San Juan County, New Mexico Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
San Juan 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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B
Health Around averageLess healthy than 71% of counties in New Mexico
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D
Income Well below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | San Juan County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 121,321 | 2,118,085 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 21.9 | 17.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.15% | 0.20% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.5 | 38.1 | 37.3 |
| Households | 41,882 | 836,644 | 130,235,071 |
Population in San Juan County declined by 1.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 121,321 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in San Juan County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 22.3% of residents. That is 0.7 points above New Mexico as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 27,009 22.3% +0.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 24,970 20.6% -0.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 23,005 19.0% +0.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 19,505 16.1% -2.4 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 50.5% of the people living in San Juan County and men 49.5%.
- Women 50.5% New Mexico 50.5%
- Men 49.5% New Mexico 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in San Juan County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
San Juan County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | San Juan County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $56,522 | $64,523 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 1.99% | 4.42% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.3% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in San Juan County is about 12% lower than in New Mexico.
Housing
| Metric | San Juan County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $151,599 | $204,122 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $955 | $1,067 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 71.2% | 70.0% | 65.2% |
The median home price in San Juan County is about 13.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $955 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in San Juan 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 169 hours, about 7.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | San Juan County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.3 | 18.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 40.5 | 37.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 169 | 157 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,235 | $4,866 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.3% | 12.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,338 | 4,931 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 526 | 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 San Juan 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
San Juan County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | San Juan County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.1% | 26.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.87 | 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
San Juan County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | San Juan County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.4 | 78.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.4% | 17.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.5% | 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).
San Juan County, NM Compared With Nearby Counties
San Juan County, NM is the largest of the 4 counties compared here, 121,321 residents against a local median of 56,331. San Juan County, NM's median home price, at $151,599, runs 45% below the $275,000 typical of the counties around it.
The counties themselves spread $461,801 on median home price, so San Juan County, NM sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. San Juan County, NM has the 4th highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Juan County, NM | 121,321 | $56,522 #3/4 | $151,599 #4/4 | 20.3 min #3/4 |
| Montezuma County, CO | 26,412 | $65,016 | $275,000 | 15.6 min |
| La Plata County, CO | 56,331 | $85,775 | $636,797 | 18.2 min |
| McKinley County, NM | 70,433 | $47,335 | $174,996 | 20.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about San Juan County, New Mexico.
How many people live in San Juan County, New Mexico?
About 121,321 people live in San Juan County, New Mexico, in 41,882 households of 2.9 people on average. The median age is 35.5, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 2 years.
Is San Juan County, New Mexico urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, San Juan County, New Mexico has 22 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 25% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is San Juan County, New Mexico an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 2.7 times the median household income ($151,599 against $56,522), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $955 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in San Juan County, New Mexico?
Unemployment in San Juan County, New Mexico is 7.3%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How common is a college degree in San Juan County, New Mexico?
14.1% of adults in San Juan County, New Mexico hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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