Quay County, New Mexico Income Statistics
Quay County Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
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D
Quay County Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Quay County | New Mexico Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $43,704 | $64,523 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $44,115 | $52,404 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 5.5% | 4.4% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 6.6% | 10.2% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 4.4% | 7.8% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Quay County is about 32% lower than in New Mexico. Income has been growing faster in Quay County (5.5%/yr) than in New Mexico (4.4%/yr).
About 7% of adults in Quay County earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the New Mexico average of 10%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Quay County, New Mexico grew by 46.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $43,704 in 2024. That's an average of about 5.5% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Quay County
| Metric | Quay County | New Mexico Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.548 | 0.567 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $64,636 | $60,037 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $48,586 | $51,390 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 24.8% | 14.4% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Quay County, it is 0.548, lower than New Mexico's 0.567, so income is more evenly distributed here than there, and about the same as the US's 0.552, so income here is about as evenly distributed as there.
Men's income is about 33% more than women's income in Quay County, New Mexico. Over a 35-year career, a 33% wage gap accumulates to roughly $561,750 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Quay County, New Mexico has widened from about 1% to 25% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 29% in 2014, and in 2010 women out-earned men by 3%. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $15,727 since 2009.
Sharply against the trend: the pay gap in Quay County widened by 23.8 points while New Mexico's narrowed by 8.9 points.
Employment
| Metric | Quay County | New Mexico Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 7.4% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 6.4% | 12.2% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 7 | 18 | 22 |
Approximately 289 people are unemployed in Quay County, New Mexico.
The average commute time in Quay County is 7 minutes, shorter than the 18 minutes in New Mexico.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Quay County, New Mexico has risen from 4.7% to 7.4% in 2024. Over that period the rate fell as low as 2.5% in 2020.
Quay County, NM Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Quay County, NM is typical in size for this group, 8,564 residents against a local median of 9,731, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. The measure that sets Quay County, NM apart most is unemployment: 7.4%, 115% above the local median of 3.5%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $43,704 against a local median of $61,471, 29% below it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: income growth runs ahead of the neighbourhood while unemployment runs behind it, so Quay County, NM is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves spread 13.4% on unemployment, so Quay County, NM sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Quay County, NM has the 5th lowest unemployment of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quay County, NM | 8,564 | $43,704 #6/6 | 5.5%/yr #2/6 | 7.4% #5/6 | 0.548 #2/6 |
| Curry County, NM | 47,638 | $58,178 | 4.0%/yr | 6.9% | 0.558 |
| Harding County, NM | 741 | $47,500 | 4.8%/yr | 15.2% | 0.592 |
| Deaf Smith County, TX | 18,460 | $61,471 | 3.2%/yr | 3.5% | 0.557 |
| Parmer County, TX | 9,731 | $72,449 | 5.1%/yr | 2.6% | 0.546 |
| Oldham County, TX | 2,249 | $82,647 | 5.8%/yr | 1.7% | 0.653 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Quay County, New Mexico has an overall wealth index grade of D, making it somewhat worse than New Mexico, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Quay County, New Mexico.
How Rich Is Quay County, New Mexico?
Quay County has a wealth index grade of D. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a D grade means residents are somewhat worse off than the U.S. average. The median household income is $43,704, about 32% lower than the New Mexico average of $64,523.
Are incomes growing in Quay County, New Mexico?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Quay County, New Mexico rose 47%, from $29,769 to $43,704. Over the same years, income here lagged behind New Mexico as a whole: +47% against +50%.
What was the median household income in Quay County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Quay County, New Mexico was $43,975, up 14% from $38,627 in 2022. The New Mexico median that year was $62,406.
What was the median household income in Quay County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Quay County, New Mexico was $33,696. By 2024 it had risen 30% to $43,704.
How strong is the job market in Quay County, New Mexico?
Unemployment in Quay County, New Mexico is 7.4%, well above the New Mexico rate of 5.9%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What is the Gini coefficient in Quay County, New Mexico?
The Gini coefficient in Quay County is 0.548. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is almost the same as the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed about as equally as in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Quay County, New Mexico?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Quay County, New Mexico has widened from about 1% to 25% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 29% in 2014, and in 2010 women out-earned men by 3%. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $15,727 since 2009.
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