Chaves County, New Mexico Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Chaves County, NM Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
B
Health Around average
-
D
Income Well below average
-
F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Chaves County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 64,216 | 2,118,085 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 10.6 | 17.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.27% | 0.20% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.8 | 38.1 | 37.3 |
| Households | 23,711 | 836,644 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Chaves County grew by 3.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 64,216 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Chaves County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 23.1% of residents. That is 1.5 points above New Mexico as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 14,832 23.1% +1.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 13,064 20.3% -1.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 11,623 18.1% -0.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 10,714 16.7% -1.8 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below New Mexico, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 49.5% of the people living in Chaves County and men 50.5%.
- Women 49.5% New Mexico 50.5%
- Men 50.5% New Mexico 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Chaves County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Chaves County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Chaves County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $52,973 | $64,523 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.13% | 4.42% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.0% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Chaves County is about 18% lower than in New Mexico.
Housing
| Metric | Chaves County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $194,644 | $204,122 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $867 | $1,067 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 71.3% | 70.0% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Chaves County is about 18.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $867 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Chaves County spend about 31 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 130 hours, about 5.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Chaves County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.5 | 18.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 31.1 | 37.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 130 | 157 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,015 | $4,866 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.4% | 12.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,223 | 4,931 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 473 | 619 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
New Mexico:
De Baca County (7.9 min), Quay County (8.0 min), Union County (8.3 min).
Slowest:
Torrance County (36.5 min), Mora County (30.1 min), Valencia County (30.1 min).
The average commute time in Chaves County is 16 minutes, shorter than the 19 minutes in New Mexico.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Chaves County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Chaves County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.5% | 26.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.61 | 2.49 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
New Mexico:
Los Alamos County (0.6), Santa Fe County (0.4), Bernalillo County (0.3).
Lowest:
Guadalupe County (0.2), Luna County (0.2), McKinley County (0.2).
Health
Chaves County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Chaves County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.2 | 78.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 18.4% | 17.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.9% | 18.0% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
New Mexico:
Los Alamos County (0.8), Santa Fe County (0.8), Bernalillo County (0.8).
Lowest:
McKinley County (0.8), Cibola County (0.8), Luna County (0.8).
Chaves County, NM Compared With Nearby Counties
Chaves County, NM is typical in size for this group, 64,216 residents against a local median of 61,104, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Chaves County, NM's median household income, at $52,973, runs 21% below the $67,016 typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Median home price tells the same story from another angle: $194,644 against a local median of $230,925, 16% below it. The counties themselves spread $24,223 on median household income, so Chaves County, NM sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Chaves County, NM has the 4th highest median household income of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chaves County, NM | 64,216 | $52,973 #4/4 | $194,644 #3/4 | 15.5 min #4/4 |
| Eddy County, NM | 61,104 | $77,819 | $266,585 | 15.1 min |
| Lincoln County, NM | 20,223 | $53,596 | $230,925 | 15.4 min |
| Lea County, NM | 73,733 | $67,016 | $162,562 | 13.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Chaves County, New Mexico.
How big is Chaves County, New Mexico by population?
About 64,216 people live in Chaves County, New Mexico, in 23,711 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 38.8, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Chaves County, New Mexico mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Chaves County, New Mexico has 11 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 12% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Chaves County, New Mexico?
The median home costs 3.7 times the median household income ($194,644 against $52,973), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $867 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Chaves County, New Mexico have a college degree?
15.5% of adults in Chaves County, New Mexico hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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