Counties in New Mexico by population under 18

Lea County had the highest population under 18 of 33 counties in 2021, at 29.1%. Catron County had the lowest, at 10.9%. The median was 21.5% and the figure for New Mexico was 22.2%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest29.1Lea County
Lowest10.9Catron County
Median21.533 counties
New Mexico22.2History

All counties, 2021

Lea County: 29.1 %Lea County29.1McKinley County: 27.3 %McKinley County27.3Curry County: 27 %Curry County27Chaves County: 26.1 %Chaves County26.1San Juan County: 26 %San Juan County26Eddy County: 25.8 %Eddy County25.8Luna County: 25.2 %Luna County25.2Roosevelt County: 24.4 %Roosevelt County24.4Doña Ana County: 23.6 %Doña Ana County23.6Valencia County: 23.4 %Valencia County23.4Cibola County: 23.4 %Cibola County23.4Otero County: 22.9 %Otero County22.9Sandoval County: 22.7 %Sandoval County22.7Los Alamos County: 21.8 %Los Alamos County21.8Hidalgo County: 21.8 %Hidalgo County21.8Quay County: 21.7 %Quay County21.7Rio Arriba County: 21.5 %Rio Arriba County21.5Socorro County: 21.1 %Socorro County21.1Bernalillo County: 20.7 %Bernalillo County20.7Torrance County: 20.6 %Torrance County20.6Union County: 20.5 %Union County20.5De Baca County: 19.1 %De Baca County19.1San Miguel County: 18.6 %San Miguel County18.6Grant County: 18.3 %Grant County18.3Guadalupe County: 17.7 %Guadalupe County17.7Lincoln County: 17.5 %Lincoln County17.5Colfax County: 17.4 %Colfax County17.4Mora County: 17 %Mora County17Taos County: 17 %Taos County17Santa Fe County: 16.6 %Santa Fe County16.6Sierra County: 15.5 %Sierra County15.5Harding County: 12.7 %Harding County12.7Catron County: 10.9 %Catron County10.9
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)Change on 2020
1Lea County29.1-0.3 pts
2McKinley County27.3-0.4 pts
3Curry County27-0.1 pts
4Chaves County26.1-0.3 pts
5San Juan County26-0.4 pts
6Eddy County25.8-0.4 pts
7Luna County25.2-0.1 pts
8Roosevelt County24.4-0.3 pts
9Doña Ana County23.6-0.4 pts
10Valencia County23.4-0.2 pts
11Cibola County23.4-0.1 pts
12Otero County22.9-0.3 pts
13Sandoval County22.7-0.5 pts
14Los Alamos County21.8-0.4 pts
15Hidalgo County21.8-0.4 pts
16Quay County21.7-0.1 pts
17Rio Arriba County21.5-0.1 pts
18Socorro County21.1-0.5 pts
19Bernalillo County20.7-0.5 pts
20Torrance County20.6-0.3 pts
21Union County20.5+0.5 pts
22De Baca County19.1-0.5 pts
23San Miguel County18.6-0.4 pts
24Grant County18.3-0.7 pts
25Guadalupe County17.7-0.8 pts
26Lincoln County17.5-0.1 pts
27Colfax County17.4-0.6 pts
28Mora County170 pts
29Taos County17-0.4 pts
30Santa Fe County16.6-0.6 pts
31Sierra County15.5-0.1 pts
32Harding County12.7-0.4 pts
33Catron County10.9+0.3 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Residents aged 0 to 17 as a percentage of total population on 1 July. United States: Census Bureau county population estimates by age; states and the nation are sums of their counties.

Uses the US age of majority. Not comparable with population_0_14_share, which stops at 14.

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. Population Estimates Program, county population by age and sex: residents aged 0 to 17 as a percentage of the total on 1 July, 2010 to 2019 from the 2010 to 2020 intercensal file and 2020 onwards from the latest vintage; states and the nation summed from counties. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/data-sets.html. 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). Population Estimates Program, county population by age and sex: residents aged 0 to 17 as a percentage of the total on 1 July, 2010 to 2019 from the 2010 to 2020 intercensal file and 2020 onwards from the latest vintage; states and the nation summed from counties (Counties in New Mexico by population under 18, 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/data-sets.html

MLA 9

Population Estimates Program, county population by age and sex: residents aged 0 to 17 as a percentage of the total on 1 July, 2010 to 2019 from the 2010 to 2020 intercensal file and 2020 onwards from the latest vintage; states and the nation summed from counties, Counties in New Mexico by population under 18, 2021. U.S. Census Bureau, 25 June 2026, https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/data-sets.html. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/population-under-18/new-mexico-counties?period=2021. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. Population Estimates Program, county population by age and sex: residents aged 0 to 17 as a percentage of the total on 1 July, 2010 to 2019 from the 2010 to 2020 intercensal file and 2020 onwards from the latest vintage; states and the nation summed from counties. Counties in New Mexico by population under 18, 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/data-sets.html. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/population-under-18/new-mexico-counties?period=2021.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) Population Estimates Program, county population by age and sex: residents aged 0 to 17 as a percentage of the total on 1 July, 2010 to 2019 from the 2010 to 2020 intercensal file and 2020 onwards from the latest vintage; states and the nation summed from counties, Counties in New Mexico by population under 18, 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/data-sets.html, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/population-under-18/new-mexico-counties?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_new_mexico_2021,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Population Estimates Program, county population by age and sex: residents aged 0 to 17 as a percentage of the total on 1 July, 2010 to 2019 from the 2010 to 2020 intercensal file and 2020 onwards from the latest vintage; states and the nation summed from counties: Counties in New Mexico by population under 18, 2021}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/data-sets.html},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/population-under-18/new-mexico-counties?period=2021. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Population Estimates Program, county population by age and sex: residents aged 0 to 17 as a percentage of the total on 1 July, 2010 to 2019 from the 2010 to 2020 intercensal file and 2020 onwards from the latest vintage; states and the nation summed from counties. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/data-sets.html. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - Population Estimates Program, county population by age and sex: residents aged 0 to 17 as a percentage of the total on 1 July, 2010 to 2019 from the 2010 to 2020 intercensal file and 2020 onwards from the latest vintage; states and the nation summed from counties: Counties in New Mexico by population under 18, 2021
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/06/25
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/data-sets.html
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/population-under-18/new-mexico-counties?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/population-under-18/new-mexico-counties?period=2021.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Population Estimates Program, county population by age and sex: residents aged 0 to 17 as a percentage of the total on 1 July, 2010 to 2019 from the 2010 to 2020 intercensal file and 2020 onwards from the latest vintage; states and the nation summed from counties. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/data-sets.html. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Questions

Which county has the highest population under 18?

Lea County, with 29.1% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest population under 18?

Catron County, with 10.9% in 2021.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, county population by age and sex: residents aged 0 to 17 as a percentage of the total on 1 July, 2010 to 2019 from the 2010 to 2020 intercensal file and 2020 onwards from the latest vintage; states and the nation summed from counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Population under 18: other rankings

Counties in New Mexico: more rankings