Colfax County, New Mexico Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Colfax 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.
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B
Health Around averageHealthier than 74% of counties in New Mexico
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D
Income Well below average
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 75% of counties in New Mexico
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Colfax County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,320 | 2,118,085 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 3.3 | 17.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.39% | 0.20% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 46.9 | 38.1 | 37.3 |
| Households | 5,368 | 836,644 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Colfax County declined by 6.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 12,320 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Colfax County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 26.8% of residents. That is 8.3 points above New Mexico as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,124 17.2% -4.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,021 16.4% -4.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,614 21.2% +2.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,298 26.8% +8.3 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 49.0% of the people living in Colfax County and men 51.0%.
- Women 49.0% New Mexico 50.5%
- Men 51.0% New Mexico 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Colfax County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Colfax County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Colfax County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $54,144 | $64,523 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.41% | 4.42% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Colfax County is about 16% lower than in New Mexico.
Housing
| Metric | Colfax County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $364,246 | $204,122 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $728 | $1,067 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 71.8% | 70.0% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Colfax County is about 41.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $728 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Colfax County spend about 23 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 95 hours, about 4.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Colfax County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 11.4 | 18.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 22.8 | 37.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 95 | 157 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $2,951 | $4,866 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 12.0% | 12.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,576 | 4,931 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 340 | 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 Colfax County is 11 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
Colfax County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Colfax County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.3% | 26.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.17 | 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
Colfax County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Colfax County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.5 | 78.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 18.4% | 17.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.1% | 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).
Colfax County, NM Compared With Nearby Counties
How Colfax County, NM compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colfax County, NM | 12,320 | $54,144 #2/2 | $364,246 #1/2 | 11.4 min #1/2 |
| Taos County, NM | 34,542 | $59,024 | $333,329 | 21.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Colfax County, New Mexico.
How big is Colfax County, New Mexico by population?
About 12,320 people live in Colfax County, New Mexico, in 5,368 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 46.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 10 years.
Is Colfax County, New Mexico mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Colfax County, New Mexico has 3 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 4% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Colfax County, New Mexico?
The median home costs 6.7 times the median household income ($364,246 against $54,144), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $728 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Colfax County, New Mexico?
Unemployment in Colfax County, New Mexico is only 3.8%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Colfax County, New Mexico?
20.3% of adults in Colfax County, New Mexico hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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