Rio Arriba County, New Mexico Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Rio Arriba 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.
-
B
Health Around average
-
D
Income Well below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Rio Arriba County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 40,067 | 2,118,085 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 6.8 | 17.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.05% | 0.20% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.9 | 38.1 | 37.3 |
| Households | 15,646 | 836,644 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Rio Arriba County declined by 1.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 40,067 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Rio Arriba County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.1% of residents. That is 2.3 points above New Mexico as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 7,979 19.9% -1.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 7,525 18.8% -2.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 8,438 21.1% +2.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 7,804 19.5% +1.0 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 50.8% of the people living in Rio Arriba County and men 49.2%.
- Women 50.8% New Mexico 50.5%
- Men 49.2% New Mexico 49.5%
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100% of everyone living in Rio Arriba County
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Economy
Rio Arriba County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Rio Arriba County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $56,646 | $64,523 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.32% | 4.42% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Rio Arriba County is about 12% lower than in New Mexico.
Housing
| Metric | Rio Arriba County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $186,120 | $204,122 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $739 | $1,067 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 80.0% | 70.0% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Rio Arriba County is about 21.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $739 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Rio Arriba County spend about 56 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 234 hours, about 9.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Rio Arriba County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 28.1 | 18.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 56.2 | 37.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 234 | 157 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,262 | $4,866 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.2% | 12.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,432 | 4,931 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 169 | 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 Rio Arriba County is 28 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
Rio Arriba County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Rio Arriba County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.8% | 26.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.54 | 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
Rio Arriba County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Rio Arriba County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.3 | 78.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 19.7% | 17.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.7% | 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).
Rio Arriba County, NM Compared With Nearby Counties
How Rio Arriba County, NM compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rio Arriba County, NM | 40,067 | $56,646 #3/3 | $186,120 #3/3 | 28.1 min #2/3 |
| Sandoval County, NM | 153,584 | $85,813 | $302,768 | 30.0 min |
| Taos County, NM | 34,542 | $59,024 | $333,329 | 21.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Rio Arriba County, New Mexico.
How big is Rio Arriba County, New Mexico by population?
About 40,067 people live in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, in 15,646 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 43.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 7 years.
Is Rio Arriba County, New Mexico mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Rio Arriba County, New Mexico has 7 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 8% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Rio Arriba County, New Mexico an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.3 times the median household income ($186,120 against $56,646), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $739 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico have a college degree?
16.8% of adults in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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