Counties in New Mexico by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure)

Sierra County had the highest child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure) of 33 counties in 2019, at 39.7%. Los Alamos County had the lowest, at 3.2%. The median was 27% and the figure for New Mexico was 23.5%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest39.7Sierra County
Median2733 counties
New Mexico23.5History

Map of counties, 2019

Bernalillo County: 20.4 %Catron County: 38.3 %Chaves County: 23.7 %Cibola County: 32.5 %Colfax County: 27 %Curry County: 25.6 %De Baca County: 29.8 %Doña Ana County: 31.3 %Eddy County: 14.5 %Grant County: 27 %Guadalupe County: 28.8 %Harding County: 15.9 %Hidalgo County: 32.4 %Lea County: 18.1 %Lincoln County: 25.9 %Los Alamos County: 3.2 %Luna County: 33.2 %McKinley County: 39 %Mora County: 29.7 %Otero County: 27.7 %Quay County: 34.2 %Rio Arriba County: 27 %Roosevelt County: 25.2 %Sandoval County: 14.2 %San Juan County: 26.8 %San Miguel County: 31.7 %Santa Fe County: 16.4 %Sierra County: 39.7 %Socorro County: 37.6 %Taos County: 24.9 %Torrance County: 30.2 %Union County: 27 %Valencia County: 23.2 %
  • Under 19
  • 19 to 25
  • 25 to 27
  • 27 to 30
  • 30 to 33
  • 33 and over
%, 2019. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All counties, 2019

Sierra County: 39.7 %Sierra County39.7McKinley County: 39 %McKinley County39Catron County: 38.3 %Catron County38.3Socorro County: 37.6 %Socorro County37.6Quay County: 34.2 %Quay County34.2Luna County: 33.2 %Luna County33.2Cibola County: 32.5 %Cibola County32.5Hidalgo County: 32.4 %Hidalgo County32.4San Miguel County: 31.7 %San Miguel County31.7Doña Ana County: 31.3 %Doña Ana County31.3Torrance County: 30.2 %Torrance County30.2De Baca County: 29.8 %De Baca County29.8Mora County: 29.7 %Mora County29.7Guadalupe County: 28.8 %Guadalupe County28.8Otero County: 27.7 %Otero County27.7Colfax County: 27 %Colfax County27Grant County: 27 %Grant County27Rio Arriba County: 27 %Rio Arriba County27Union County: 27 %Union County27San Juan County: 26.8 %San Juan County26.8Lincoln County: 25.9 %Lincoln County25.9Curry County: 25.6 %Curry County25.6Roosevelt County: 25.2 %Roosevelt County25.2Taos County: 24.9 %Taos County24.9Chaves County: 23.7 %Chaves County23.7Valencia County: 23.2 %Valencia County23.2Bernalillo County: 20.4 %Bernalillo County20.4Lea County: 18.1 %Lea County18.1Santa Fe County: 16.4 %Santa Fe County16.4Harding County: 15.9 %Harding County15.9Eddy County: 14.5 %Eddy County14.5Sandoval County: 14.2 %Sandoval County14.2Los Alamos County: 3.2 %Los Alamos County3.2Sierra County: 39.7 %Sierra County39.7McKinley County: 39 %McKinley County39Catron County: 38.3 %Catron County38.3Socorro County: 37.6 %Socorro County37.6Quay County: 34.2 %Quay County34.2Luna County: 33.2 %Luna County33.2Cibola County: 32.5 %Cibola County32.5Hidalgo County: 32.4 %Hidalgo County32.4San Miguel County: 31.7 %San Miguel County31.7Doña Ana County: 31.3 %Doña Ana County31.3Torrance County: 30.2 %Torrance County30.2De Baca County: 29.8 %De Baca County29.8Mora County: 29.7 %Mora County29.7Guadalupe County: 28.8 %Guadalupe County28.8Otero County: 27.7 %Otero County27.7Colfax County: 27 %Colfax County27Grant County: 27 %Grant County27Rio Arriba County: 27 %Rio Arriba County27Union County: 27 %Union County27San Juan County: 26.8 %San Juan County26.8Lincoln County: 25.9 %Lincoln County25.9Curry County: 25.6 %Curry County25.6Roosevelt County: 25.2 %Roosevelt County25.2Taos County: 24.9 %Taos County24.9Chaves County: 23.7 %Chaves County23.7Valencia County: 23.2 %Valencia County23.2Bernalillo County: 20.4 %Bernalillo County20.4Lea County: 18.1 %Lea County18.1Santa Fe County: 16.4 %Santa Fe County16.4Harding County: 15.9 %Harding County15.9Eddy County: 14.5 %Eddy County14.5Sandoval County: 14.2 %Sandoval County14.2Los Alamos County: 3.2 %Los Alamos County3.2
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2019 (%)Change on 2018
1Sierra County39.7-2.8 pts
2McKinley County39-3.8 pts
3Catron County38.3-1.9 pts
4Socorro County37.6+1.6 pts
5Quay County34.2-3.5 pts
6Luna County33.2-4.6 pts
7Cibola County32.5-1.8 pts
8Hidalgo County32.4-4.2 pts
9San Miguel County31.7-2.4 pts
10Doña Ana County31.3-2 pts
11Torrance County30.2-5.2 pts
12De Baca County29.8-6.5 pts
13Mora County29.7-2.1 pts
14Guadalupe County28.8-0.6 pts
15Otero County27.7-1.9 pts
16Colfax County27-3.2 pts
16Grant County27-3.3 pts
16Rio Arriba County27-1.7 pts
16Union County27-0.2 pts
20San Juan County26.8-0.1 pts
21Lincoln County25.9-3.4 pts
22Curry County25.60 pts
23Roosevelt County25.2-2.4 pts
24Taos County24.9-3.7 pts
25Chaves County23.7-0.4 pts
26Valencia County23.2-1 pts
27Bernalillo County20.4-1.8 pts
28Lea County18.1-0.1 pts
29Santa Fe County16.4-1.3 pts
30Harding County15.9-4.4 pts
31Eddy County14.5-3.3 pts
32Sandoval County14.2-1.7 pts
33Los Alamos County3.2+0.1 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

People under 18 in families or living alone with income below the official US poverty thresholds, as a percentage of people under 18 whose poverty status can be determined. United States: Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) for the nation, states and counties.

A model-based single-year estimate; the national figure is the one-year American Community Survey estimate. The Census Bureau advises comparing years from 2006 on only. Absolute thresholds set by the US government, so not comparable with the EU at_risk_of_poverty_rate. The rate for all ages is poverty_rate.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2019/2019-state-and-county/est19all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties (Counties in New Mexico by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2019) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2019/2019-state-and-county/est19all.txt

MLA 9

Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties, Counties in New Mexico by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2019. U.S. Census Bureau, 27 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2019/2019-state-and-county/est19all.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/new-mexico-counties?period=2019. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. Counties in New Mexico by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2019. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2019/2019-state-and-county/est19all.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/new-mexico-counties?period=2019.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties, Counties in New Mexico by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2019 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2019/2019-state-and-county/est19all.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/new-mexico-counties?period=2019 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_new_mexico_2019,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties: Counties in New Mexico by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2019}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2019/2019-state-and-county/est19all.txt},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/new-mexico-counties?period=2019. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2019/2019-state-and-county/est19all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties: Counties in New Mexico by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2019
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/27
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2019/2019-state-and-county/est19all.txt
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/new-mexico-counties?period=2019
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/new-mexico-counties?period=2019.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2019/2019-state-and-county/est19all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Questions

Which county has the highest child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure)?

Sierra County, with 39.7% in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure)?

Los Alamos County, with 3.2% in 2019.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure): other rankings

Counties in New Mexico: more rankings