Torrance County, New Mexico Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Torrance 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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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 72% of counties in New Mexico
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Torrance County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 15,478 | 2,118,085 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 4.6 | 17.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.11% | 0.20% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.3 | 38.1 | 37.3 |
| Households | 6,047 | 836,644 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Torrance County declined by 6.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 15,478 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Torrance County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 22.3% of residents. That is 3.9 points above New Mexico as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,049 19.7% -1.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,014 19.5% -1.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,260 21.1% +2.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,453 22.3% +3.9 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 48.7% of the people living in Torrance County and men 51.3%.
- Women 48.7% New Mexico 50.5%
- Men 51.3% New Mexico 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Torrance County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Torrance County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Torrance County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,548 | $64,523 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 8.20% | 4.42% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 9.0% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Torrance County is about 9% lower than in New Mexico.
Housing
| Metric | Torrance County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $197,226 | $204,122 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $871 | $1,067 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 81.7% | 70.0% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Torrance County is about 18.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $871 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Torrance County spend about 73 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 304 hours, about 12.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Torrance County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 36.5 | 18.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 72.9 | 37.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 304 | 157 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $9,421 | $4,866 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.6% | 12.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,105 | 4,931 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 205 | 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 Torrance County is 36 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
Torrance County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Torrance County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.2% | 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
Torrance County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Torrance County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.3 | 78.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 19.1% | 17.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.4% | 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).
Torrance County, NM Compared With Nearby Counties
Torrance County, NM is the smallest of the 5 counties compared here, 15,478 residents against a local median of 116,934. Torrance County, NM's commute, at 36.5 min, runs 76% above the 20.7 min typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Median home price tells the same story from another angle: $197,226 against a local median of $245,947, 20% below it. The counties themselves spread 14.7 min on commute, so Torrance County, NM sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Torrance County, NM has the 5th lowest commute of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Torrance County, NM | 15,478 | $58,548 #4/5 | $197,226 #4/5 | 36.5 min #5/5 |
| Santa Fe County, NM | 155,407 | $79,204 | $448,701 | 20.5 min |
| Bernalillo County, NM | 672,163 | $69,651 | $260,969 | 20.9 min |
| Valencia County, NM | 78,461 | $59,334 | $140,798 | 30.1 min |
| Lincoln County, NM | 20,223 | $53,596 | $230,925 | 15.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Torrance County, New Mexico.
What is the population of Torrance County, New Mexico?
About 15,478 people live in Torrance County, New Mexico, in 6,047 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 41.3, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
How densely populated is Torrance County, New Mexico?
Averaged over its land area, Torrance County, New Mexico has 5 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 5% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Torrance County, New Mexico an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.4 times the median household income ($197,226 against $58,548), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $871 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Torrance County, New Mexico?
Unemployment in Torrance County, New Mexico is 9.0%, 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 Torrance County, New Mexico?
13.2% of adults in Torrance County, New Mexico hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 8), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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