Union County, New Mexico Income Statistics
Union County Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
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D
Union County Well below averageLess wealthy than 81% of counties in New Mexico
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Union County | New Mexico Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $47,763 | $64,523 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $41,250 | $52,404 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 3.4% | 4.4% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 6.4% | 10.2% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 4.2% | 7.8% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Union County is about 26% lower than in New Mexico. Income has been growing slower in Union County (3.4%/yr) than in New Mexico (4.4%/yr).
About 6% of adults in Union County earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the New Mexico average of 10%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Union County, New Mexico grew by 29.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $47,763 in 2024. That's an average of about 3.4% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Union County
| Metric | Union County | New Mexico Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.619 | 0.567 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $50,735 | $60,037 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $34,476 | $51,390 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 32.0% | 14.4% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Union County, it is 0.619, higher than New Mexico's 0.567, so income is less evenly distributed here than there, and higher than the US's 0.552, so income is less evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 47% more than women's income in Union County, New Mexico. Over a 35-year career, a 47% wage gap accumulates to roughly $569,065 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Union County, New Mexico has widened from about -4% to 32% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 34% in 2019, and in 2013 women out-earned men by 6%. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $17,421 since 2009.
Sharply against the trend: the pay gap in Union County widened by 36.0 points while New Mexico's narrowed by 8.9 points.
Employment
| Metric | Union County | New Mexico Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 6.2% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 6.2% | 12.2% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 8 | 18 | 22 |
Approximately 88 people are unemployed in Union County, New Mexico.
The average commute time in Union County is 8 minutes, shorter than the 18 minutes in New Mexico.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Union County, New Mexico has risen from 4.4% to 6.2% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 8.8% in 2021 and fell as low as 1.5% in 2018.
Union County, NM Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Union County, NM is the 4th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 4,013 residents against a local median of 5,215. The measure that sets Union County, NM apart most is unemployment: 6.2%, 164% above the local median of 2.3%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $47,763 against a local median of $61,750, 23% below it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, and it is the wrong way: Union County, NM reads weaker than its neighbours on all of them. The counties themselves spread 14.2% on unemployment, so Union County, NM sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Union County, NM has the 5th lowest unemployment of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union County, NM | 4,013 | $47,763 #5/6 | 3.4%/yr #4/6 | 6.2% #5/6 | 0.619 #5/6 |
| Harding County, NM | 741 | $47,500 | 4.8%/yr | 15.2% | 0.592 |
| Dallam County, TX | 7,298 | $69,319 | 6.1%/yr | 2.3% | 0.492 |
| Cimarron County, OK | 2,218 | $61,750 | 4.3%/yr | 1.0% | 0.573 |
| Las Animas County, CO | 14,413 | $52,851 | 2.7%/yr | 5.6% | 0.539 |
| Hartley County, TX | 5,215 | $76,743 | 2.6%/yr | 1.6% | 0.642 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Union County, New Mexico has an overall wealth index grade of D, making it somewhat worse than New Mexico, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Union County, New Mexico.
How Wealthy Is Union County, New Mexico?
Union County has a wealth index grade of D. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a D grade means residents are somewhat worse off than the U.S. average. The median household income is $47,763, about 26% lower than the New Mexico average of $64,523.
Are incomes growing in Union County, New Mexico?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Union County, New Mexico rose 29%, from $36,986 to $47,763. Over the same years, income here lagged behind New Mexico as a whole: +29% against +50%.
What was the median household income in Union County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Union County, New Mexico was $45,600, up 8% from $42,146 in 2022. The New Mexico median that year was $62,406.
What was the median household income in Union County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Union County, New Mexico was $35,316. By 2024 it had risen 35% to $47,763.
What is the Gini coefficient in Union County, New Mexico?
The Gini coefficient in Union County is 0.619. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is higher than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed less equally than in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Union County, New Mexico?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Union County, New Mexico has widened from about -4% to 32% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 34% in 2019, and in 2013 women out-earned men by 6%. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $17,421 since 2009.
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