New Mexico Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
New Mexico Population Density Map and Area Scores
State Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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C
Income Below averageAmong the 5 least wealthy states in the US
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C
Education Below averageLess educated than 73% of states in the US
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | New Mexico | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,118,085 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 17.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.20% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.1 | 37.3 |
| Households | 836,644 | 130,235,071 |
Population in New Mexico grew by 7.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 2,118,085 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in New Mexico is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 21.6% of residents. That is 0.1 points above the US as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 456,670 21.6% +0.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 451,792 21.3% -0.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 397,003 18.7% -1.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 390,865 18.5% +1.6 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 the US, 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 50.5% of the people living in New Mexico and men 49.5%.
- Women 50.5% the US 50.5%
- Men 49.5% the US 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in New Mexico
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
New Mexico has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | New Mexico | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $64,523 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.42% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in New Mexico is about 20% lower than in US.
Housing
| Metric | New Mexico | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $204,122 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,067 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 70.0% | 65.2% |
The median home price in New Mexico is about 15.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,067 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in New Mexico spend about 38 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 157 hours, about 6.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | New Mexico | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 37.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 157 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,866 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 12.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,931 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 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 New Mexico is 19 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in US.
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
New Mexico has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | New Mexico | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 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
New Mexico has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | New Mexico | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 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).
New Mexico Compared With Nearby States
New Mexico is the smallest of the 6 states compared here, 2,118,085 residents against a local median of 5,842,429. The measure that sets New Mexico apart most is median home price: $204,122, 45% below the local median of $367,851.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $64,523 against a local median of $80,381, 20% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is median household income, and at 20% below the local median it puts New Mexico at the weaker end of the local range. The states themselves spread $365,090 on median home price, so New Mexico sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. New Mexico has the 5th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | 2,118,085 | $64,523 #6/6 | $204,122 #5/6 | 18.8 min #1/6 |
| Colorado | 5,842,429 | $95,803 | $484,034 | 22.0 min |
| Arizona | 7,356,359 | $80,381 | $367,851 | 22.4 min |
| Texas | 30,160,889 | $78,939 | $258,873 | 22.8 min |
| Utah | 3,390,702 | $95,466 | $498,552 | 18.9 min |
| Oklahoma | 4,028,385 | $65,606 | $133,462 | 19.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about New Mexico.
How big is New Mexico by population?
About 2,118,085 people live in New Mexico, in 836,644 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 38.1, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is New Mexico urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, New Mexico has 17 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 20% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is New Mexico an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.2 times the median household income ($204,122 against $64,523), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,067 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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