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By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Otero County is a county of Colorado with 18,321 residents. Its economy produced $739 million in 2024 (ranked #35 of 64 counties) and had 6,054 jobs with an average annual pay of $46,375 (#48 for pay). The unemployment rate was 6.3% in 2026M09.
Otero County produced about $739 million of goods and services in 2024, which is 0.1% of the combined output of the 64 counties of Colorado that BEA reports (about 0.3% of the state's population lives here), and ranks it 35th of 64 on that measure. Per resident that is $40,326, 58% below the state average; the average for all counties of the state taken together is $95,124. In current dollars output grew 1.5% from 2023 to 2024, before adjusting for inflation. The gap between its output rank (35th) and its output-per-resident rank (55th) shows that population is large relative to the value of what is produced here.
BLS counts 6,054 jobs located in Otero County on average in 2024, spread over 512 employer sites (about 12 jobs per site). That is 0.33 jobs for every resident, below the 0.40 of the typical county in Colorado, which tells you whether the county is a place people mostly commute to for work or a place they commute from. The average annual pay per job was $46,375, 42% below the average of all counties in the state ($46,375 against $79,821). Average pay is total wages divided by jobs, so it is pulled up by high earners and counts part-time jobs as whole jobs; it is not the pay of a typical worker. The number of jobs fell 0.4% from 2023 to 2024.
The three largest private industries are health care and social assistance (26.6% of private jobs, $53,921 a year on average), retail trade (15.8% of private jobs, $34,711 a year on average), accommodation and food services (13.3% of private jobs, $21,022 a year on average). Together they hold 55.7% of private-sector jobs. Among industries with at least 3% of jobs, the best paying is finance and insurance at $72,642 a year, followed by manufacturing ($61,113). Several of the biggest employers pay well below the county average: accommodation and food services ($21,022). Jobs there are plentiful but the pay is lower than the headline average suggests.
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate in Otero County was 6.3%, 44% above the average of the state's counties (6.3% against 4.4%). The labour force (people working or looking for work) numbered 6,764. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 4.6% (2026M04) to 6.3% (2026M08); the latest month is preliminary and BLS revises it. These county rates are not seasonally adjusted, so compare the same month across years.
The median household income was $54,037 (ACS 2020–2024), 43% below the state median ($54,037 against $95,470). None of the largest places of the guide has this as its main county, which usually means a smaller or more rural county; the figures above still describe the whole county.
Counties close to Otero County in output are Alamosa County, Archuleta County, Park County, Rio Blanco County. Compare their jobs, pay and unemployment on their own pages.
| Measure ⇅ | Value ⇅ | Rank among the 64 counties of Colorado ⇅ |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 18,321 | 27 of 64 |
| GDP 2024 | $739 million | 35 of 64 |
| GDP per resident | $40,326 | 55 of 64 |
| Jobs (QCEW 2024) | 6,054 | 31 of 64 |
| Average annual pay | $46,375 | 48 of 64 |
| Job change vs 2023 | -0.4% | 50 of 64 |
| Unemployment rate (lower is better) | 6.3% | 61 of 64 |
| Median household income | $54,037 | 52 of 64 |
Federal jobs in Colorado (1,073) →All cities of ColoradoState guide: Colorado
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
None of the 80 largest places of Colorado has this as its main county, so the guide has no city page here. County figures on the other tabs are complete.
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 1,157 | 26.6% | $53,921 | 1.33 |
| Retail trade | 688 | 15.8% | $34,711 | 1.14 |
| Accommodation and food services | 576 | 13.3% | $21,022 | 1.05 |
| Manufacturing | 486 | 11.2% | $61,113 | 0.98 |
| Wholesale trade | 297 | 6.8% | $44,612 | 1.25 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 237 | 5.5% | $41,527 | 4.84 |
| Construction | 190 | 4.4% | $58,215 | 0.60 |
| Finance and insurance | 150 | 3.5% | $72,642 | 0.61 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 134 | 3.1% | $40,577 | 0.74 |
| Professional and technical services | 110 | 2.5% | $64,438 | 0.26 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 83 | 1.9% | $51,041 | 0.32 |
| Information | 78 | 1.8% | $63,617 | 0.69 |
| Administrative and waste services | 63 | 1.5% | $42,039 | 0.18 |
| Utilities | 60 | 1.4% | $85,413 | 2.61 |
| Real estate and rental | 22 | 0.5% | $49,786 | 0.23 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 12 | 0.3% | $13,798 | 0.12 |
A location quotient above 1 means the industry is more concentrated here than in the US. BLS withholds sectors with too few employers.
| Measure ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Labour force | 6,764 |
| Employed residents | 6,340 |
| Unemployed residents | 424 |
| Unemployment rate | 6.3% |
| Jobs located in the county (QCEW) | 6,054 |
| Employer sites | 512 |
Residents employed and jobs located here differ: many residents commute to other counties.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP 2024 ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Unemployment ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Paso County | 742,999 | $55,117 million | $74,182 | 309,483 | $67,491 | 4.6% |
| Denver County | 718,877 | $128,544 million | $178,813 | 565,183 | $101,834 | 4.4% |
| Arapahoe County | 659,844 | $66,677 million | $101,050 | 339,996 | $85,628 | 4.3% |
| Jefferson County | 579,377 | $46,223 million | $79,780 | 248,082 | $78,598 | 4.1% |
| Adams County | 530,225 | $43,102 million | $81,290 | 249,299 | $73,817 | 4.6% |
| Douglas County | 377,150 | $31,178 million | $82,668 | 147,461 | $84,978 | 4.0% |
| Larimer County | 367,368 | $28,483 million | $77,534 | 175,265 | $69,912 | 4.2% |
| Weld County | 350,396 | $29,473 million | $84,114 | 118,827 | $66,380 | 4.7% |
| Boulder County | 328,961 | $39,311 million | $119,500 | 193,920 | $96,397 | 4.4% |
| Pueblo County | 169,356 | $8,764 million | $51,747 | 62,392 | $56,178 | 6.1% |
| Mesa County | 158,601 | $9,476 million | $59,750 | 66,864 | $57,309 | 4.4% |
| Broomfield County | 76,304 | $11,044 million | $144,735 | 41,920 | $113,531 | 4.2% |
| Garfield County | 62,479 | $5,011 million | $80,202 | 27,766 | $64,549 | 3.5% |
| La Plata County | 56,331 | $4,264 million | $75,695 | 26,983 | $61,965 | 3.9% |
| Eagle County | 55,135 | $6,935 million | $125,791 | 35,441 | $65,248 | 3.4% |
| Fremont County | 49,634 | $2,073 million | $41,756 | 14,574 | $55,243 | 5.8% |
| Montrose County | 43,807 | $2,408 million | $54,970 | 17,014 | $52,650 | 4.4% |
| Delta County | 31,598 | $1,203 million | $38,074 | 8,997 | $47,843 | 5.9% |
| Summit County | 31,017 | $4,341 million | $139,950 | 22,553 | $56,817 | 3.9% |
| Morgan County | 29,520 | $2,043 million | $69,197 | 13,106 | $56,874 | 4.8% |
| Elbert County | 27,874 | $1,042 million | $37,377 | 4,889 | $60,082 | 3.9% |
| Montezuma County | 26,412 | $1,454 million | $55,044 | 9,453 | $46,173 | 5.1% |
| Routt County | 25,084 | $2,961 million | $118,036 | 16,768 | $60,252 | 3.9% |
| Teller County | 24,825 | $1,305 million | $52,578 | 8,473 | $53,957 | 4.2% |
| Logan County | 20,892 | $1,419 million | $67,925 | 7,704 | $50,507 | 3.9% |
| Chaffee County | 20,178 | $1,305 million | $64,662 | 9,229 | $52,718 | 3.9% |
| Otero County | 18,321 | $739 million | $40,326 | 6,054 | $46,375 | 6.3% |
| Park County | 17,907 | $696 million | $38,889 | 3,132 | $54,828 | 4.3% |
| Gunnison County | 17,241 | $1,556 million | $90,247 | 9,692 | $53,768 | 3.6% |
| Pitkin County | 16,985 | $3,847 million | $226,473 | 18,030 | $78,151 | 3.4% |
| Alamosa County | 16,581 | $912 million | $54,980 | 8,152 | $49,261 | 5.1% |
| Grand County | 15,895 | $1,622 million | $102,042 | 8,117 | $52,669 | 3.4% |
| Las Animas County | 14,413 | $653 million | $45,278 | 4,776 | $44,773 | 6.4% |
| Archuleta County | 13,900 | $773 million | $55,626 | 4,873 | $49,060 | 4.0% |
| Moffat County | 13,207 | $1,246 million | $94,375 | 4,705 | $57,630 | 4.8% |
| Prowers County | 11,910 | $625 million | $52,501 | 4,802 | $44,451 | 4.7% |
| Rio Grande County | 11,321 | $580 million | $51,213 | 4,482 | $49,025 | 4.7% |
| Yuma County | 9,979 | $612 million | $61,315 | 3,996 | $49,574 | 2.9% |
| Clear Creek County | 9,262 | $656 million | $70,865 | 3,323 | $65,645 | 3.9% |
| San Miguel County | 7,968 | $1,081 million | $135,661 | 6,077 | $58,699 | 3.3% |
| Conejos County | 7,530 | $259 million | $34,351 | 1,648 | $41,310 | 4.2% |
| Lake County | 7,380 | $564 million | $76,418 | 2,935 | $57,697 | 3.8% |
| Kit Carson County | 7,023 | $651 million | $92,652 | 3,013 | $47,531 | 2.9% |
| Huerfano County | 6,972 | $323 million | $46,331 | 1,830 | $44,374 | 7.0% |
| Saguache County | 6,580 | $220 million | $33,384 | 1,768 | $42,969 | 4.6% |
| Rio Blanco County | 6,544 | $690 million | $105,376 | 2,889 | $61,045 | 4.5% |
| Gilpin County | 5,901 | $1,018 million | $172,536 | 4,712 | $67,931 | 3.7% |
| Crowley County | 5,647 | $176 million | $31,208 | 1,155 | $55,598 | 4.2% |
| Lincoln County | 5,550 | $501 million | $90,269 | 2,212 | $52,392 | 5.0% |
| Bent County | 5,549 | $175 million | $31,589 | 1,178 | $48,755 | 4.9% |
| Custer County | 5,247 | $227 million | $43,355 | 1,019 | $44,456 | 4.1% |
| Ouray County | 5,087 | $309 million | $60,828 | 2,214 | $50,140 | 4.0% |
| Washington County | 4,831 | $188 million | $39,015 | 1,178 | $43,384 | 3.8% |
| Phillips County | 4,496 | $254 million | $56,598 | 1,782 | $49,981 | 3.0% |
| Costilla County | 3,607 | $126 million | $34,865 | 962 | $40,602 | 7.3% |
| Baca County | 3,428 | $143 million | $41,735 | 1,171 | $40,474 | 3.3% |
| Dolores County | 2,432 | $106 million | $43,477 | 545 | $41,463 | 4.9% |
| Sedgwick County | 2,304 | $99 million | $42,818 | 734 | $44,343 | 3.9% |
| Cheyenne County | 1,741 | $356 million | $204,517 | 720 | $57,510 | 2.7% |
| Kiowa County | 1,376 | $119 million | $86,134 | 489 | $44,375 | 3.5% |
| Jackson County | 1,372 | $159 million | $116,212 | 589 | $47,714 | 3.4% |
| Hinsdale County | 1,005 | $56 million | $56,093 | 307 | $40,561 | 3.9% |
| Mineral County | 729 | $100 million | $137,324 | 630 | $42,967 | 4.3% |
| San Juan County | 724 | $59 million | $81,568 | 474 | $37,238 | 3.3% |
18,321 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024).
$739 million in 2024 (BEA, current dollars).
6.3% in 2026M09 (BLS, not seasonally adjusted; the latest month may be revised).
6,054 jobs on average in 2024 with an average annual pay of $46,375 (BLS QCEW).