Lea County, New Mexico

NM · FIPS 35025 · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates

Metric Value vs National Rank Percentile
Total Population 73,733 #761 / 3,222
76th
Median Household Income $68,015 -9.5% #1,341 / 3,222
58th
Median Age 32.5 years -16.5% #3,104 / 3,222
4th
Median Home Value $184,000 -34.7% #1,587 / 3,222
51th
Median Gross Rent $1,101 -5.3% #724 / 3,222
78th
Poverty Rate 18.7% +48.3% #2,537 / 3,222
21th

Demographics

Lea County has a population of 73,733, making it the #761 most populous county in the US. The median age is 32.5 years, which is 16.5% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

81.7%
Native Born
18.3%
Foreign Born

Household Type

Economy

The median household income in Lea County is $68,015, ranking #1,341 out of 3,222 counties — 9.5% below the national median. The poverty rate is 18.7% and unemployment stands at 6.9%.

Median Household Income
$68,015 −9.5% vs nat'l
Rank #1,341 of 3,222
58th percentile
Per Capita Income
$31,326 −24.1% vs nat'l
Rank #2,204 of 3,222
32th percentile
Poverty Rate
18.7% +48.3% vs nat'l
Rank #2,537 of 3,222
21th percentile
Unemployment Rate
6.9% +29.3% vs nat'l
Rank #2,772 of 3,222
14th percentile
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
15.5% −53.9% vs nat'l
Rank #2,735 of 3,222
15th percentile
Mean Commute Time
25.8 min −6.4% vs nat'l
Rank #1,742 of 3,222
46th percentile

Median Household Income Trend

Rankings →

Poverty Rate Trend

Rankings →

Housing

The median home value in Lea County is $184,000 (-34.7% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,101/mo and the homeownership rate is 71.2%.

Median Home Value
$184,000 −34.7% vs nat'l
Rank #1,587 of 3,222
51th percentile
Median Gross Rent
$1,101 −5.3% vs nat'l
Rank #724 of 3,222
78th percentile
Homeownership Rate
71.2% +10.5% vs nat'l
Rank #2,135 of 3,222
34th percentile
71.2% Homeownership

Median Home Value Trend

Rankings →

Health

85.1% of residents in Lea County have health insurance coverage, which is 7.2% below the national rate.

85.1% Health Insurance
Health Insurance Coverage
85.1% −7.2% vs nat'l
Rank #2,868 of 3,222
11th percentile

About Lea County, New Mexico

Lea County, New Mexico has a total population of 73,733, making it the 761st most populous county in the United States. The median age in Lea County is 32.5 years, which is 16.5% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Lea County is $68,015, which ranks #1,341 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 9.5% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 18.7%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 6.9%.

The median home value in Lea County is $184,000, 34.7% below the national median. Renters in Lea County pay a median gross rent of $1,101 per month. The homeownership rate is 71.2%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Lea County, 15.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 53.9% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 85.1% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 25.8 min.

Lea County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is Hispanic or Latino at 62.7% of the population, followed by White (non-Hispanic) (31.0%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (3.1%).

All data for Lea 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.