Data / Rankings / Poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) / Counties in New Mexico

Counties in New Mexico by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)

McKinley County had the highest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 33 counties in 2021, at 34%. Los Alamos County had the lowest, at 4.2%. The median was 19.8% and the figure for New Mexico was 18.3%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest34McKinley County
Lowest4.2Los Alamos County
Median19.833 counties
New Mexico18.3History

Map of counties, 2021

Bernalillo County: 16.1 %Catron County: 22.5 %Chaves County: 21.2 %Cibola County: 27.9 %Colfax County: 19.6 %Curry County: 19.5 %De Baca County: 17.7 %Doña Ana County: 23.2 %Eddy County: 14.7 %Grant County: 22.1 %Guadalupe County: 18.7 %Harding County: 14.6 %Hidalgo County: 22.1 %Lea County: 16.8 %Lincoln County: 12.6 %Los Alamos County: 4.2 %Luna County: 26.3 %McKinley County: 34 %Mora County: 19.8 %Otero County: 18.9 %Quay County: 25.5 %Rio Arriba County: 22.3 %Roosevelt County: 22.8 %Sandoval County: 10.3 %San Juan County: 23.5 %San Miguel County: 24.9 %Santa Fe County: 12.3 %Sierra County: 25 %Socorro County: 32.3 %Taos County: 15.3 %Torrance County: 23.9 %Union County: 18.2 %Valencia County: 16.7 %
  • Under 15
  • 15 to 18
  • 18 to 20
  • 20 to 23
  • 23 to 25
  • 25 and over
%, 2021. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All counties, 2021

McKinley County: 34 %McKinley County34Socorro County: 32.3 %Socorro County32.3Cibola County: 27.9 %Cibola County27.9Luna County: 26.3 %Luna County26.3Quay County: 25.5 %Quay County25.5Sierra County: 25 %Sierra County25San Miguel County: 24.9 %San Miguel County24.9Torrance County: 23.9 %Torrance County23.9San Juan County: 23.5 %San Juan County23.5Doña Ana County: 23.2 %Doña Ana County23.2Roosevelt County: 22.8 %Roosevelt County22.8Catron County: 22.5 %Catron County22.5Rio Arriba County: 22.3 %Rio Arriba County22.3Hidalgo County: 22.1 %Hidalgo County22.1Grant County: 22.1 %Grant County22.1Chaves County: 21.2 %Chaves County21.2Mora County: 19.8 %Mora County19.8Colfax County: 19.6 %Colfax County19.6Curry County: 19.5 %Curry County19.5Otero County: 18.9 %Otero County18.9Guadalupe County: 18.7 %Guadalupe County18.7Union County: 18.2 %Union County18.2De Baca County: 17.7 %De Baca County17.7Lea County: 16.8 %Lea County16.8Valencia County: 16.7 %Valencia County16.7Bernalillo County: 16.1 %Bernalillo County16.1Taos County: 15.3 %Taos County15.3Eddy County: 14.7 %Eddy County14.7Harding County: 14.6 %Harding County14.6Lincoln County: 12.6 %Lincoln County12.6Santa Fe County: 12.3 %Santa Fe County12.3Sandoval County: 10.3 %Sandoval County10.3Los Alamos County: 4.2 %Los Alamos County4.2McKinley County: 34 %McKinley County34Socorro County: 32.3 %Socorro County32.3Cibola County: 27.9 %Cibola County27.9Luna County: 26.3 %Luna County26.3Quay County: 25.5 %Quay County25.5Sierra County: 25 %Sierra County25San Miguel County: 24.9 %San Miguel County24.9Torrance County: 23.9 %Torrance County23.9San Juan County: 23.5 %San Juan County23.5Doña Ana County: 23.2 %Doña Ana County23.2Roosevelt County: 22.8 %Roosevelt County22.8Catron County: 22.5 %Catron County22.5Rio Arriba County: 22.3 %Rio Arriba County22.3Hidalgo County: 22.1 %Hidalgo County22.1Grant County: 22.1 %Grant County22.1Chaves County: 21.2 %Chaves County21.2Mora County: 19.8 %Mora County19.8Colfax County: 19.6 %Colfax County19.6Curry County: 19.5 %Curry County19.5Otero County: 18.9 %Otero County18.9Guadalupe County: 18.7 %Guadalupe County18.7Union County: 18.2 %Union County18.2De Baca County: 17.7 %De Baca County17.7Lea County: 16.8 %Lea County16.8Valencia County: 16.7 %Valencia County16.7Bernalillo County: 16.1 %Bernalillo County16.1Taos County: 15.3 %Taos County15.3Eddy County: 14.7 %Eddy County14.7Harding County: 14.6 %Harding County14.6Lincoln County: 12.6 %Lincoln County12.6Santa Fe County: 12.3 %Santa Fe County12.3Sandoval County: 10.3 %Sandoval County10.3Los Alamos County: 4.2 %Los Alamos County4.2
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)
1McKinley County34
2Socorro County32.3
3Cibola County27.9
4Luna County26.3
5Quay County25.5
6Sierra County25
7San Miguel County24.9
8Torrance County23.9
9San Juan County23.5
10Doña Ana County23.2
11Roosevelt County22.8
12Catron County22.5
13Rio Arriba County22.3
14Hidalgo County22.1
15Grant County22.1
16Chaves County21.2
17Mora County19.8
18Colfax County19.6
19Curry County19.5
20Otero County18.9
21Guadalupe County18.7
22Union County18.2
23De Baca County17.7
24Lea County16.8
25Valencia County16.7
26Bernalillo County16.1
27Taos County15.3
28Eddy County14.7
29Harding County14.6
30Lincoln County12.6
31Santa Fe County12.3
32Sandoval County10.3
33Los Alamos County4.2

Other periods

About this ranking

People with income in the past 12 months below the official US poverty thresholds, as a percentage of people whose poverty status is determined. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

The headline single-year rate for states and counties is poverty_rate (SAIPE). Poverty status is not determined for people in institutions, military group quarters or college dormitories, or for unrelated children under 15. 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. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat. 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). American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs (Counties in New Mexico by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat

MLA 9

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in New Mexico by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/new-mexico-counties?period=2021. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs. Counties in New Mexico by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/new-mexico-counties?period=2021.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in New Mexico by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/new-mexico-counties?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_new_mexico_2021,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in New Mexico by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/new-mexico-counties?period=2021. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary\_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in New Mexico by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/new-mexico-counties?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/new-mexico-counties?period=2021.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

McKinley County, with 34% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

Los Alamos County, with 4.2% 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, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate): other rankings

Counties in New Mexico: more rankings