Chaves County, NM

County

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2024 Population

64,217

US Senator

Martin Heinrich

Democratic Party

US Senator

Ben Ray Luján

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

37.2

0.813% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

24.3%

9.15% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$52,938

1.75% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$156,400

10.2% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

26,597

0.0753% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Chaves 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.

93.6% of the residents in Chaves County, NM are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Chaves County, NM are Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell Campus (535 degrees awarded in 2023) and New Mexico Military Institute (125 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Chaves County, NM was $156,400, and the homeownership rate was 71.3%.

Most people in Chaves County, NM drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 19.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Chaves County, NM was 2 cars per household.

Chaves County, NM borders De Baca County, NM, Eddy County, NM, Lea County, NM, Lincoln County, NM, Otero County, NM, and Roosevelt County, NM.

United States New Mexico Roswell, NM

Population & Diversity

Chaves County, NM is home to a population of 64.2k people, from which 93.6% are citizens. As of 2024, 11.3% of Chaves County, NM residents were born outside of the country (7.23k people).

In 2024, there were 1.53 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (23.2k people) in Chaves County, NM than any other race or ethnicity. There were 15.1k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 11.3k White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

93.6%

2024 Citizenship

94.2%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 93.6% of Chaves County, NM residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Chaves County, NM was 94.2%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Chaves County, NM compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Chaves County, NM

White (Non-Hispanic)
23.2k ± 275
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
15.1k ± 1.29k
White (Hispanic)
11.3k ± 1.44k

58.4%

Hispanic Population

37.5k people

58.4% of the people in Chaves County, NM are hispanic (37.5k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Chaves 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

11.3%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

7.23k people

10.8%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

6.96k people

As of 2024, 11.3% of Chaves County, NM residents (7.23k 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 Chaves County, NM was 10.8%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Chaves County, NM compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,065 ± 191
Gulf War (1990s)
427 ± 170
Gulf War (2001-)
412 ± 155

Chaves County, NM has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.49 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Chaves County, NM employs 26.6k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Chaves County, NM were Health Care & Social Assistance (3,771 people), Retail Trade (3,440 people), and Educational Services (2,677 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($72,557), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($68,750), and Manufacturing ($63,373).

Employment

Occupations

26.6k

2024 Value

± 1,460

0.0753%

1 Year growth

± 7.81%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Chaves County, NM grew at a rate of 0.0753%, from 26.6k employees to 26.6k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Chaves County, NM, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (3,089 people), Management Occupations (2,667 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (2,103 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Chaves 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

26.6k

2024 Value

± 1,460

0.0753%

1 Year growth

± 7.81%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Chaves County, NM grew at a rate of 0.0753%, from 26.6k employees to 26.6k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Chaves County, NM, are Health Care & Social Assistance (3,771 people), Retail Trade (3,440 people), and Educational Services (2,677 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Chaves County, NM, though some of these residents may live in Chaves County, NM and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$42,604

Median earning men ± $2,300

$30,468

Median earning women ± $2,889

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($70,324), Public Administration ($65,547), and Manufacturing ($64,144).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($73,690), Manufacturing ($44,152), and Construction ($42,865).

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

76
Construction
72
Other Services (except Public Administration)
71
Health Care and Social Assistance

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

$175k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$103k
Retail Trade
$53k
Manufacturing

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

Education

In 2023, universities in Chaves County, NM awarded 660 degrees. The student population of Chaves County, NM in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 1,186 male students and 1,317 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Chaves County, NM are Hispanic or Latino (275 and 43.2%), White (187 and 29.4%), Unknown (116 and 18.2%), and Black or African American (18 and 2.83%).

The largest universities in Chaves County, NM by number of degrees awarded are Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell Campus (535 and 81.1%) and New Mexico Military Institute (125 and 18.9%).

The most popular majors in Chaves County, NM are Liberal Arts & Sciences (125 and 18.9%), Emergency Medical Technician (EMT Paramedic) (85 and 12.9%), and Automobile Mechanics Technology (55 and 8.33%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Chaves County, NM, the percentage of applicants admitted was 57.8%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 75.7%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 2,503 (47.4% men and 52.6% 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 2,503 students enrolled in Chaves County, NM, 47.4% men and 52.6% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Hispanic or Latino with 1,078 records, of which 61.3% were women and 38.7% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Airframe Mechanics & Aircraft Maintenance Technology
27 degrees awarded
Liberal Arts & Sciences
125 degrees awarded
General Studies
39 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Chaves County, NM was Airframe Mechanics & Aircraft Maintenance Technology with 27 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell Campus
535 degrees awarded
New Mexico Military Institute
125 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell Campus with 535 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 415 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Chaves County, NM, which is 1.69 times more than the 245 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 275 degrees mean that there were 1.47 times more degrees awarded to Hispanic or Latino students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 187 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

Public, 2-year ($2,020) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($2,687) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,324) 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 Chaves County, NM was $156,400 in 2024, which is 0.47 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $141,900 to $156,400, a 10.2% increase. The homeownership rate in Chaves County, NM is 71.3%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Chaves County, NM have an average commute time of 19.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Chaves County, NM is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 15.6% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Chaves County, NM. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 2.04%.

Housing

Property

$156,400

Median Property Value 2024

±$9,252

$16,904

Median Property Taxes

±$1,060

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 Chaves County, NM the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Chaves County, NM compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

71.3%

Homeownership

2024

65.6%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 71.3% of the housing units in Chaves County, NM were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 68.7%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Chaves 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.

$52,938

Median Household Income

± $2,795

23.7k

Number of Households

± 1,288

In 2024, the median household income of the 23.7k households in Chaves County, NM grew to $52,938 from the previous year's value of $52,029.

The following chart displays the households in Chaves 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 Chaves 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 (81.8%)
Carpooled (9.4%)
Worked At Home (5.42%)

In 2024, 81.8% of workers in Chaves County, NM drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (9.4%) and those who worked at home (5.42%).

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

19.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Chaves County, NM have a shorter commute time (19.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.81% of the workforce in Chaves County, NM have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Chaves 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 Chaves County, NM distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Chaves County, NM have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 15.6% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Chaves County, NM. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 2.04%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

24.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Chaves County, NM (15k out of 61.7k 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 45 - 54, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Chaves 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, 25.1% of the children was living in poverty in Chaves County, NM. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 5.1%.

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 622 in Chaves County, NM. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 0.571 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

89.2% of the population of Chaves County, NM has health coverage, with 28.2% on employee plans, 36.2% on Medicaid, 11.5% on Medicare, 12.4% on non-group plans, and 0.92% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Chaves County, NM see 1,616 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,616 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1775 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 642 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.6% were men and 50.4% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,616 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Chaves County, NM

Primary care physicians in Chaves County, NM see an average of 1,616 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,616 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Chaves County, NM in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 26.9% under 18 years, 20.9% between 18 and 34 years, 35.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 16.5% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.6% were men and 50.4% were women.

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

Uninsured People

10.8%

Uninsured

28.2%

Employer Coverage

36.2%

Medicaid

11.5%

Medicare

12.4%

Non-Group

0.92%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Chaves County, NM grew by 15% from 9.37% to 10.8%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Chaves 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 67 in Chaves County, NM.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Chaves 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 42% in Chaves County, NM.

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