Lea County vs McKinley County
A side-by-side comparison of Lea County and McKinley County: population, income, housing, and more.
Lea County and McKinley County are counties in New Mexico. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Lea County has the higher population (73,154 vs 71,172 in McKinley County). Lea County has the higher median household income ($68,750 vs $44,496 in McKinley County). Lea County has the higher median home value ($176,000 vs $72,100 in McKinley County).
Population, income & housing
| Lea County | McKinley County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 73,154 | 71,172 |
| Median age | 32.5 yrs | 34.1 yrs |
| Median household income | $68,750 | $44,496 |
| Median home value | $176,000 | $72,100 |
| Median gross rent | $1,119 | $810 |
| Housing units | 28,125 | 25,213 |
| Homeownership rate | 69.5% | 68.8% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.3% | 12.5% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.0% | 9.4% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Lea County | McKinley County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 70,277 → 73,154 (+4.1%) | 72,438 → 71,172 (-1.7%) |
| Median household income | $60,546 → $68,750 (+13.6%) | $33,834 → $44,496 (+31.5%) |
| Median home value | $133,100 → $176,000 (+32.2%) | $64,800 → $72,100 (+11.3%) |
| Median gross rent | $895 → $1,119 (+25.0%) | $672 → $810 (+20.5%) |
Lea County
70,27773,154
$60,546$68,750
$133,100$176,000
$895$1,119
McKinley County
72,43871,172
$33,834$44,496
$64,800$72,100
$672$810
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Lea County | McKinley County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 8.0% | 5.9% |
| 5 to 17 | 21.8% | 21.6% |
| 18 to 24 | 10.4% | 9.0% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.9% | 15.0% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.4% | 12.4% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.8% | 11.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| 65 to 74 | 7.0% | 8.3% |
| 75 and over | 4.2% | 4.9% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Lea County | McKinley County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 32.1% | 8.0% |
| Black or African American | 3.4% | 0.4% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.5% | 75.1% |
| Asian | 0.6% | 1.3% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Some other race | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Two or more races | 1.5% | 2.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 61.6% | 12.2% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Lea County | McKinley County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 24.4% | 19.1% |
| High school graduate | 32.6% | 36.6% |
| Some college or associate's | 27.7% | 31.8% |
| Bachelor's degree | 8.4% | 7.4% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 6.9% | 5.1% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Lea County | McKinley County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 77.4% | 80.0% |
| Carpooled | 17.0% | 6.4% |
| Public transit | 0.2% | 1.1% |
| Walked | 0.9% | 2.1% |
| Bicycle | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Worked from home | 3.7% | 9.6% |
| Other means | 0.8% | 0.7% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Lea County | McKinley County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 69.3% | 64.1% |
| 1-unit, attached | 1.9% | 1.6% |
| 2 to 4 units | 4.3% | 6.8% |
| 5 to 19 units | 3.7% | 2.4% |
| 20 or more units | 3.3% | 0.7% |
| Mobile home & other | 17.5% | 24.4% |
Poverty & households
| Lea County | McKinley County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 18.7% | 35.7% |
| Average household size | 2.89 | 3.33 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 25 | 25 |
| Median year structure built | 1977 | 1983 |
Full profiles
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