Lincoln County, New Mexico Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Lincoln 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 84% of counties in New Mexico
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D
Income Well below averageWealthier than 81% of counties in New Mexico
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 81% of counties in New Mexico
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Lincoln County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,223 | 2,118,085 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 4.2 | 17.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.33% | 0.20% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 50.4 | 38.1 | 37.3 |
| Households | 9,999 | 836,644 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Lincoln County declined by 3.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 20,223 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Lincoln County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 29.5% of residents. That is 11.1 points above New Mexico as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,225 15.9% -5.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,107 15.4% -6.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,332 21.4% +2.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,971 29.5% +11.1 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 51.1% of the people living in Lincoln County and men 48.9%.
- Women 51.1% New Mexico 50.5%
- Men 48.9% New Mexico 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Lincoln County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Lincoln County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Lincoln County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $53,596 | $64,523 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.80% | 4.42% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Lincoln County is about 17% lower than in New Mexico.
Housing
| Metric | Lincoln County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $230,925 | $204,122 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $956 | $1,067 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.8% | 70.0% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Lincoln County is about 20.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $956 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Lincoln County spend about 31 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 128 hours, about 5.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Lincoln County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.4 | 18.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 30.8 | 37.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 128 | 157 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,972 | $4,866 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 11.1% | 12.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,158 | 4,931 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 345 | 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 Lincoln County is 15 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
Lincoln County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Lincoln County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.4% | 26.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.00 | 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
Lincoln County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Lincoln County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.7 | 78.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.8% | 17.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.1% | 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).
Lincoln County, NM Compared With Nearby Counties
How Lincoln County, NM compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln County, NM | 20,223 | $53,596 #2/3 | $230,925 #1/3 | 15.4 min #1/3 |
| Chaves County, NM | 64,216 | $52,973 | $194,644 | 15.5 min |
| Otero County, NM | 68,816 | $56,166 | $167,814 | 17.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Lincoln County, New Mexico.
How many people live in Lincoln County, New Mexico?
About 20,223 people live in Lincoln County, New Mexico, in 9,999 households of 2.0 people on average. The median age is 50.4, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 13 years.
Is Lincoln County, New Mexico mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Lincoln County, New Mexico has 4 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 5% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Lincoln County, New Mexico?
The median home costs 4.3 times the median household income ($230,925 against $53,596), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $956 a month takes about 21% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Lincoln County, New Mexico have a college degree?
23.4% of adults in Lincoln County, New Mexico hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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