🏔️ Nation’s Health Leader

Colorado stands out as one of America’s healthiest states with truly exceptional mortality statistics. The state boasts the 3rd lowest overall death rate nationally at 676.4 per 100,000 residents and the 4th lowest age-adjusted mortality rate, placing it among the elite tier of healthy states alongside Utah, Alaska, Hawaii, California, and New York.

With a life expectancy of 80 years (tied for 7th highest nationally), Colorado residents live significantly longer than the U.S. average. This exceptional longevity reflects the state’s active lifestyle culture, excellent healthcare access, and favorable environmental conditions.

🎯 Outstanding Disease Prevention

Colorado demonstrates exceptional performance across multiple major disease categories:

• Cancer mortality: 2nd lowest in the nation (behind only Utah)
• Heart disease: 4th lowest death rate nationally
• Diabetes: 6th lowest mortality rate
• Pneumonia/Flu: 47th lowest – among the best
• Kidney disease: 44th nationally – very low rates

These outstanding outcomes reflect Colorado’s active lifestyle culture, high altitude benefits, outdoor recreation opportunities, and strong healthcare infrastructure.

🏃 Least Obese State in America

Colorado holds the distinction of being the least obese state in the country, a remarkable achievement that underlies many of its other health successes. This reflects the state’s outdoor culture, active lifestyle opportunities, and health-conscious population.

The state’s emphasis on outdoor recreation, hiking, skiing, cycling, and other physical activities creates a natural environment for maintaining healthy weight and cardiovascular fitness.

📈 Dynamic Population Growth

Colorado’s appeal as a healthy place to live is reflected in its rapid population growth. Between 2010-2019, the state experienced 14.5% population growth – the 4th highest in the nation – as people migrate to Colorado for its quality of life, outdoor opportunities, and economic prospects.

Despite this rapid growth, Colorado has maintained its excellent health outcomes, demonstrating the sustainability of its health-promoting environment and infrastructure.

⚠️ Suicide Crisis – Major Concern

Colorado’s primary health challenge is its 5th highest suicide rate nationally at 22.1 deaths per 100,000 residents. Suicide ranks as the state’s 7th leading cause of death, which is unusually high for such a healthy state overall.

This elevated suicide rate may be linked to factors including high altitude effects on mental health, social isolation in rural areas, access to firearms, and potentially the stress of rapid population growth and housing costs. The state has implemented various mental health initiatives to address this critical issue.

🍷 Liver Disease Concerns

Despite Colorado’s overall health excellence, the state has the 8th highest liver disease mortality rate at 14.9 per 100,000. This elevated rate may reflect alcohol consumption patterns, potentially related to the state’s craft beer culture and recreational marijuana use, though specific causation requires further study.

⚠️ Life Insurance Considerations

Colorado’s exceptional health profile generally creates favorable conditions for life insurance. However, the elevated suicide rate and liver disease deaths require consideration. We at IBUSA typically see Colorado residents qualify for a wide range of life insurance options, including traditional life insurance products, no medical exam life insurance policies, and guaranteed issue life insurance policies.

The state’s overall low mortality rates and excellent health outcomes generally result in favorable underwriting conditions for most applicants.

🦠 COVID-19 Response

Colorado demonstrated strong COVID-19 management with a death rate of 71.5 per 100,000 in 2020 – the 17th lowest nationally. By August 2021, Colorado improved to the 10th lowest rate at 124 deaths per 100,000, showing effective public health response and healthcare system resilience.

🚗 Accident Prevention

Colorado maintains moderate accident rates with some variation by type. While accident deaths rank 29th nationally (slightly above average), the state performs well in specific categories with below-average rates for choking, poisoning, and vehicle accidents. However, Colorado shows elevated rates for falls, likely related to the state’s mountainous terrain and outdoor recreation activities.

Despite outdoor recreation risks, Colorado’s active lifestyle contributes significantly to overall health benefits that far outweigh the modest increase in accident-related mortality.

👶 Maternal and Infant Health

Colorado shows mixed results in maternal and infant health metrics. The state ranks 10th lowest in cesarean delivery rates but 10th highest in low birthweight births. The infant mortality rate of 47.4 per 1,000 live births ranks 13th lowest nationally, indicating generally good but not exceptional perinatal outcomes.

🏔️ The Colorado Advantage

Colorado’s exceptional health outcomes stem from multiple interconnected factors that create a uniquely health-promoting environment:

• High altitude living with associated cardiovascular benefits
• Abundant outdoor recreation opportunities year-round
• Active lifestyle culture embedded in state identity
• Young, health-conscious population (median age 37.3)
• Strong healthcare infrastructure and access
• Clean air and natural environment
• Economic prosperity supporting healthy lifestyle choices

These factors combine to create what many consider the optimal environment for health and longevity in the United States.

Data Sources

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, 2019

Statista, Population Density in the U.S. by Federal States, 2020

StatsAmerica (Indiana Business Research Center), Median Age, 2019

CDC, National Center for Health Statistics, Life Expectancy at Birth by State, 2018

CDC, National Center for Health Statistics, Fertility Rates by State, 2019

CDC, National Center for Health Statistics, Stats of the States, 2021

Kaiser Family Foundation, Number of Deaths per 100,000 Population, 2019

CDC, Provisional Death Rates for COVID-19, 2020-2021

Statista, Percentage of Adults with Obesity by State, 2019

National Safety Council, Preventable Injury-Related Death Rates, 2019

United Health Foundation, America’s Health Rankings, 2020 Annual Report