Colfax County, NM

County

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2024 Population

12,322

US Senator

Martin Heinrich

Democratic Party

US Senator

Ben Ray Luján

Democratic Party

2024 Poverty Rate

18.2%

7.07% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$53,554

1.64% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$167,200

3.85% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

4,843

2.42% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Colfax 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.

97.5% of the residents in Colfax County, NM are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Colfax County, NM was $167,200, and the homeownership rate was 71.8%.

Most people in Colfax County, NM drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 19.9 minutes. The average car ownership in Colfax County, NM was 2 cars per household.

Colfax County, NM borders Costilla County, CO, Las Animas County, CO, Harding County, NM, Mora County, NM, Taos County, NM, and Union County, NM.

About the photo: Abandoned Homestead in Colfax County

Photo by J. N. Stuart

United States New Mexico

Population & Diversity

Colfax County, NM is home to a population of 12.3k people, from which 97.5% are citizens. As of 2024, 4.26% of Colfax County, NM residents were born outside of the country (525 people).

In 2024, there were 2.73 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (5.84k people) in Colfax County, NM than any other race or ethnicity. There were 2.14k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 1.9k White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.5%

2024 Citizenship

97.9%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.5% of Colfax County, NM residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Colfax County, NM was 97.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Colfax County, NM

White (Non-Hispanic)
5.84k ± 42
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
2.14k ± 409
White (Hispanic)
1.9k ± 472

47.6%

Hispanic Population

5.87k people

47.6% of the people in Colfax County, NM are hispanic (5.87k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Colfax 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

4.26%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

525 people

3.94%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

486 people

As of 2024, 4.26% of Colfax County, NM residents (525 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 Colfax County, NM was 3.94%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
398 ± 122
Gulf War (2001-)
85 ± 52
Gulf War (1990s)
82 ± 62

Colfax County, NM has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 4.68 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Colfax County, NM employs 4.84k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Colfax County, NM were Retail Trade (721 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (668 people), and Other Services, Except Public Administration (489 people), and the highest paying industries were Finance & Insurance ($61,250), Wholesale Trade ($60,673), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($60,190).

Employment

Occupations

4.84k

2024 Value

± 474

−2.42%

1 Year decline

± 14.3%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Colfax County, NM declined at a rate of −2.42%, from 4.96k employees to 4.84k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Colfax County, NM, are Sales & Related Occupations (683 people), Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (458 people), and Building & Grounds Cleaning & Maintenance Occupations (420 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Colfax 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

4.84k

2024 Value

± 474

−2.42%

1 Year decline

± 14.3%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Colfax County, NM declined at a rate of −2.42%, from 4.96k employees to 4.84k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Colfax County, NM, are Retail Trade (721 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (668 people), and Other Services, Except Public Administration (489 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Colfax County, NM, though some of these residents may live in Colfax County, NM and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$41,538

Median earning men ± $3,866

$25,363

Median earning women ± $3,625

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($59,318), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($57,031), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($54,182).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($93,125), Wholesale Trade ($60,745), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($53,036).

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

41
Construction
39
Accommodation and Food Services
30
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

$26.1k
Accommodation and Food Services
$23.9k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$15.5k
Retail Trade

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

Housing & Living

The median property value in Colfax County, NM was $167,200 in 2024, which is 0.503 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $161,000 to $167,200, a 3.85% increase. The homeownership rate in Colfax County, NM is 71.8%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Colfax County, NM have an average commute time of 19.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Colfax County, NM is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 10.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Colfax County, NM. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2.57%.

Housing

Property

$167,200

Median Property Value 2024

±$14,811

$3,853

Median Property Taxes

±$388

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

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

Rent vs Own

71.8%

Homeownership

2024

66.8%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 71.8% of the housing units in Colfax County, NM were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 72%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Colfax 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.

$53,554

Median Household Income

± $3,097

5.37k

Number of Households

± 455

In 2024, the median household income of the 5.37k households in Colfax County, NM grew to $53,554 from the previous year's value of $52,690.

The following chart displays the households in Colfax 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 $10k - $15k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Colfax 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 (69%)
Carpooled (14.3%)
Worked At Home (12%)

In 2024, 69% of workers in Colfax County, NM drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (14.3%) and those who worked at home (12%).

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

19.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Colfax County, NM have a shorter commute time (19.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 6.14% of the workforce in Colfax County, NM have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 10.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Colfax County, NM. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2.57%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

18.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Colfax County, NM (2.12k out of 11.7k 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 6 - 11, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Colfax 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, 26.2% of the children was living in poverty in Colfax County, NM. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2.7%.

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 274 in Colfax County, NM. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 63.7 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

89.9% of the population of Colfax County, NM has health coverage, with 19% on employee plans, 30.5% on Medicaid, 20% on Medicare, 16.7% on non-group plans, and 3.73% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Colfax County, NM see 2,474 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,474 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2449 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 98 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.8% were men and 51.2% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,474 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Colfax County, NM

Primary care physicians in Colfax County, NM see an average of 2,474 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,474 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 19.5% under 18 years, 15.4% between 18 and 34 years, 35.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 29.5% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.8% were men and 51.2% were women.

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

Uninsured People

10.1%

Uninsured

19%

Employer Coverage

30.5%

Medicaid

20%

Medicare

16.7%

Non-Group

3.73%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Colfax County, NM grew by 29.6% from 7.77% to 10.1%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Colfax County, NM changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2018, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 135 in Colfax County, NM.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Colfax 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 35.6% in Colfax County, NM.

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