Lea County, NM

County

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2024 Population

73,733

US Senator

Martin Heinrich

Democratic Party

US Senator

Ben Ray Luján

Democratic Party

2024 Poverty Rate

18.7%

0.203% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$68,015

1.07% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$184,000

4.55% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

31,081

0.909% 1-year growth

About

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.

85.7% of the residents in Lea County, NM are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Lea County, NM are New Mexico Junior College (381 degrees awarded in 2023) and University of the Southwest (290 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Lea County, NM was $184,000, and the homeownership rate was 71.2%.

Most people in Lea County, NM drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 24.4 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.

United States New Mexico Hobbs, NM

Population & Diversity

Lea County, NM is home to a population of 73.7k people, from which 85.7% are citizens. As of 2024, 18.3% of Lea County, NM residents were born outside of the country (13.5k people).

In 2024, there were 1.15 times more Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents (26.3k people) in Lea County, NM than any other race or ethnicity. There were 22.9k White (Non-Hispanic) and 10k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

85.7%

2024 Citizenship

86.2%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 85.7% of Lea County, NM residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Lea County, NM was 86.2%, 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.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Lea County, NM

Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
26.3k ± 1.98k
White (Non-Hispanic)
22.9k ± 183
Other (Hispanic)
10k ± 1.27k

62.7%

Hispanic Population

46.3k people

62.7% of the people in Lea County, NM are hispanic (46.3k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Lea County, NM as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for New Mexico.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
124,411 ± 8,401 people
Philippines
6,498 ± 1,976 people
Germany
4,186 ± 1,587 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of New Mexico was Mexico, the natal country of 124,411 New Mexico residents, followed by Philippines with 6,498 and Germany with 4,186.

Foreign-Born Population

18.3%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

13.5k people

17.9%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

13.1k people

As of 2024, 18.3% of Lea County, NM residents (13.5k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Lea County, NM was 17.9%, 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.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
588 ± 164
Gulf War (2001-)
364 ± 153
Gulf War (1990s)
342 ± 137

Lea County, NM has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.62 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Lea County, NM.

Economy

The economy of Lea County, NM employs 31.1k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Lea County, NM were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction (4,387 people), Educational Services (3,464 people), and Construction (3,006 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($112,287), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($74,938), and Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($74,018).

Employment

Occupations

31.1k

2024 Value

± 1,707

0.909%

1 Year growth

± 7.67%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Lea County, NM grew at a rate of 0.909%, from 30.8k employees to 31.1k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Lea County, NM, are Construction & Extraction Occupations (3,923 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (3,347 people), and Management Occupations (3,218 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Lea County, NM.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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 recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

31.1k

2024 Value

± 1,707

0.909%

1 Year growth

± 7.67%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Lea County, NM grew at a rate of 0.909%, from 30.8k employees to 31.1k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Lea County, NM, are Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction (4,387 people), Educational Services (3,464 people), and Construction (3,006 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.

Median Earnings by Industry

$54,357

Median earning men ± $5,591

$33,585

Median earning women ± $2,709

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Manufacturing ($76,853), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($76,042), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($73,300).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($66,771), Wholesale Trade ($60,179), and Public Administration ($57,566).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for New Mexico.

Y-Axis

2.72%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 860k people employed in New Mexico. This represents a 2.72% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.8%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in New Mexico.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

124
Transportation and Warehousing
91
Other Services (except Public Administration)
82
Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$424k
Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction
$150k
Construction
$149k
Transportation and Warehousing

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Education

In 2023, universities in Lea County, NM awarded 671 degrees. The student population of Lea County, NM in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 1,100 male students and 2,052 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Lea County, NM are Hispanic or Latino (288 and 43.2%), White (259 and 38.9%), Black or African American (66 and 9.91%), and Unknown (31 and 4.65%).

The largest universities in Lea County, NM by number of degrees awarded are New Mexico Junior College (381 and 56.8%) and University of the Southwest (290 and 43.2%).

The most popular majors in Lea County, NM are General Studies (210 and 31.3%), Criminal Justice - Safety Studies (58 and 8.64%), and General Cosmetology (45 and 6.71%).

The median tuition cost for private four year colleges is $16,470.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

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 2023 was 3,152 (34.9% men and 65.1% 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.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 3,152 students enrolled in Lea County, NM, 34.9% men and 65.1% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Hispanic or Latino with 1,618 records, of which 66.4% were women and 33.6% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Studies
198 degrees awarded
Automobile Mechanics Technology
14 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
14 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Lea County, NM was General Studies with 198 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Lea County, NM according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

New Mexico Junior College
381 degrees awarded
University of the Southwest
290 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was New Mexico Junior College with 381 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 245 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Lea County, NM, which is 0.575 times less than the 426 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Hispanic or Latino students. These 288 degrees mean that there were 1.11 times more degrees awarded to Hispanic or Latino students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 259 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($16,470) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($480) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,680) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Lea County, NM was $184,000 in 2024, which is 0.553 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $176,000 to $184,000, a 4.55% increase. The homeownership rate in Lea County, NM is 71.2%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Lea County, NM have an average commute time of 24.4 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.

In 2025, 14.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Lea County, NM. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.283%.

Housing

Property

$184,000

Median Property Value 2024

±$8,831

$17,559

Median Property Taxes

±$1,120

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.

Rent vs Own

71.2%

Homeownership

2024

68.2%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 71.2% of the housing units in Lea County, NM were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 69.5%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Lea County, NM compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$68,015

Median Household Income

± $5,605

24.7k

Number of Households

± 1,494

In 2024, the median household income of the 24.7k households in Lea County, NM declined from $68,015 from the previous year's value of $68,750.

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.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Lea County, NM is from New Mexico.

0.462

2023 Wage GINI in New Mexico

0.462

2022 Wage GINI in New Mexico

In 2023, the income inequality in New Mexico was 0.462 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0654% growth from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for New Mexico was lower than than the national average of 0.476. 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.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (75.6%)
Carpooled (18%)
Worked At Home (3.68%)

In 2024, 75.6% of workers in Lea County, NM drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (18%) and those who worked at home (3.68%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

24.4 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Lea County, NM have a shorter commute time (24.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 8.52% 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.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 14.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Lea County, NM. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.283%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

18.7% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Lea County, NM (13.4k out of 71.5k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 6 - 11 and then Males < 5.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Lea County, NM is Hispanic, followed by White and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 20% of the children was living in poverty in Lea County, NM. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.2%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 439 in Lea County, NM. From 2014 to 2022, 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.

Health

85.1% of the population of Lea County, NM has health coverage, with 35.7% on employee plans, 32.2% on Medicaid, 8.18% on Medicare, 8.49% on non-group plans, and 0.536% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Lea County, NM see 3,318 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (3,318 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2898 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 767 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51.1% were men and 48.9% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

3,318 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Lea County, NM

Primary care physicians in Lea County, NM see an average of 3,318 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (3,318 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.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 31.9% under 18 years, 22.6% between 18 and 34 years, 34.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 11.4% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51.1% were men and 48.9% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

14.9%

Uninsured

35.7%

Employer Coverage

32.2%

Medicaid

8.18%

Medicare

8.49%

Non-Group

0.536%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Lea County, NM grew by 3.78% from 14.3% to 14.9%.

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.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 46.5 in Lea County, NM.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Lea County, NM.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, 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 35.5% in Lea County, NM.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Lea County, NM.