2.42 | 37.7 | 5.1% | 23.5% | 11.2% | 1969 | $686 | 23.7% | 78.6% | 1.7% |
| Grant County | 3.29 | 37.3 | 5.2% | 23.3% | 16.9% | 1975 | $708 | 22.6% | 76.1% | 0.7% |
| Haskell County | 2.59 | 36.9 | 7.0% | 23.7% | 9.5% | 1974 | $836 | 19.3% | 74.7% | 3.8% |
| Kiowa County | 2.31 | 40.5 | 3.3% | 27.0% | 17.4% | 1976 | $741 | 28.3% | 88.7% | 2.1% |
| Sumner County | 2.54 | 40.6 | 9.6% | 24.9% | 13.7% | 1964 | $891 | 25.7% | 94.4% | 5.4% |
| Elk County | 2.50 | 50.9 | 6.8% | 21.2% | 32.4% | 1954 | $545 | 21.8% | 90.5% | 1.8% |
| Wilson County | 2.41 | 43.9 | 14.6% | 22.3% | 20.8% | 1963 | $771 | 19.7% | 90.2% | 2.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Grant County, OR · Clinch County, GA · Baraga County, MI · Swift County, MN · Beaverhead County, MT · Cassia County, ID · Piscataquis County, ME · Taylor County, WI · Barnwell County, SC · Pershing County, NV
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Alamosa County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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