United States › New Mexico › Lea County COUNTY · 2020 ACS
Lea County New Mexico · 74,455 residents · 4,392 sq mi
Time machine
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The short version
Lea County is home to 74,455 people in New Mexico. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 15% of adults. This skews young, with a median age of 32.3. Growth has run 34% since 2000, or 18,944 more people. The typical home is worth $138,600, having roughly tripled since 2000. That is roughly 21% ahead of the New Mexico median.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Younger
median age 32.3
US median: 38.8
Less educated
15% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 95%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01
Population & growth from 33.1 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Population, 1990 – 2024
54K 59K 65K 71K 76K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Lea County Age distribution, 2020
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Section 02
Income & economy $61,867
+38%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $29,799 in 2000
US average: $66,278
from $14,184 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
from 23.4% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
from 21.1% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 18.8%
Professional, scientific, technical 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing 3.5%
Education & health services 3.1%
Public administration 1.6%
Arts, entertainment, food 0.8%
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$138,600
+95%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $47,300 in 2000
US average: $265,253
$911
+56%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $388 in 2000
US average: $1,124
from 72.6% in 2000
33.4% rent
2.96 people
+13%since 2009
from 2.61 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
from 1.9 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 54%(29,977)
Hispanic / Latino 39.6%(22,010)
2020
White, non-Hispanic 31.9%(23,775)
Hispanic / Latino 60.7%(45,193)
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Hispanic origin
+ 3 more hispanic origin groups with data Ancestry
+ 26 more ancestry groups with data from 11.6% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
from 67.1% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
from 4.2% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 13.7 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
from 79.0% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
from 5.1% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07
Work & employment from 7.6% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
from 60.3% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
US average: 73.3%
from 24.1% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08
People & community from 12.2% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
from 22.5% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
US average: 91.9%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married 40.4%(11,719)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 22.5% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Direct-purchase
US average: 13.7%
VA health care
US average: 2.3%
Any private
US average: 68.1%
Any public
US average: 35.2%
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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later) 19.3%(364)
Gulf War (1990s) 22.4%(422)
Share of the 1,887 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.
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Drill deeper
Places similar to Lea County Head to head
Compare Lea County to nearby counties LEA COUNTY VS
Yoakum County
Income $84,925 +37%
Home value $182,600 +32%
Population 7,438 −90%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LEA COUNTY VS
Gaines County
Income $74,132 +20%
Home value $200,700 +45%
Population 23,956 −68%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LEA COUNTY VS
Andrews County
Income $72,242 +17%
Home value $195,700 +41%
Population 18,914 −75%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LEA COUNTY VS
Eddy County
Income $78,426 +27%
Home value $212,600 +53%
Population 62,509 −16%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Lea County, New Mexico? Lea County, New Mexico has about 74,455 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Lea County, New Mexico? The typical household in Lea County, New Mexico earns about $61,867 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Lea County, New Mexico expensive? In Lea County, New Mexico, the median home is worth about $138,600, and the typical rent is about $911 a month.
How educated are people in Lea County, New Mexico? About 14.6% of adults age 25 and over in Lea County, New Mexico hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Lea County, New Mexico? About 16.2% of people in Lea County, New Mexico live below the federal poverty line.
Has Lea County, New Mexico grown since 1990? Yes, Lea County, New Mexico has grown since 1990. The population has added about 18,690 residents, a change of about 34 percent over that period.
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