2023 CHAS: El Paso County

Colorado Springs and its El Paso County neighbors stand out among the state for their higher-than-average concentration of military households. The number of military bases and institutions in the area provides unique economic and social influences, along with noteworthy differences in health outcomes for residents. 

The 2023 Colorado Health Access Survey (CHAS) showed that while about one in 10 Colorado households has an activity-duty military member or veteran, the rate is more than twice as high in El Paso County. 

Military households often have different life experiences, demographics, and support structures than nonmilitary households. They tend to be younger and benefit from many specific benefits, including job security and job-based insurance. Many have access to military housing. 

The military community is highly diverse and includes both active-duty and retired service members, different roles and positions within the military, and varied demographic and household situations. The CHAS offers a broad snapshot of the community but does not capture these nuances.

Military households were younger and more likely to have health insurance. Members of military households in El Paso had a median age of 24.0 compared with a civilian median age of 33.6, according to CHAS data. They were also less likely to be uninsured (2.3% vs. 7.2%) than their civilian household counterparts, though this difference was not statistically significant. And they were less likely to have to skipped some type of care due to cost (8.7% vs. 20.1%). 

Limited differences in health outcomes. The CHAS asks people to characterize their general health, oral health, and mental health as excellent, very good, good, fair, or poor. When it comes to “good” health (the first three descriptors), El Paso County generally tracked with the state average for both general health (83.8% vs. 85.4%) and oral health (81.4% vs. 82.4%). 

The CHAS showed that El Paso County’s military households were somewhat healthier than their civilian counterparts. Among these homes, 97.3% reported good health compared with 81.6% of nonmilitary homes.  

Similar, but not significant, differences in mental health. The CHAS defines poor mental health as eight or more days in the past month during which the respondent’s mental health was “not good.” Respondents were asked to consider stress, depression, and problems with emotions. 

El Paso County residents, along with the rest of southeast Colorado, reported the state’s highest rates of poor mental health. More than three in 10 respondents (31.2%) reported poor mental health, compared with the state average of one in four (26.2%). 

Breaking down the percentages of El Paso County respondents who reported poor mental health by military household revealed slight, but not significant differences: more than one in four (26.2%) from military households compared with nearly one in three (32.4%) from civilian households. Poor mental health among both groups were equal to or greater than the state average. 

Fewer military families faced housing, food insecurity. Military families in El Paso County were less likely than their nonmilitary neighbors to have trouble paying their rent or mortgage (2.5% vs 17.1%). This difference likely reflects the job stability of military members and access to military housing for this population. 

When it came to food insecurity, a similar pattern emerged. Just 2.3% of military households in El Paso County reported eating less than they thought they should in the past year because there wasn’t enough money for food. This is significantly lower compared with the 12.1% of nonmilitary families in El Paso County who reported eating less than they thought they should. 

Lessons from the data. Although statistically significant data were limited, the CHAS reveals a health divide in El Paso County based on military service. The county has Colorado’s highest military concentration, with one in five households that have at least one uniformed servicemember or veteran. 

These service members have access to government insurance and health care programs, such as TRICARE and the Veterans Administration. Civilians do not, and this disparity is evident in the CHAS data. Military families are likely experiencing better health access, social supports, and health outcomes than their nonmilitary counterparts.  

The high military population makes El Paso unique among Colorado counties, and the differences in health coverage and outcomes illustrate the crucial role insurance plays in health and access to care. This lesson points to an opportunity to improve health outcomes for all Coloradans by exploring how to extend similar supports to the broader population.