Lea County, New Mexico Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Lea 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 averageLess healthy than 74% of counties in New Mexico
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C
Income Below averageWealthier than 84% of counties in New Mexico
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F
Education Well below averageAmong the 5 least educated counties in New Mexico
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Lea County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 73,733 | 2,118,085 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 16.8 | 17.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.85% | 0.20% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 33.6 | 38.1 | 37.3 |
| Households | 24,670 | 836,644 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Lea County grew by 27.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 73,733 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Lea County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 24.4% of residents. That is 2.9 points above New Mexico as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 18,006 24.4% +2.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 15,981 21.7% +0.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 12,725 17.3% -1.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 8,957 12.1% -6.3 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 Lea 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 Lea County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Lea County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Lea County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $67,016 | $64,523 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 1.84% | 4.42% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.9% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Lea County is about 4% higher than in New Mexico.
Housing
| Metric | Lea County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $162,562 | $204,122 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,101 | $1,067 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 71.2% | 70.0% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Lea County is about 12.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,101 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Lea 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 112 hours, about 4.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Lea County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 13.5 | 18.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 27.0 | 37.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 112 | 157 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,484 | $4,866 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 3.7% | 12.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,428 | 4,931 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 429 | 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 Lea 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
Lea County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Lea County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.0% | 26.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.90 | 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
Lea County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Lea County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.9 | 78.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.9% | 17.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.8% | 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).
Lea County, NM Compared With Nearby Counties
How Lea County, NM compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lea County, NM | 73,733 | $67,016 #3/3 | $162,562 #3/3 | 13.5 min #1/3 |
| Gaines County, TX | 22,232 | $73,709 | $300,000 | 13.7 min |
| Eddy County, NM | 61,104 | $77,819 | $266,585 | 15.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Lea County, New Mexico.
What is the population of Lea County, New Mexico?
About 73,733 people live in Lea County, New Mexico, in 24,670 households of 2.9 people on average. The median age is 33.6, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Lea County, New Mexico mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Lea County, New Mexico has 17 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 19% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Lea County, New Mexico an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 2.4 times the median household income ($162,562 against $67,016), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,101 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 Lea County, New Mexico?
Unemployment in Lea 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 Lea County, New Mexico?
13.0% of adults in Lea County, New Mexico hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 8), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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