Rio Arriba County, New Mexico
Located in New Mexico, Rio Arriba County has a population of 40,070 residents and a median age of 42.0 years, making it the #1,203 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 18.2%. The median home value is $243,700, and the median household income is $57,155, which is 24% below the national median.
Demographics
Rio Arriba County has a population of 40,070, making it the #1,203 most populous county in the US. The median age is 42.0 years, which is 8.0% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Rio Arriba County is $57,155, ranking #2,317 out of 3,222 counties — 23.9% below the national median. The poverty rate is 18.2% and unemployment stands at 4.9%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Rio Arriba County is $243,700 (-13.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $740/mo and the homeownership rate is 80.0%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Rio Arriba County, 19.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 43.5% below the national average, ranking #2,175 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Rio Arriba County is 69.3 years. 25.2% of adults report poor or fair health and 9.1% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
17.8% of adults in Rio Arriba County smoke , 38.8% are obese , and 16.7% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 111.2 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Rio Arriba County is 15.6 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 21.8 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 29.7 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
27.1% of children in Rio Arriba County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 23.7 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Rio Arriba County is 57.3%. The mean commute time is 33.4 min, which is 21.1% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Rio Arriba County voted Democratic with a margin of 19.4%. The vote was 58.6% Dem / 39.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 14.2 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Rio Arriba County, New Mexico
Rio Arriba County, New Mexico has a total population of 40,070, making it the 1,203rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Rio Arriba County is 42.0 years, which is 8.0% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Rio Arriba County is $57,155, which ranks #2,317 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 23.9% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 18.2%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.9%.
The median home value in Rio Arriba County is $243,700, 13.6% below the national median. Renters in Rio Arriba County pay a median gross rent of $740 per month. The homeownership rate is 80.0%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Rio Arriba County, 19.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 43.5% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 91.3% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 33.4 min.
Rio Arriba County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is Hispanic or Latino at 67.2% of the population, followed by American Indian (non-Hispanic) (15.5%) and White (non-Hispanic) (14.0%).
All data for Rio Arriba 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.