San Miguel County, New Mexico Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
San Miguel 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 average
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 75% of counties in New Mexico
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 72% of counties in New Mexico
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | San Miguel County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,850 | 2,118,085 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 5.7 | 17.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.68% | 0.20% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 48.9 | 38.1 | 37.3 |
| Households | 11,931 | 836,644 | 130,235,071 |
Population in San Miguel County declined by 6.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 26,850 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in San Miguel County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 22.7% of residents. That is 4.2 points above New Mexico as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 5,484 20.4% -1.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,815 17.9% -3.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,685 21.2% +2.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 6,088 22.7% +4.2 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 50.0% of the people living in San Miguel County and men 50.0%.
- Women 50.0% New Mexico 50.5%
- Men 50.0% New Mexico 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in San Miguel County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
San Miguel County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | San Miguel County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $49,173 | $64,523 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 7.74% | 4.42% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in San Miguel County is about 24% lower than in New Mexico.
Housing
| Metric | San Miguel County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $69,117 | $204,122 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $823 | $1,067 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 73.1% | 70.0% | 65.2% |
The median home price in San Miguel County is about 7.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $823 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in San Miguel County spend about 30 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 127 hours, about 5.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | San Miguel County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.2 | 18.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 30.5 | 37.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 127 | 157 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,936 | $4,866 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 11.2% | 12.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,162 | 4,931 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 154 | 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 Miguel County is 15 minutes, shorter 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 Miguel County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | San Miguel County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.6% | 26.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.16 | 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 Miguel County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | San Miguel County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.8 | 78.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 20.1% | 17.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.3% | 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 Miguel County, NM Compared With Nearby Counties
How San Miguel County, NM compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Miguel County, NM | 26,850 | $49,173 #2/2 | $69,117 #2/2 | 15.2 min #1/2 |
| Santa Fe County, NM | 155,407 | $79,204 | $448,701 | 20.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about San Miguel County, New Mexico.
How big is San Miguel County, New Mexico by population?
About 26,850 people live in San Miguel County, New Mexico, in 11,931 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 48.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 12 years.
Is San Miguel County, New Mexico urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, San Miguel County, New Mexico has 6 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 7% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is San Miguel County, New Mexico an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 1.4 times the median household income ($69,117 against $49,173), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $823 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in San Miguel County, New Mexico have a college degree?
21.6% of adults in San Miguel County, New Mexico hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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