De Baca County, New Mexico Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
De Baca 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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C
Health Below averageLess healthy than 84% of counties in New Mexico
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D
Income Well below averageAmong the 5 least wealthy counties in New Mexico
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 81% of counties in New Mexico
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | De Baca County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,576 | 2,118,085 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 0.7 | 17.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -2.72% | 0.20% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.7 | 38.1 | 37.3 |
| Households | 820 | 836,644 | 130,235,071 |
Population in De Baca County declined by 18.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 1,576 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in De Baca County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 21.2% of residents. That is 0.3 points below New Mexico as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 335 21.2% -0.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 255 16.2% -5.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 312 19.8% +1.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 307 19.5% +1.1 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 48.4% of the people living in De Baca County and men 51.6%.
- Women 48.4% New Mexico 50.5%
- Men 51.6% New Mexico 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in De Baca County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
De Baca County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | De Baca County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $46,907 | $64,523 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.14% | 4.42% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 8.4% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in De Baca County is about 27% lower than in New Mexico.
Housing
| Metric | De Baca County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $129,686 | $204,122 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $386 | $1,067 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 71.5% | 70.0% | 65.2% |
The median home price in De Baca County is about 28.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $386 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in De Baca County spend about 16 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 66 hours, about 2.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | De Baca County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 7.9 | 18.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 15.8 | 37.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 66 | 157 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $2,039 | $4,866 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 3.6% | 12.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 791 | 4,931 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 37 | 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 De Baca County is 8 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
De Baca County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | De Baca County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 8.3% | 26.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 1.90 | 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
De Baca County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | De Baca County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.5 | 78.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 19.8% | 17.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.6% | 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).
De Baca County, NM Compared With Nearby Counties
How De Baca County, NM compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| De Baca County, NM | 1,576 | $46,907 #3/3 | $129,686 #3/3 | 7.9 min #1/3 |
| Chaves County, NM | 64,216 | $52,973 | $194,644 | 15.5 min |
| Curry County, NM | 47,638 | $58,178 | $162,638 | 13.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about De Baca County, New Mexico.
What is the population of De Baca County, New Mexico?
About 1,576 people live in De Baca County, New Mexico, in 820 households of 1.9 people on average. The median age is 35.7, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 2 years.
Is De Baca County, New Mexico mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, De Baca County, New Mexico has 1 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 1% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in De Baca County, New Mexico?
The median home costs 2.8 times the median household income ($129,686 against $46,907), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $386 a month takes about 10% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in De Baca County, New Mexico?
Unemployment in De Baca County, New Mexico is 8.4%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How common is a college degree in De Baca County, New Mexico?
8.3% of adults in De Baca County, New Mexico hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 12), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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