La Plata County, Colorado is a beautiful and vibrant county located in the Four Corners region of the state. It is a great place to live with plenty of opportunities for outdoor activities. The health of the community is important and there are several local hospitals and medical facilities available for residents. These include Mercy Regional Medical Center, Southwest Health System, La Plata Community Medical Center, Bayfield Medical Clinic and Animas Surgical Hospital. All of these medical centers provide care to those residing in the area and offer services such as preventive care, emergency care, surgical procedures and rehabilitation services. Additionally, they all strive to promote well-being by providing educational resources for patients and their families on topics ranging from nutrition to physical activity. Residents of La Plata County have access to quality healthcare thanks to these local hospitals and medical facilities.
The health of a city has many different factors. It can refer to air quality, water quality, risk of getting respiratory disease or cancer. The people you live around can also affect your health as some places have lower or higher rates of physical activity, increased alcohol intake, smoking, obesity, and cancer rates.
Physicians per Capita
There are 368 physicians per 100,000 population in La Plata County. The US average is 210 per 100,000 people.
Health Cost Index
The annual BestPlaces Health Cost Index for the La Plata County area is 93.9 (lower=better). The US average is 100.
93.9 / 100
Example: 110 = 10% more expensive than national average.
Water Qualtiy Index
The annual BestPlaces Water Quality Index for the La Plata County area is 60 (100=best). The US average is 55.
60 / 100
Note that this is a measure of Watershed quality, not the water that comes from your faucet. The EPA has stated that a healthy watershed is closely related to drinking water quality. The EPA has a complex method of measuring watershed quality using 15 indicators such as pH, chemicals, metals, and bacteria.
Superfund Index
The annual BestPlaces Superfund Index for the La Plata County area is 95 (100=best). The US average is 87.
95 / 100
The EPA's Superfund program is responsible for cleaning up some of our nation's most contaminated land. Our index is based on the number of active Superfund sites (over 15,000 in the United States), with particular attention paid to those on the National Priorities List which pose the greatest health danger.
Quick Facts
Commuting can effect your health. The average person in La Plata County commutes 21.4 minutes one-way, which is shorter than the US average of 26.4 minutes.
Air Quality Index
The annual BestPlaces Air Quality Index for the La Plata County area is 88 (100=best). The US average is 58.
88 / 100
This is based on new measures of hazardous air pollutants from the EPA, called the National Air Toxics Assessment. This analysis models respiratory illness and cancer risk down to the zip code level, providing better detail and insight than the previous analysis based solely on results from air monitoring stations.