The team at Mesa County Public Health (MCPH) knows health starts outside the doctor’s office.

Health is affected by the social, economic and physical conditions in which we live. Child care, access to trails and connections to others play major roles in our health. MCPH works to improve each of those factors in our community and ensure everyone has access to good health.

Every three years, MCPH collaborates with local hospitals to produce a comprehensive report called the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA). The report presents information and analysis on the health status of Mesa County and identifies areas of concern.

“We identify opportunities for community driven solutions,” said Xavier Crockett, executive director of MCPH. “Our collaborative approach is rooted in the belief that community driven solutions lead to resilient residents, businesses, schools and neighborhoods.”

For local employers, concerns identified in the CHNA, affect many of their employees’ lives as well as business.

One of the focus areas within the CHNA is neighborhoods and built communities within Mesa County. Housing affects many aspects of life and health, including safety, stability and social connections.

Nearly a third of households pay 30 percent or more of their incomes for housing, a cost burden that can limit families’ ability to direct resources to other essential expenses. The cost of purchasing a home in Mesa County has increased significantly in recent years. Combined with high mortgage interest rates, this makes purchasing a starter home more challenging than it’s been since the 1980s. The CHNA shows rental costs also have increased, although at a slower pace than starter homes.

Meanwhile, the median income for the Grand Junction urban area hasn’t kept pace with increasing housing costs, making housing a burden for a larger share of households.

Another focus in the CHNA is education, which includes early education and child care for young children. As of April, Mesa County is still considered a child care desert. Any geographic area with more than three children under the age of 5 per licensed child care slot is considered a child care desert. In Mesa County, there are 3.5 children per available child care slot.

Since parents must access child care near their homes and workplaces, it’s important slots are geographically distributed where children and jobs are located. While many child care providers closed over the past four years, several large facilities operated by major employers opened, which increased access in many parts of the county. Child care shortages persist in more rural areas of the county.

These are just some of the highlights of the 2024-2026 CHNA. The entire report will be available on the website at mesacounty.us/public-health.

MCPH works to support good health for all members of our community. By addressing economic, social and educational concerns, we can work together to create a vibrant, caring and connected community.