Lea County, NM
Martin Heinrich
Ben Ray Luján
0.629% 1-year increase
2.71% 1-year increase
In 2020, Lea County, NM had a population of 70.4k people with a median age of 32 and a median household income of $61,867. Between 2019 and 2020 the population of Lea County, NM grew from 70,277 to 70,359, a 0.117% increase and its median household income grew from $60,546 to $61,867, a 2.18% increase.
The 5 largest ethnic groups in Lea County, NM are White (Hispanic) (46.3%), White (Non-Hispanic) (34.5%), Two+ (Hispanic) (7.85%), Other (Hispanic) (4.92%), and Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (3.33%).
None of the households in Lea County, NM reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.
87.8% of the residents in Lea County, NM are U.S. citizens.
The largest universities in Lea County, NM are New Mexico Junior College (405 degrees awarded in 2020) and University of the Southwest (305 degrees).
In 2020, the median property value in Lea County, NM was $138,600, and the homeownership rate was 68%.
Most people in Lea County, NM drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 23.6 minutes. The average car ownership in Lea County, NM was 2 cars per household.
Lea County, NM borders Chaves County, NM, Eddy County, NM, Roosevelt County, NM, Andrews County, TX, Cochran County, TX, Gaines County, TX, Loving County, TX, Winkler County, TX, and Yoakum County, TX.
Lea County, NM is home to a population of 70.4k people, from which 87.8% are citizens. As of 2020, 17.1% of Lea County, NM residents were born outside of the country (12k people).
In 2020, there were 1.34 times more White (Hispanic) residents (32.6k people) in Lea County, NM than any other race or ethnicity. There were 24.2k White (Non-Hispanic) and 5.52k Two+ (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.
As of 2020, 87.8% of Lea County, NM residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.4%. In 2019, the percentage of US citizens in Lea County, NM was 88%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.
The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Lea County, NM compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.
The 3 largest ethnic groups in Lea County, NM
Two+ (Hispanic)
5.52k ± 1.01k
42k people
59.7% of the people in Lea County, NM are hispanic (42k people).
The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Lea County, NM as a share of the total population.
The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for New Mexico.
131,978 ± 8,634 people
In 2020, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of New Mexico was Mexico, the natal country of 131,978 New Mexico residents, followed by Philippines with 5,612 and Germany with 4,972.
As of 2020, 17.1% of Lea County, NM residents (12k people) were born outside of the United States, which is higher than the national average of 13.5%. In 2019, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Lea County, NM was 16.9%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.
The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Lea County, NM compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.
Lea County, NM has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.95 times greater than any other conflict.
The economy of Lea County, NM employs 29.2k people. The largest industries in Lea County, NM are Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction (5,002 people), Retail Trade (3,174 people), and Educational Services (2,655 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($91,944), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($67,272), and Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($62,286).
Males in New Mexico have an average income that is 1.29 times higher than the average income of females, which is $46,133. The income inequality in New Mexico (measured using the Gini index) is 0.461, which is lower than than the national average.
From 2019 to 2020, employment in Lea County, NM grew at a rate of 1.26%, from 28.9k employees to 29.2k employees.
The most common job groups, by number of people living in Lea County, NM, are Construction & Extraction Occupations (3,666 people), Sales & Related Occupations (3,082 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (2,849 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Lea County, NM.
Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for New Mexico.
This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in New Mexico (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.
The most common employment sectors for those who live in Lea County, NM, are Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction (5,002 people), Retail Trade (3,174 people), and Educational Services (2,655 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Lea County, NM, though some of these residents may live in Lea County, NM and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.
The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2020 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($69,073), Manufacturing ($64,828), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($63,875).
The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2020 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($47,734), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($38,431), and Public Administration ($36,763).
As of May 2021, there are 145M people employed in New Mexico. This represents a 8.45% increase in employment when compared to May 2020.
The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in New Mexico.
Establishments by Size
PercentageValue
The industries with the most establishments
The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.
Payroll by Industry Sector
The industries with the highest total annual payroll
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting, and Mining
The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.
Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from New Mexico to other states, or from other states to New Mexico.
Coal-n.e.c.
Crude petroleum
In 2020, the top outbound New Mexico product (by dollars) was Electronics with $14.6B, followed by Coal-n.e.c. ($8.89B) and Crude petroleum ($8.24B).
The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound New Mexico products.
Showing data for New Mexico.
2020 Value in New Mexico
Projected 2050 Value in New Mexico
In 2020, total outbound New Mexico trade was $68.4B. This is expected to increase 71.8% to $117B by 2050.
The following chart shows how the domestic outbound New Mexico trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.
Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from New Mexico to other states, or from other states to New Mexico.
In 2020, the top outbound New Mexico domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Texas with $19.7B, followed by Arizona with $5.99B and Louisiana and $3.03B.
The following map shows the amount of trade that New Mexico shares with each state (excluding itself).
In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Lea County, NM went to Donald J. Trump with 79% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (19.4%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.02%).
Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján are the senators currently representing the state of New Mexico. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.
New Mexico is currently represented by 3 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.
Presidential Popular Vote Over Time
Donald J. Trump (79%)
Joseph R Biden Jr. (19.4%)
Jo Jorgensen (1.02%)
The following chart shows the popular vote results in Lea County, NM for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.
US Senators from New Mexico
Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for New Mexico.
Senator from New Mexico1
Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján are the senators currently representing New Mexico.
The following chart shows elected senators in New Mexico over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.
US Representatives from New Mexico
New Mexico is currently represented by 3 members in the U.S. house.
Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for New Mexico have changed over time starting in 2008.
In 2020, universities in Lea County, NM awarded 710 degrees. The student population of Lea County, NM in 2020 is skewed towards women, with 851 male students and 1,459 female students.
Most students graduating from Universities in Lea County, NM are Hispanic or Latino (290 and 41.1%), followed by White (253 and 35.8%), Black or African American (87 and 12.3%), and Unknown (48 and 6.8%).
The largest universities in Lea County, NM by number of degrees awarded are New Mexico Junior College (405 and 57%) and University of the Southwest (305 and 43%).
The most popular majors in Lea County, NM are General Studies (191 and 26.9%), School Counseling & Guidance Services (81 and 11.4%), and General Cosmetology (57 and 8.03%).
The median tuition cost in Lea County, NM for private four year colleges is $16,000.
Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled
Measure Applicants Admitted (%)Admitted who Enrolled (%)Enrolled
In 2019 in Lea County, NM, the percentage of applicants admitted was 45.4%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 69.5%. The number of students enrolled in 2020 was 2,310 (36.8% men and 63.2% women).
The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.
In 2020 there were 2,310 students enrolled in Lea County, NM, 36.8% men and 63.2% women.
1 to 2 Year Postsecondary CertificateAssociates DegreeBachelors DegreeMasters DegreeResearch Doctorate
Automobile Mechanics Technology
In 2020, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Lea County, NM was Automobile Mechanics Technology with 18 degrees awarded.
This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Lea County, NM according to their major.
New Mexico Junior College
University of the Southwest
In 2020, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was New Mexico Junior College with 405 degrees awarded.
In 2020, 250 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Lea County, NM, which is 0.543 times less than the 460 female students who received degrees in the same year.
In 2020 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Hispanic or Latino students. These 290 degrees mean that there were 1.15 times more degrees awarded to Hispanic or Latino students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 253 degrees awarded.
Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($16,000) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2020.
The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2020 were High School or Equivalent (443k), Some college (406k), and Secondary Education (260k).
The median property value in Lea County, NM was $138,600 in 2020, which is 0.603 times smaller than the national average of $229,800. Between 2019 and 2020 the median property value increased from $133,100 to $138,600, a 4.13% increase. The homeownership rate in Lea County, NM is 68%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.4%.
People in Lea County, NM have an average commute time of 23.6 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Lea County, NM is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.
Median household income in Lea County, NM is $61,867. In 2020, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Lea County, NM was Census Tract 5.04 with a value of $102,417, followed by Census Tract 7.03 and Census Tract 7.01, with respective values of $80,417 and $79,808.
In 2021, 13.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Lea County, NM. From 2014 to 2021, the indicator declined 1.29%.
±$929
The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Lea County, NM the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.
The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Lea County, NM compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.
In 2020, 68% of the housing units in Lea County, NM were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 66.8%.
This chart shows the percentage of owner in Lea County, NM compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.
Census Tract 5.04
In 2020, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Lea County, NM was Census Tract 5.04 with a value of $102,417, followed by Census Tract 7.03 and Census Tract 7.01, with respective values of $80,417 and $79,808.
The following map shows all of the tracts in Lea County, NM colored by their Median Household Income (Total).
In 2020, the median household income of the 22.9k households in Lea County, NM grew to $61,867 from the previous year's value of $60,546.
The following chart displays the households in Lea County, NM distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.
The closest comparable wage GINI for Lea County, NM is from New Mexico.
2020 Wage GINI in New Mexico
In 2020, the income inequality in New Mexico was 0.461 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.2% decline from 2019 to 2020, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for New Mexico was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in New Mexico in comparison to the national average.
This chart shows the number of workers in New Mexico across various wage buckets compared to the national average.
Carpooled (13%)
Worked At Home (2.79%)
In 2020, 82.6% of workers in Lea County, NM drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (13%) and those who worked at home (2.79%).
Using averages, employees in Lea County, NM have a shorter commute time (23.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.9 minutes). Additionally, 7.82% of the workforce in Lea County, NM have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.
The chart below shows how the median household income in Lea County, NM compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.
The following chart displays the households in Lea County, NM distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Lea County, NM have 2 cars.
Severe Housing Problems
The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.
16.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Lea County, NM (11k out of 67.7k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.8%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Males 6 - 11.
The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Lea County, NM is White, followed by Hispanic and Black.
In 2021, 18.1% of the children was living in poverty in Lea County, NM. From 2014 to 2021, the indicator declined 3.1%.
The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.
Estimated Number of Chronically Homeless IndividualsPercent of Residents with Access To Exercise OpportunitiesPrevalence of Food Insecurity
Crimes & Accidents
Indicator Violet CrimesInjury DeathsHomicidesFirearm FatalitiesMotor Vehicle Crash Deaths
In 2021, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 439 in Lea County, NM. From 2014 to 2021, the indicator declined 31.8 per 100,000 population.
The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.
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86.9% of the population of Lea County, NM has health coverage, with 42.6% on employee plans, 28.8% on Medicaid, 7.89% on Medicare, 6.94% on non-group plans, and 0.659% on military or VA plans.
Per capita personal health care spending in New Mexico was $7,214 in 2014. This is a 5.16% increase from the previous year ($6,860).
Primary care physicians in Lea County, NM see 3164 patients per year on average, which represents a 10.4% increase from the previous year (2865 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 3230 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 836 patients per year.
Showing data at the state level for New Mexico. Hospitalization data for some states may be delayed or not reported.
This chart shows the number of COVID-19 daily new cases by date in New Mexico, as a 7-day rolling average, compared with the four states with the most similar number of confirmed cases.
Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Lea County, NM
Primary care physicians in Lea County, NM see an average of 3,164 patients per year. This represents a 10.4% increase from the previous year (2,865 patients).
The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Lea County, NM in comparison to its neighboring geographies.
This chart presents movement trends over time in the state of New Mexico across different categories of places such as retail and recreation, groceries and pharmacies, parks, transit stations, workplaces, and residential.
Between 2019 and 2020, the percent of uninsured citizens in Lea County, NM grew by 0.308% from 13% to 13.1%.
The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Lea County, NM changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.
Length of LifeQuality of Life
Indicator Child MortalityInfant MortalityPremature DeathsPremature Age-Adjusted Mortality
In 2021, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 59.6 in Lea County, NM.
The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Lea County, NM.
Diet and ExerciseAlcohol, Drugs and Tobacco
Indicator Adult ObesityAccess to Exercise OpportunitiesFood Environment IndexFood InsecurityLimited Access to Healthy FoodPhysical Inactivity
In 2021, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 33.5% in Lea County, NM.
Access to CareQuality of Care
Indicator UninsuredUninsured AdultsUninsured ChildrenOther Primary Care ProvidersPatient to Dentist RatioPatient to Primary Care Physician RatioPatient to Mental Health Provider Ratio
In 2021, the percentage of population under age 65 without health insurance was 12.6% in Lea County, NM.
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