Catron County, New Mexico

NM · FIPS 35003 Republican

Located in New Mexico, Catron County has a population of 3,743 residents and a median age of 63.8 years, making it the #2,980 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 24.8%. The median home value is $167,000, and the median household income is $49,864, which is 34% below the national median.

3,743
Population
#2,980 of 3,222
$49,864
Median Income
-33.6% #2,779 of 3,222
63.8 years
Median Age
+64.0% #3 of 3,222
24.8%
Poverty Rate
+96.7% #2,983 of 3,222

Demographics

Catron County has a population of 3,743, making it the #2,980 most populous county in the US. The median age is 63.8 years, which is 64.0% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

94.9%
Native Born
5.1%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Catron County is $49,864, ranking #2,779 out of 3,222 counties — 33.6% below the national median. The poverty rate is 24.8% and unemployment stands at 4.2%.

Income#2,779
$49,864
-33.6%
vs nation
14th percentile
Per Capita#2,258
$31,016
-24.8%
vs nation
30th percentile
Poverty#2,983
24.8%
+96.7%
vs nation
7th percentile
Unemployment#1,440
4.2%
-20.6%
vs nation
55th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Catron County is $167,000 (-40.8% vs national). Renters pay a median of $736/mo and the homeownership rate is 93.8%.

Home Value#1,866
$167,000
-40.8%
vs nation
42th percentile
Rent#2,552
$736
-36.7%
vs nation
21th percentile
Homeownership#6
93.8%
+45.6%
vs nation
100th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Catron County, 31.2% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 7.5% below the national average, ranking #684 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
31.2% −7.5% vs nation
Rank #684 of 3,222
79th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Catron County is 77.2 years. 22.0% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.5% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#859
77.2
+2.7%
vs nation
72th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,245
22.0%
+12.5%
vs nation
29th percentile
Diabetes#1,782
11.2%
+0.6%
vs nation
43th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,247
36.3%
-2.7%
vs nation
60th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,641
6.2
+10.2%
vs nation
16th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,606
5.1
+14.4%
vs nation
17th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,020
7.5%
-28.0%
vs nation
68th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,514
25.7%
-2.6%
vs nation
52th percentile
Food Insecurity#3,013
20.8%
+44.4%
vs nation
4th percentile

Substance Use

21.9% of adults in Catron County smoke , 33.0% are obese , and 17.3% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#2,684
21.9%
+22.0%
vs nation
15th percentile
Adult Obesity#444
33.0%
-12.9%
vs nation
86th percentile
Excessive Drinking#641
17.3%
-12.9%
vs nation
80th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 54.8 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 43.3 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#2,542
54.8
+177.7%
vs nation
1th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#2,463
65.6
+267.1%
vs nation
0th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,743
43.3
+114.0%
vs nation
3th percentile

Families & Children

34.1% of children in Catron County live in poverty .

Child Poverty#2,984
34.1%
+79.5%
vs nation
5th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Catron County is 77.4%. The mean commute time is 26.3 min, which is 4.7% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
77.4% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
26.3 min −4.7% vs nation
Rank #1,624 of 3,222
50th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Catron County voted Republican with a margin of 50.1%. The vote was 24.2% Dem / 74.3% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.7 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +50.1%
24.2% 74.3%
Dem 2,357 votes Rep
2020 REP +47.4%
25.6% 73%
Dem 2,326 votes Rep
2016 REP +50.8%
21% 71.8%
Dem 2,024 votes Rep
2012 REP +43.7%
26.5% 70.2%
Dem 2,100 votes Rep
2008 REP +34.8%
31.4% 66.2%
Dem 2,112 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Catron County, New Mexico

Catron County, New Mexico has a total population of 3,743, making it the 2,980th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Catron County is 63.8 years, which is 64.0% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Catron County is $49,864, which ranks #2,779 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 33.6% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 24.8%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.2%.

The median home value in Catron County is $167,000, 40.8% below the national median. Renters in Catron County pay a median gross rent of $736 per month. The homeownership rate is 93.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Catron County, 31.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 7.5% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.7% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 26.3 min.

Catron County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 74.4% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (15.7%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).

All data for Catron County, New Mexico comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.