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COUNTY

McKinley County

New Mexico · 68,119 residents (2025 est.) · 5,451 sq mi
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Part of the Gallup micropolitan area
The short version

McKinley County is home to 70,431 people in New Mexico. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 13% of adults. The poverty rate is 33.2%, above the 12.5% national rate. The typical home is worth $78,700, having risen by half since 2000. Density works out to 13 people per square mile. This skews young, with a median age of 34.6.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 34.6
US median: 38.9
Less educated
13% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
70,431
−6%since 2000
from 74,798 in 2000
68,119 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
13 / sq mi
Unchangedsince 2009
from 13 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
34.6
+29%since 2000
from 26.9 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
5,451 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
59K64K68K72K76K19902000201020202024McKinley County
202470K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.8%(4,072)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 97.2%(5,071)
US avg: 6%
10 to 148.9%(6,268)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 198.1%(5,730)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.1%(4,288)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3414.7%(10,319)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4412.7%(8,963)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411.2%(7,920)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6411.5%(8,088)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 748.8%(6,199)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 843.7%(2,591)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.3%(922)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$47,668
+5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $25,005 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$20,856
+111%since 2000
from $9,872 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
30.8%
+13.7 ptssince 2009
from 17.0% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
33.2%
−2.8 ptssince 2000
from 36.1% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.495
+5%since 2010
from 0.472 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information13.6%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade6.4%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance4%
US avg: 5.9%
Retail trade3.7%
US avg: 9.9%
Other services2.7%
US avg: 6.7%
Professional, scientific, technical2.1%
US avg: 5.1%
Education & health services1.8%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.8%
US avg: 1.6%
Public administration1.6%
US avg: 4.8%
Manufacturing1%
US avg: 0.4%
Transportation & warehousing0.9%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food0.9%
US avg: 1.9%
Construction0.8%
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$78,700
−2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $44,300 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$859
+26%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $374 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
69.8%
−2.6 ptssince 2000
from 72.4% in 2000
30.2% rent
Vacancy rate
15.6%
−17.0 ptssince 2009
from 32.6% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
3.25 people
−15%since 2009
from 3.82 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
13.1%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 13.9% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
36.3%
+2.7 ptssince 2009
from 33.6% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
1.7
−24%since 2009
from 2.2 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
21
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic11.9%(8,902)
Black0.4%(287)
Hispanic / Latino12.4%(9,276)
Asian0.4%(327)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic8%(5,600)
Black0.4%(315)
Hispanic / Latino12.2%(8,585)
Asian1.4%(974)
Other78%(54,957)
Diversity Score
46
−16%since 2009
from 55 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
56
−5%since 2020
from 58 in 2020
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
Mexican9.1%(6,412)
Spaniard0.7%(490)
Nicaraguan0.1%(104)
Dominican0.1%(62)
Salvadoran0.1%(46)
Colombian0%(31)
Argentine0%(19)
Cuban0%(14)
Asian origin
Filipino0.6%(398)
Nepalese0.4%(300)
Asian Indian0.2%(124)
Pakistani0.1%(36)
Chinese0%(24)
Korean0%(24)
Kazakh0%(12)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0.1%(65)
Samoan0.1%(60)
Ancestry
German2.1%(1,486)
Irish1.7%(1,184)
English1.4%(979)
American0.7%(502)
Swedish0.5%(386)
Italian0.4%(305)
Arab0.4%(298)
Norwegian0.3%(219)
Polish0.3%(195)
French0.2%(169)
Dutch0.2%(152)
Scottish0.2%(149)
+ 26 more ancestry groups with data
West Indian0.2%(121)
Jamaican0.2%(121)
Welsh0.1%(97)
Lebanese0.1%(82)
Danish0.1%(62)
Egyptian0.1%(48)
Scotch-Irish0.1%(44)
Hungarian0.1%(42)
Russian0%(33)
Slovak0%(19)
Croatian0%(18)
Finnish0%(18)
Romanian0%(15)
Ukrainian0%(14)
Czech0%(13)
Brazilian0%(11)
Swiss0%(10)
British0%(9)
Slovene0%(6)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
13.3%
+1.3 ptssince 2000
from 12.0% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
81.8%
+16.7 ptssince 2000
from 65.2% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
5.3%
Unchangedsince 2000
from 5.3% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
27.0 min
+56%since 2000
from 17.4 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
79.9%
+3.2 ptssince 2009
from 76.6% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
7.8%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 8.3% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
1.1%
+1.0 ptssince 2009
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
8.9%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 9.7% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.4%
−1.1 ptssince 2009
from 2.6% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.0%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
10.7%
−2.0 ptssince 2009
from 12.6% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
9.0%
−1.2 ptssince 2011
from 10.2% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
48.5%
−3.6 ptssince 2011
from 52.2% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
59.1%
−1.4 ptssince 2020
from 60.5% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
20.0%
−4.4 ptssince 2009
from 24.4% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
31.8%
+4.5 ptssince 2009
from 27.2% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.1%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 47.6% in 2009
Female
51.9%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 52.4% in 2009
Foreign born
2.4%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 2.9% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
4.3%
−3.5 ptssince 2009
from 7.8% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
16.5%
+4.2 ptssince 2012
from 12.3% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
16.8%
−19.6 ptssince 2013
from 36.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
64.8%
+25.2 ptssince 2017
from 39.6% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
82.0%
+14.3 ptssince 2020
from 67.7% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
94.6%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 93.8% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
51.1%
+6.5 ptssince 2016
from 44.6% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
4.5%
−1.0 ptssince 2016
from 5.6% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married57.3%(15,043)
Married31.1%(8,159)
Widowed3.4%(904)
Divorced8.2%(2,154)
Women 15+
Never married51.2%(14,723)
Married28%(8,067)
Widowed10.2%(2,929)
Divorced10.6%(3,041)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
16.8%
−19.6 ptssince 2013
from 36.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
19.6%
−0.9 ptssince 2020
from 20.5% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
3.5%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 3.6% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
15.2%
+1.1 ptssince 2020
from 14.1% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
57.4%
+4.3 ptssince 2020
from 53.1% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.5%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 1.5% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
22.9%
−0.9 ptssince 2020
from 23.8% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
66.1%
+4.4 ptssince 2020
from 61.7% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

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)33.3%(734)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)22.6%(499)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era30.4%(670)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War1.5%(32)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.1%(2)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 2,205 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
Drill deeper

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Head to head

Compare McKinley County to nearby counties

MCKINLEY COUNTY VS
Cibola County
Income$50,759+6%
Home value$125,400+59%
Population26,807−61%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MCKINLEY COUNTY VS
San Juan County
Income$55,872+17%
Home value$193,800+146%
Population120,340+77%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MCKINLEY COUNTY VS
Apache County
Income$41,438−13%
Home value$63,700−19%
Population64,445−5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MCKINLEY COUNTY VS
Sandoval County
Income$86,636+82%
Home value$313,800+299%
Population159,565+134%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in McKinley County, New Mexico?

McKinley County, New Mexico has about 70,431 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in McKinley County, New Mexico?

The typical household in McKinley County, New Mexico earns about $47,668 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is McKinley County, New Mexico expensive?

In McKinley County, New Mexico, the median home is worth about $78,700, and the typical rent is about $859 a month.

How educated are people in McKinley County, New Mexico?

About 13.3% of adults age 25 and over in McKinley County, New Mexico hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in McKinley County, New Mexico?

About 33.2% of people in McKinley County, New Mexico live below the federal poverty line.

Has McKinley County, New Mexico grown since 1990?

Yes, McKinley County, New Mexico has grown since 1990. The population has added about 9,745 residents, a change of about 16 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →