Socorro County, New Mexico Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Socorro 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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C
Health Below averageAmong the 5 least healthy counties in New Mexico
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 78% of counties in New Mexico
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Socorro County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,198 | 2,118,085 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2.4 | 17.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.84% | 0.20% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.5 | 38.1 | 37.3 |
| Households | 5,269 | 836,644 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Socorro County declined by 10.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 16,198 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Socorro County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 23.5% of residents. That is 1.9 points above New Mexico as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,801 23.5% +1.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,709 16.7% -4.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,181 19.6% +0.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,180 19.6% +1.2 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 49.1% of the people living in Socorro County and men 50.9%.
- Women 49.1% New Mexico 50.5%
- Men 50.9% New Mexico 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Socorro County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Socorro County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Socorro County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $37,471 | $64,523 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 1.88% | 4.42% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 1.2% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Socorro County is about 42% lower than in New Mexico.
Housing
| Metric | Socorro County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $151,996 | $204,122 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $690 | $1,067 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 75.1% | 70.0% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Socorro County is about 18.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $690 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Socorro County spend about 23 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 96 hours, about 4.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Socorro County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 11.5 | 18.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 23.0 | 37.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 96 | 157 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $2,977 | $4,866 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 18.0% | 12.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,684 | 4,931 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 293 | 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 Socorro 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
Socorro County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Socorro County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.4% | 26.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.93 | 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
Socorro County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Socorro County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.3 | 78.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 21.3% | 17.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.7% | 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).
Socorro County, NM Compared With Nearby Counties
Socorro County, NM is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 16,198 residents against a local median of 78,461. The measure that sets Socorro County, NM apart most is commute: 11.5 min, 45% below the local median of 20.9 min. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $37,471 against a local median of $59,334, 37% below it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: commute runs ahead of the neighbourhood while median household income runs behind it, so Socorro County, NM is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves spread 13.2 min on commute, so Socorro County, NM sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Socorro County, NM has the lowest commute of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Socorro County, NM | 16,198 | $37,471 #4/4 | $151,996 #3/4 | 11.5 min #1/4 |
| Valencia County, NM | 78,461 | $59,334 | $140,798 | 30.1 min |
| Bernalillo County, NM | 672,163 | $69,651 | $260,969 | 20.9 min |
| Cibola County, NM | 26,844 | $50,436 | $160,417 | 16.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Socorro County, New Mexico.
How many people live in Socorro County, New Mexico?
About 16,198 people live in Socorro County, New Mexico, in 5,269 households of 2.9 people on average. The median age is 40.5, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
Is Socorro County, New Mexico urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Socorro County, New Mexico has 2 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 Socorro County, New Mexico?
The median home costs 4.1 times the median household income ($151,996 against $37,471), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $690 a month takes about 22% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Socorro County, New Mexico?
Unemployment in Socorro County, New Mexico is only 1.2%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in Socorro County, New Mexico?
14.4% of adults in Socorro 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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