Custer County
Custer County is a small, rural, isolated county
centered around a high mountain valley in South Central
Colorado stretching from the Sangre de Cristo Mountain
range with peaks over 14,000 ft. on the west, to the
eastern foothills of the Wet Mountain range at 5,500
feet elevation. It is not on a route to any major urban
area or other major hub and most of the -365 miles of
county maintained roads are not paved. The adjacent
towns of Westcliffe and Silver Cliff have a combined
population of 900 and are the activity center of the
county at 7,800’ elevation.
Agriculture, largely ranching, continues to be one of
the dominant industries in Custer County and the Wet
Mountain Valley, but in the mid-1980s, people seeking a
cooler summer home and tourists discovering the county’s
many natural attractions began making the valley their
permanent home. In 1997, Custer County was found to be
the fourth fastest growing county in the United States
according to statistics released by the US Census Bureau
with the county’s population increasing 59% between 1990
and 1996, from 1,926 to 3,062. Presently the population
is approximately 3,840 (estimated population in 2004),
an increase of 9.65% from the 2000 census.
Custer County learned long ago that volunteerism and
caring for your neighbor was a way a life, not a luxury.
There are about 50 nonprofit organizations in the
county, or approximately one for each 76 citizens, that
help form the cultural core and social safety net for
the community. Despite the achievements of the nonprofit
community in Custer County, the need for expanding
social services and improving economic development is
strong. According to the 2000 Census, the median income
per household in the county was $34,731 in contrast to a
national median income of $41,994. The per capita income
for the county was $19,817. Custer County had 13.3% of
the population living below the poverty line (compared
to the national average of 12.3% in 2006), and 20.1%
under age 18 live below the poverty line. All of this in
a state that boasts the fifth highest adjusted gross
income in the US.
The Custer County Medical Center, located in Westcliffe,
is the only healthcare facility for county residents.
The Center services include physical examinations,
women’s healthcare, specialist and hospital referrals,
limited laboratory and x-ray, some physical therapy and
rehabilitation services, and ambulance service. With
support from local donors and foundation funding, the
Medical Center has recently implemented a
state-of-the-art information technology system to expand
the staff’s capacity to provide primary care services
and coordinate patient information with healthcare
providers outside the county, but the need to attract
visiting specialists to the valley and to develop the
capacity to fill prescriptions locally are critical in
minimizing the travel currently required to obtain basic
health care services . Despite the hard-earned
improvements at the Medical Center, Custer County is
faced with serious deficiencies in home health care, low
level emergency care, hospice services and nursing home
care.
Despite the amazing accomplishments of our community
nonprofit organizations and volunteers, challenges
remain: affordable housing and a stable workforce,
controlled growth, economic development, a poverty rate
that runs significantly above the national average and a
lack of opportunities for local youth.
Click here
to learn more about Custer County.
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