Curry County, New Mexico Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Curry 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 average
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D
Income Well below averageWealthier than 72% of counties in New Mexico
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Curry County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 47,638 | 2,118,085 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 33.8 | 17.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.74% | 0.20% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 33.3 | 38.1 | 37.3 |
| Households | 18,595 | 836,644 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Curry County grew by 5.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 47,638 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Curry County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 25.7% of residents. That is 4.2 points above New Mexico as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 12,256 25.7% +4.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 10,417 21.9% +0.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 7,891 16.6% -2.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 6,170 13.0% -5.5 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 49.1% of the people living in Curry County and men 50.9%.
- Women 49.1% New Mexico 50.5%
- Men 50.9% New Mexico 49.5%
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Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Curry County
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Economy
Curry County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Curry County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,178 | $64,523 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.00% | 4.42% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.9% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Curry County is about 10% lower than in New Mexico.
Housing
| Metric | Curry County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $162,638 | $204,122 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,024 | $1,067 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 62.7% | 70.0% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Curry County is about 13.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,024 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Curry County spend about 27 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 111 hours, about 4.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Curry County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 13.3 | 18.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 26.7 | 37.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 111 | 157 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,448 | $4,866 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 3.7% | 12.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,948 | 4,931 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 618 | 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 Curry County is 13 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
Curry County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Curry County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.1% | 26.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.51 | 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
Curry County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Curry County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.6 | 78.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.4% | 17.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.2% | 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).
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Curry County, New Mexico.
How many people live in Curry County, New Mexico?
About 47,638 people live in Curry County, New Mexico, in 18,595 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 33.3, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Curry County, New Mexico urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Curry County, New Mexico has 34 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 39% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Curry County, New Mexico?
The median home costs 2.8 times the median household income ($162,638 against $58,178), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,024 a month takes about 21% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Curry County, New Mexico?
Unemployment in Curry County, New Mexico is 6.9%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How educated are people in Curry County, New Mexico?
19.1% of adults in Curry 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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