Hidalgo County, New Mexico Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Hidalgo 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 71% of counties in New Mexico
-
D
Income Well below average
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 84% of counties in New Mexico
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Hidalgo County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 4,041 | 2,118,085 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1.2 | 17.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.44% | 0.20% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.1 | 38.1 | 37.3 |
| Households | 1,478 | 836,644 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Hidalgo County declined by 19.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 4,041 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Hidalgo County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 20.6% of residents. That is 2.2 points above New Mexico as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 764 18.9% -2.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 756 18.7% -2.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 823 20.4% +1.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 833 20.6% +2.2 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 50.8% of the people living in Hidalgo County and men 49.2%.
- Women 50.8% New Mexico 50.5%
- Men 49.2% New Mexico 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Hidalgo County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Hidalgo County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Hidalgo County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $49,202 | $64,523 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.81% | 4.42% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Hidalgo County is about 24% lower than in New Mexico.
Housing
| Metric | Hidalgo County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $214,994 | $204,122 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $814 | $1,067 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 80.8% | 70.0% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Hidalgo County is about 22.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $814 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Hidalgo 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 101 hours, about 4.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Hidalgo County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 12.1 | 18.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 24.2 | 37.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 101 | 157 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,128 | $4,866 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 3.6% | 12.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,664 | 4,931 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 199 | 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 Hidalgo 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
Hidalgo County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Hidalgo County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.9% | 26.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.69 | 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
Hidalgo County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Hidalgo County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.8 | 78.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 19.1% | 17.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.6% | 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).
Hidalgo County, NM Compared With Nearby Counties
Hidalgo County, NM is the smallest of the 5 counties compared here, 4,041 residents against a local median of 33,502. Where Hidalgo County, NM breaks from the counties next to it is commute, sitting 24% below the local median of 15.8 min at 12.1 min. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Median home price tells the same story from another angle: $214,994 against a local median of $183,865, 17% above it. The counties themselves spread 4.0 min on commute, so Hidalgo County, NM sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Hidalgo County, NM has the lowest commute of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hidalgo County, NM | 4,041 | $49,202 #3/5 | $214,994 #2/5 | 12.1 min #1/5 |
| Grant County, NM | 27,774 | $44,960 | $317,477 | 15.4 min |
| Luna County, NM | 25,611 | $36,669 | $193,882 | 12.7 min |
| Cochise County, AZ | 125,520 | $59,729 | $173,848 | 16.7 min |
| Graham County, AZ | 39,230 | $67,909 | $166,519 | 16.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Hidalgo County, New Mexico.
How big is Hidalgo County, New Mexico by population?
About 4,041 people live in Hidalgo County, New Mexico, in 1,478 households of 2.7 people on average. The median age is 41.1, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Hidalgo County, New Mexico mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Hidalgo 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.
Is Hidalgo County, New Mexico an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 4.4 times the median household income ($214,994 against $49,202), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $814 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Hidalgo County, New Mexico?
Unemployment in Hidalgo County, New Mexico is only 3.5%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What share of adults in Hidalgo County, New Mexico have a college degree?
15.9% of adults in Hidalgo 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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