Shiprock (Tsé Bitʼaʼí, "rock with wings") is a 27 million year old volcanic rock formation, designated as a National Natural Landmark, rising 1,583 feet above the desert.
The La Plata Mountains, seen from San Juan County, are a small subrange of the San Juan Mountains in sw Colorado, and includes Hesperus Mountain at 13,332 feet.
The Aztec Ruins National Monument, on 318 acres, consists of dwellings and sacred structures built by Ancient Pueblo Indians in the 12th and 13th Centuries.
Angel Peak Scenic Area is located 15 miles south of Bloomfield in San Juan County, with over 10,000 acres of rugged terrain, badlands and deep canyons.
Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness (Bisti Badlands) is a 45,000-acre wilderness area full of rock formations made of sandstone, shale, mudstone, and silt.
The San Juan River is a 383 mile long major tributary of the Colorado River and a primary drainage for the Four Corners.
Navajo Lake is a 3800 feet long and 400 feet deep reservoir located in northeastern San Juan County, created from a dam completed in 1962.
The eggs and hoodoos in the Bisti Wilderness were formed in sand and silt revealed 73 million years ago when the Western Interior Seaway receded.

Life Expectancy

Health & Wellness

In 2021, life expectancy from birth for San Juan County residents was 67.9 years. This is down from 75.8 in 2019.

San Juan's life expectancy is below New Mexico's life expectancy of 73.5 years.

0 Years
Life Expectancy
0 Years
Males
0 Years
Females

Leading Causes of Death

In 2021, in San Juan County, there were 1717 deaths (compared to 1543 in 2020). 
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was the leading cause of death in 2021, with 368 deaths across the county.

Compared to New Mexico, causes of death are higher for COVID, chronic liver disease, unintentional injuries, and heart disease. 

Premature Death

Premature death is measured by the years of potential life lost (YPLL) before age 75. YPLL is a widely used measure as an indicator of overall community health and well-being.

San Juan County's rate of premature death is significantly higher than New Mexico and the U.S.

Died before age 75
of all deaths in San Juan

Causes of Early Mortality & Injury-related Death

Whereas the leading causes of death are generally Cancer and Heart Disease, the leading cause of premature death is injury.

In 2021, the absolute number of years of potential life lost was 22,988. Of these, 4186 years were the result of injury deaths -- in other words, death prior to age 75 as a result of an injury. 

In 2021, in San Juan County there were 183 total deaths due to all types of injury, giving a rate of 158.5. Of the 183, 127 were "unintentional" injuries, for a rate of 111.6 deaths per 100,000 population. Unintentional injury includes any physical injury such as falls, traffic fatalities, as well as drug overdose and poisoning deaths. 


0 Years
YPLL Due to Injury Deaths
County and New Mexico data: New Mexico's Indicator-Based Information System (NM-IBIS): https://ibis.doh.nm.gov/ 

National statistics on premature death (YPLL) and Injury:  
https://www.americashealthrankings.org/explore/annual/measure/YPLL/state/ALL

Life Expectancy data abpve are porivded for "overall" life expectancy from birth. Life expectancy from age 65 in San Juan County is 20.2 (18.4 years for men and 21.8 years for women), and is similar to New Mexico and the U.S. 

NM-IBIS or New Mexico's Indicator-Based Information System is a resource for health data, including self-report surveys and birth/death data, as well as demographic and environmental data.
© 2023 San Juan County Partnership, Inc. All Rights Reserved.