Valencia County, New Mexico Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Valencia 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 averageWealthier than 75% of counties in New Mexico
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Valencia County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 78,461 | 2,118,085 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 73.5 | 17.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.41% | 0.20% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.9 | 38.1 | 37.3 |
| Households | 27,584 | 836,644 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Valencia County grew by 10.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 78,461 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Valencia County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 21.0% of residents. That is 0.6 points below New Mexico as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 16,451 21.0% -0.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 15,951 20.3% -1.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 15,476 19.7% +1.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 14,681 18.7% +0.3 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 50.2% of the people living in Valencia County and men 49.8%.
- Women 50.2% New Mexico 50.5%
- Men 49.8% New Mexico 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Valencia County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Valencia County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Valencia County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $59,334 | $64,523 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.47% | 4.42% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.9% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Valencia County is about 8% lower than in New Mexico.
Housing
| Metric | Valencia County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $140,798 | $204,122 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,015 | $1,067 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 83.2% | 70.0% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Valencia County is about 11.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,015 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Valencia County spend about 60 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 250 hours, about 10.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Valencia County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 30.1 | 18.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 60.1 | 37.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 250 | 157 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,763 | $4,866 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 11.1% | 12.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,273 | 4,931 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,017 | 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 Valencia County is 30 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
Valencia County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Valencia County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.2% | 26.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.78 | 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
Valencia County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Valencia County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.6 | 78.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.6% | 17.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.1% | 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).
Valencia County, NM Compared With Nearby Counties
Valencia County, NM is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 78,461 residents against a local median of 155,407. Where Valencia County, NM breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 53% below the local median of $302,768 at $140,798.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 30.1 min against a local median of 20.9 min, 44% above it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, and it is the wrong way: Valencia County, NM reads weaker than its neighbours on all of them. The counties themselves spread $187,732 on median home price, so Valencia County, NM sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Valencia County, NM has the 4th highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valencia County, NM | 78,461 | $59,334 #4/4 | $140,798 #4/4 | 30.1 min #4/4 |
| Bernalillo County, NM | 672,163 | $69,651 | $260,969 | 20.9 min |
| Sandoval County, NM | 153,584 | $85,813 | $302,768 | 30.0 min |
| Santa Fe County, NM | 155,407 | $79,204 | $448,701 | 20.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Valencia County, New Mexico.
How big is Valencia County, New Mexico by population?
About 78,461 people live in Valencia County, New Mexico, in 27,584 households of 2.8 people on average. The median age is 37.9, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Valencia County, New Mexico?
Averaged over its land area, Valencia County, New Mexico has 73 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Valencia County, New Mexico?
The median home costs 2.4 times the median household income ($140,798 against $59,334), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,015 a month takes about 21% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Valencia County, New Mexico?
Unemployment in Valencia County, New Mexico is 6.9%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What share of adults in Valencia County, New Mexico have a college degree?
19.2% of adults in Valencia 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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