Data / Rankings / Poverty rate (US official measure) / Counties in New Mexico

Counties in New Mexico by poverty rate

McKinley County had the highest poverty rate of 33 counties in 2016, at 34.4%. Los Alamos County had the lowest, at 4%. The median was 22.3% and the figure for New Mexico was 19.1%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest34.4McKinley County
Lowest4Los Alamos County
Median22.333 counties
New Mexico19.1History

All counties, 2016

CSVChart (SVG)

McKinley CountyMcKinley County: 34.4 %34.4Luna CountyLuna County: 27.6 %27.6Torrance CountyTorrance County: 27.3 %27.3Sierra CountySierra County: 27 %27Cibola CountyCibola County: 26.9 %26.9Hidalgo CountyHidalgo County: 26.7 %26.7San Miguel CountySan Miguel County: 25.7 %25.7Doña Ana CountyDoña Ana County: 25.6 %25.6Socorro CountySocorro County: 25.4 %25.4Mora CountyMora County: 25.2 %25.2Guadalupe CountyGuadalupe County: 25.1 %25.1Quay CountyQuay County: 24.6 %24.6Catron CountyCatron County: 23.2 %23.2Grant CountyGrant County: 22.8 %22.8Rio Arriba CountyRio Arriba County: 22.5 %22.5Taos CountyTaos County: 22.4 %22.4Roosevelt CountyRoosevelt County: 22.3 %22.3Chaves CountyChaves County: 22 %22Colfax CountyColfax County: 21.4 %21.4De Baca CountyDe Baca County: 21.2 %21.2Otero CountyOtero County: 20.5 %20.5Union CountyUnion County: 20.1 %20.1Curry CountyCurry County: 18.9 %18.9Valencia CountyValencia County: 18.6 %18.6Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 18.2 %18.2Lea CountyLea County: 18 %18San Juan CountySan Juan County: 17.4 %17.4Bernalillo CountyBernalillo County: 16.2 %16.2Eddy CountyEddy County: 15.2 %15.2Sandoval CountySandoval County: 14.5 %14.5Harding CountyHarding County: 14.3 %14.3Santa Fe CountySanta Fe County: 14 %14Los Alamos CountyLos Alamos County: 4 %4
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2016 (%)Change on 2015
1McKinley County34.4+0.3 pts
2Luna County27.6-3.3 pts
3Torrance County27.3+1.1 pts
4Sierra County27-1.7 pts
5Cibola County26.9-2.3 pts
6Hidalgo County26.7+1.5 pts
7San Miguel County25.7-3 pts
8Doña Ana County25.6-0.1 pts
9Socorro County25.4+1.9 pts
10Mora County25.2+1.3 pts
11Guadalupe County25.1+1.2 pts
12Quay County24.6+1.6 pts
13Catron County23.2-0.2 pts
14Grant County22.8+2.3 pts
15Rio Arriba County22.5-1.7 pts
16Taos County22.4+2.5 pts
17Roosevelt County22.3+1.9 pts
18Chaves County22+0.9 pts
19Colfax County21.4+1.7 pts
20De Baca County21.2+1 pts
21Otero County20.5-2.5 pts
22Union County20.1+3 pts
23Curry County18.9-2.8 pts
24Valencia County18.6-1.2 pts
25Lincoln County18.2+0.4 pts
26Lea County18+3.7 pts
27San Juan County17.4-1.4 pts
28Bernalillo County16.2-2.8 pts
29Eddy County15.2+2.9 pts
30Sandoval County14.5+3.3 pts
31Harding County14.30 pts
32Santa Fe County14+0.9 pts
33Los Alamos County40 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

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

Absolute thresholds set by the US government, so not comparable with the EU at_risk_of_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 of all ages in poverty, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2016/2016-state-and-county/est16all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

McKinley County, with 34.4% in 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Los Alamos County, with 4% in 2016.

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 of all ages in poverty, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Poverty rate (US official measure): other rankings

Counties in New Mexico: more rankings