McKinley County, New Mexico

NM · FIPS 35031 Democrat

Located in New Mexico, McKinley County has a population of 70,431 residents and a median age of 34.6 years, making it the #785 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 33.2%. The median home value is $78,700, and the median household income is $47,668, which is 37% below the national median.

70,431
Population
#785 of 3,222
$47,668
Median Income
-36.6% #2,883 of 3,222
34.6 years
Median Age
-11.1% #2,995 of 3,222
33.2%
Poverty Rate
+163.8% #3,125 of 3,222

Demographics

McKinley County has a population of 70,431, making it the #785 most populous county in the US. The median age is 34.6 years, which is 11.1% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

97.6%
Native Born
2.4%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in McKinley County is $47,668, ranking #2,883 out of 3,222 counties — 36.6% below the national median. The poverty rate is 33.2% and unemployment stands at 9.0%.

Income#2,883
$47,668
-36.6%
vs nation
10th percentile
Per Capita#3,115
$20,856
-49.5%
vs nation
3th percentile
Poverty#3,125
33.2%
+163.8%
vs nation
3th percentile
Unemployment#3,026
9.0%
+69.5%
vs nation
6th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in McKinley County is $78,700 (-72.1% vs national). Renters pay a median of $859/mo and the homeownership rate is 69.8%.

Home Value#3,175
$78,700
-72.1%
vs nation
1th percentile
Rent#1,681
$859
-26.1%
vs nation
48th percentile
Homeownership#2,318
69.8%
+8.4%
vs nation
28th percentile

Household Type

Education

In McKinley County, 13.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 60.5% below the national average, ranking #3,001 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
13.3% −60.5% vs nation
Rank #3,001 of 3,222
7th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in McKinley County is 63.9 years. 31.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 13.8% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#3,050
63.9
-14.9%
vs nation
1th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#3,092
31.6%
+61.5%
vs nation
2th percentile
Diabetes#3,078
16.6%
+49.1%
vs nation
2th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,297
40.0%
+7.2%
vs nation
27th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#3,122
7.2
+26.7%
vs nation
1th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#3,127
6.3
+41.1%
vs nation
1th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,472
13.8%
+31.8%
vs nation
21th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,650
31.6%
+19.8%
vs nation
16th percentile
Food Insecurity#3,018
20.9%
+45.1%
vs nation
4th percentile

Substance Use

31.1% of adults in McKinley County smoke , 37.4% are obese , and 15.1% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 30.6 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#3,136
31.1%
+73.2%
vs nation
0th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,260
37.4%
-1.3%
vs nation
60th percentile
Excessive Drinking#201
15.1%
-23.9%
vs nation
94th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,206
30.6
-5.4%
vs nation
43th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in McKinley County is 20.3 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 33.7 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 42.3 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#1,452
20.3
+153.2%
vs nation
6th percentile
Suicide Rate#2,426
33.7
+70.6%
vs nation
5th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,592
19.4
+8.4%
vs nation
35th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,733
42.3
+108.9%
vs nation
3th percentile

Families & Children

41.8% of children in McKinley County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 6.0 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 21.7 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#572
6.0
-11.5%
vs nation
58th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#1,642
21.7
-0.6%
vs nation
45th percentile
Child Poverty#3,099
41.8%
+120.1%
vs nation
1th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in McKinley County is 52.5%. The mean commute time is 29.5 min, which is 6.8% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
52.5% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
29.5 min +6.8% vs nation
Rank #972 of 3,222
70th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, McKinley County voted Democratic with a margin of 24.5%. The vote was 60.7% Dem / 36.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 14.1 toward Republicans .

2024 DEM +24.5%
60.7% 36.2%
Dem 25,867 votes Rep
2020 DEM +38.6%
68.1% 29.5%
Dem 26,486 votes Rep
2016 DEM +39.8%
63.3% 23.5%
Dem 20,791 votes Rep
2012 DEM +46.7%
72.1% 25.4%
Dem 21,313 votes Rep
2008 DEM +43.9%
71.4% 27.5%
Dem 23,207 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About McKinley County, New Mexico

McKinley County, New Mexico has a total population of 70,431, making it the 785th most populous county in the United States. The median age in McKinley County is 34.6 years, which is 11.1% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in McKinley County is $47,668, which ranks #2,883 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 36.6% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 33.2%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 9.0%.

The median home value in McKinley County is $78,700, 72.1% below the national median. Renters in McKinley County pay a median gross rent of $859 per month. The homeownership rate is 69.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In McKinley County, 13.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 60.5% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 83.2% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 29.5 min.

McKinley County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is American Indian (non-Hispanic) at 75.4% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (12.2%) and White (non-Hispanic) (8.0%).

All data for McKinley 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.