Harding County, New Mexico Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Harding 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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N/A
Health Not enough data
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D
Income Well below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Harding County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 741 | 2,118,085 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 0.3 | 17.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 4.30% | 0.20% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.8 | 38.1 | 37.3 |
| Households | 286 | 836,644 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Harding County grew by 13.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 741 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Harding County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 26.7% of residents. That is 8.3 points above New Mexico as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 134 18.1% -3.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 98 13.2% -8.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 170 22.9% +4.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 198 26.7% +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 48.3% of the people living in Harding County and men 51.7%.
- Women 48.3% New Mexico 50.5%
- Men 51.7% New Mexico 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Harding County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Harding County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Harding County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $47,500 | $64,523 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.82% | 4.42% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 15.2% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Harding County is about 26% lower than in New Mexico.
Housing
| Metric | Harding County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $210,000 | $204,122 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,038 | $1,067 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.9% | 70.0% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Harding County is about 16.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,038 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Harding County spend about 24 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 99 hours, about 4.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Harding County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 11.9 | 18.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 23.7 | 37.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 99 | 157 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,064 | $4,866 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 2.8% | 12.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,675 | 4,931 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 50 | 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 Harding County is 12 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
Harding County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Harding County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.2% | 26.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.59 | 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
| Metric | Harding County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | — | 78.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 19.1% | 17.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 15.3% | 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).
Harding County, NM Compared With Nearby Counties
How Harding County, NM compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harding County, NM | 741 | $47,500 #2/2 | $210,000 #1/2 | 11.9 min #1/2 |
| San Miguel County, NM | 26,850 | $49,173 | $69,117 | 15.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Harding County, New Mexico.
How many people live in Harding County, New Mexico?
About 741 people live in Harding County, New Mexico, in 286 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 42.8, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
How densely populated is Harding County, New Mexico?
Averaged over its land area, Harding County, New Mexico has 0 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 0% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Harding County, New Mexico an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 4.4 times the median household income ($210,000 against $47,500), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,038 a month takes about 26% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Harding County, New Mexico?
Unemployment in Harding County, New Mexico is 15.2%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
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