McKinley County, New Mexico Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
McKinley 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 averageLeast healthy county 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 | McKinley County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 70,433 | 2,118,085 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 12.9 | 17.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.67% | 0.20% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 33.3 | 38.1 | 37.3 |
| Households | 21,353 | 836,644 | 130,235,071 |
Population in McKinley County grew by 0.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 70,433 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in McKinley County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 24.0% of residents. That is 2.4 points above New Mexico as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 16,897 24.0% +2.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 15,084 21.4% on par
- Gen X 45–60 12,864 18.3% -0.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 9,598 13.6% -4.8 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 51.6% of the people living in McKinley County and men 48.4%.
- Women 51.6% New Mexico 50.5%
- Men 48.4% New Mexico 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in McKinley County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
McKinley County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | McKinley County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $47,335 | $64,523 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.20% | 4.42% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 9.0% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in McKinley County is about 27% lower than in New Mexico.
Housing
| Metric | McKinley County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $174,996 | $204,122 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $858 | $1,067 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 69.8% | 70.0% | 65.2% |
The median home price in McKinley County is about 17.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $858 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in McKinley County spend about 41 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 170 hours, about 7.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | McKinley County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.4 | 18.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 40.7 | 37.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 170 | 157 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,260 | $4,866 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.9% | 12.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,318 | 4,931 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 235 | 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 McKinley County is 20 minutes, longer 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
McKinley County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | McKinley County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 10.9% | 26.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 3.25 | 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
McKinley County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | McKinley County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.1 | 78.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 22.8% | 17.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 24.9% | 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).
McKinley County, NM Compared With Nearby Counties
McKinley County, NM is the 3rd largest of the 5 counties compared here, 70,433 residents against a local median of 93,330. The measure that sets McKinley County, NM apart most is median home price: $174,996, 24% below the local median of $231,592.
The counties themselves spread $220,623 on median home price, so McKinley County, NM sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. McKinley County, NM has the 3rd highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McKinley County, NM | 70,433 | $47,335 #4/5 | $174,996 #3/5 | 20.4 min #3/5 |
| Cibola County, NM | 26,844 | $50,436 | $160,417 | 16.8 min |
| San Juan County, NM | 121,321 | $56,522 | $151,599 | 20.3 min |
| Apache County, AZ | 65,339 | $41,393 | $372,222 | 21.0 min |
| Sandoval County, NM | 153,584 | $85,813 | $302,768 | 30.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about McKinley County, New Mexico.
How many people live in McKinley County, New Mexico?
About 70,433 people live in McKinley County, New Mexico, in 21,353 households of 3.2 people on average. The median age is 33.3, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is McKinley County, New Mexico urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, McKinley County, New Mexico has 13 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 15% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in McKinley County, New Mexico?
The median home costs 3.7 times the median household income ($174,996 against $47,335), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $858 a month takes about 22% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in McKinley County, New Mexico?
Unemployment in McKinley County, New Mexico is 9.0%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What share of adults in McKinley County, New Mexico have a college degree?
10.9% of adults in McKinley 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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