Lea County is a county of 73,733 people in New Mexico. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 16% of adults. This skews young, with a median age of 32.5. Density works out to 17 people per square mile. Growth has run 33% since 2000, or 18,222 more people. The typical home is worth $184,000, having more than tripled since 2000.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $68,015, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 32.5
US median: 38.9
Less educated
16% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 114%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Lea County
What changed most since 1990
Hispanic share29.4% → 62.7%(+33.3 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
White share65.0% → 31.0%(−34.0 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Adults with a bachelor's degree11.5% → 15.5%(+4.0 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)20.8%(364)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)24.2%(423)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era34.4%(601)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War0.8%(14)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II2.6%(45)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 1,749 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Lea County, decade by decade
Lea County population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
55,765
$56,046
$94,323
11.5%
61.1
2000
55,511
$54,283
$86,164
11.6%
68.6
2010
64,727
$63,168
$125,875
12.9%
69.0
2020
74,455
$74,985
$167,989
14.6%
66.0
2024
73,733
$68,015
$184,000
15.5%
63.6
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
