Sierra County, New Mexico Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Sierra 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.
-
C
Health Below averageAmong the 5 least healthy counties in New Mexico
-
D
Income Well below average
-
D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Sierra County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,501 | 2,118,085 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2.7 | 17.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.08% | 0.20% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 58.6 | 38.1 | 37.3 |
| Households | 5,440 | 836,644 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Sierra County declined by 9.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 11,501 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Sierra County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 32.3% of residents. That is 13.8 points above New Mexico as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,668 14.5% -7.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,416 12.3% -9.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,307 20.1% +1.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,714 32.3% +13.8 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 Sierra 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 Sierra County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Sierra County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Sierra County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $42,832 | $64,523 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.84% | 4.42% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Sierra County is about 34% lower than in New Mexico.
Housing
| Metric | Sierra County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $222,914 | $204,122 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $729 | $1,067 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 71.8% | 70.0% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Sierra County is about 25.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $729 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Sierra County spend about 24 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 99 hours, about 4.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Sierra County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 11.8 | 18.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 23.7 | 37.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 99 | 157 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,055 | $4,866 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.2% | 12.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,135 | 4,931 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 214 | 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 Sierra County is 12 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
Sierra County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Sierra County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.2% | 26.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.07 | 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
Sierra County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Sierra County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.5 | 78.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 20.1% | 17.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.3% | 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).
Sierra County, NM Compared With Nearby Counties
Sierra County, NM is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 11,501 residents against a local median of 27,774. Sierra County, NM's commute, at 11.8 min, runs 23% below the 15.4 min typical of the counties around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 5.4 min on commute, so Sierra County, NM sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Sierra County, NM has the lowest commute of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sierra County, NM | 11,501 | $42,832 #3/4 | $222,914 #2/4 | 11.8 min #1/4 |
| Doña Ana County, NM | 224,261 | $57,291 | $171,025 | 18.1 min |
| Luna County, NM | 25,611 | $36,669 | $193,882 | 12.7 min |
| Grant County, NM | 27,774 | $44,960 | $317,477 | 15.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Sierra County, New Mexico.
What is the population of Sierra County, New Mexico?
About 11,501 people live in Sierra County, New Mexico, in 5,440 households of 2.1 people on average. The median age is 58.6, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 21 years.
Is Sierra County, New Mexico urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Sierra County, New Mexico has 3 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 3% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Sierra County, New Mexico?
The median home costs 5.2 times the median household income ($222,914 against $42,832), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $729 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Sierra County, New Mexico?
Unemployment in Sierra County, New Mexico is only 4.2%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Sierra County, New Mexico?
19.2% of adults in Sierra County, New Mexico hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →