Lea County vs Otero County
A side-by-side comparison of Lea County and Otero County: population, income, housing, and more.
Lea County and Otero 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 68,235 in Otero County). Lea County has the higher median household income ($68,750 vs $52,717 in Otero County). Lea County has the higher median home value ($176,000 vs $149,500 in Otero County).
Population, income & housing
| Lea County | Otero County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 73,154 | 68,235 |
| Median age | 32.5 yrs | 36.3 yrs |
| Median household income | $68,750 | $52,717 |
| Median home value | $176,000 | $149,500 |
| Median gross rent | $1,119 | $926 |
| Housing units | 28,125 | 32,400 |
| Homeownership rate | 69.5% | 65.0% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.3% | 21.6% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.0% | 9.1% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Lea County | Otero County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 70,277 → 73,154 (+4.1%) | 66,137 → 68,235 (+3.2%) |
| Median household income | $60,546 → $68,750 (+13.6%) | $41,988 → $52,717 (+25.6%) |
| Median home value | $133,100 → $176,000 (+32.2%) | $112,400 → $149,500 (+33.0%) |
| Median gross rent | $895 → $1,119 (+25.0%) | $792 → $926 (+16.9%) |
Lea County
70,27773,154
$60,546$68,750
$133,100$176,000
$895$1,119
Otero County
66,13768,235
$41,988$52,717
$112,400$149,500
$792$926
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Lea County | Otero County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 8.0% | 6.1% |
| 5 to 17 | 21.8% | 16.0% |
| 18 to 24 | 10.4% | 11.4% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.9% | 15.2% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.4% | 12.1% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.8% | 10.1% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.4% | 11.9% |
| 65 to 74 | 7.0% | 10.2% |
| 75 and over | 4.2% | 7.0% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Lea County | Otero County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 32.1% | 46.6% |
| Black or African American | 3.4% | 3.4% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.5% | 5.8% |
| Asian | 0.6% | 1.4% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Some other race | 0.2% | 0.4% |
| Two or more races | 1.5% | 3.1% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 61.6% | 39.1% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Lea County | Otero County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 24.4% | 12.7% |
| High school graduate | 32.6% | 29.0% |
| Some college or associate's | 27.7% | 36.7% |
| Bachelor's degree | 8.4% | 14.2% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 6.9% | 7.4% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Lea County | Otero County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 77.4% | 77.8% |
| Carpooled | 17.0% | 11.9% |
| Public transit | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Walked | 0.9% | 3.1% |
| Bicycle | 0.0% | 0.3% |
| Worked from home | 3.7% | 6.0% |
| Other means | 0.8% | 0.8% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Lea County | Otero County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 69.3% | 58.6% |
| 1-unit, attached | 1.9% | 3.9% |
| 2 to 4 units | 4.3% | 5.5% |
| 5 to 19 units | 3.7% | 2.2% |
| 20 or more units | 3.3% | 0.8% |
| Mobile home & other | 17.5% | 29.1% |
Poverty & households
| Lea County | Otero County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 18.7% | 20.0% |
| Average household size | 2.89 | 2.66 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 25 | 23 |
| Median year structure built | 1977 | 1984 |
Full profiles
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