Luna County, New Mexico Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Luna 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 averageAmong the 3 least healthy counties in New Mexico
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D
Income Well below averageAmong the 3 least wealthy counties in New Mexico
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F
Education Well below averageAmong the 3 least educated counties in New Mexico
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Luna County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 25,611 | 2,118,085 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 8.6 | 17.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.51% | 0.20% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.6 | 38.1 | 37.3 |
| Households | 9,223 | 836,644 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Luna County declined by 4.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 25,611 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Luna County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 21.1% of residents. That is 0.5 points below New Mexico as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 5,405 21.1% -0.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,483 17.5% -3.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,412 17.2% -1.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,771 18.6% +0.2 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 49.3% of the people living in Luna County and men 50.7%.
- Women 49.3% New Mexico 50.5%
- Men 50.7% New Mexico 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Luna County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Luna County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Luna County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $36,669 | $64,523 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.64% | 4.42% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Luna County is about 43% lower than in New Mexico.
Housing
| Metric | Luna County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $193,882 | $204,122 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $649 | $1,067 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 70.9% | 70.0% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Luna County is about 24.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $649 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Luna County spend about 25 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 106 hours, about 4.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Luna County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 12.7 | 18.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 25.5 | 37.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 106 | 157 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,289 | $4,866 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.2% | 12.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,960 | 4,931 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 340 | 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 Luna 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
Luna County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Luna County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 10.6% | 26.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.72 | 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
Luna County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Luna County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.8 | 78.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 24.0% | 17.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.7% | 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).
Luna County, NM Compared With Nearby Counties
Luna County, NM is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 25,611 residents against a local median of 224,261. The measure that sets Luna County, NM apart most is median household income: $36,669, 36% below the local median of $57,291. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 12.7 min against a local median of 18.1 min, 30% below it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: commute runs ahead of the neighbourhood while median household income runs behind it, so Luna County, NM is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves spread $14,850 on median household income, so Luna County, NM sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Luna County, NM has the 4th highest median household income of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luna County, NM | 25,611 | $36,669 #4/4 | $193,882 #3/4 | 12.7 min #1/4 |
| Grant County, NM | 27,774 | $44,960 | $317,477 | 15.4 min |
| Doña Ana County, NM | 224,261 | $57,291 | $171,025 | 18.1 min |
| El Paso County, TX | 870,506 | $59,810 | $216,908 | 21.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Luna County, New Mexico.
How many people live in Luna County, New Mexico?
About 25,611 people live in Luna County, New Mexico, in 9,223 households of 2.7 people on average. The median age is 36.6, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Luna County, New Mexico?
Averaged over its land area, Luna County, New Mexico has 9 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 10% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Luna County, New Mexico?
The median home costs 5.3 times the median household income ($193,882 against $36,669), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $649 a month takes about 21% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Luna County, New Mexico?
10.6% of adults in Luna County, New Mexico hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 9), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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