San Miguel County, NM

County

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2024 Population

26,850

US Senator

Martin Heinrich

Democratic Party

US Senator

Ben Ray Luján

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

47.2

0.855% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

24.4%

11.1% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$49,431

4.28% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$188,500

6.14% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

11,041

0.424% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in San Miguel 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.

98.7% of the residents in San Miguel County, NM are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in San Miguel County, NM are New Mexico Highlands University (820 degrees awarded in 2023) and Luna Community College (149 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in San Miguel County, NM was $188,500, and the homeownership rate was 73.1%.

Most people in San Miguel County, NM drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 22.7 minutes. The average car ownership in San Miguel County, NM was 2 cars per household.

San Miguel County, NM borders Guadalupe County, NM, Harding County, NM, Mora County, NM, Quay County, NM, Santa Fe County, NM, and Torrance County, NM.

United States New Mexico Las Vegas, NM

Population & Diversity

San Miguel County, NM is home to a population of 26.9k people, from which 98.7% are citizens. As of 2024, 2.43% of San Miguel County, NM residents were born outside of the country (653 people).

In 2024, there were 1.44 times more Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents (8.97k people) in San Miguel County, NM than any other race or ethnicity. There were 6.21k White (Hispanic) and 4.71k White (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.7%

2024 Citizenship

98.4%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.7% of San Miguel County, NM residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in San Miguel County, NM was 98.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in San Miguel County, NM

Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
8.97k ± 1.05k
White (Hispanic)
6.21k ± 1.11k
White (Non-Hispanic)
4.71k ± 277

75.2%

Hispanic Population

20.2k people

75.2% of the people in San Miguel County, NM are hispanic (20.2k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in San Miguel 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

2.43%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

653 people

3.01%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

815 people

As of 2024, 2.43% of San Miguel County, NM residents (653 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 San Miguel County, NM was 3.01%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
632 ± 168
Gulf War (2001-)
301 ± 130
Gulf War (1990s)
268 ± 144

San Miguel County, NM has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.1 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of San Miguel County, NM employs 11k people. In 2024, the largest industries in San Miguel County, NM were Health Care & Social Assistance (2,278 people), Educational Services (2,031 people), and Public Administration (1,295 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($80,882), Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($68,219), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($60,667).

Employment

Occupations

11k

2024 Value

± 906

−0.424%

1 Year decline

± 11.7%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in San Miguel County, NM declined at a rate of −0.424%, from 11.1k employees to 11k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in San Miguel County, NM, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,254 people), Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (1,040 people), and Management Occupations (954 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of San Miguel 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

11k

2024 Value

± 906

−0.424%

1 Year decline

± 11.7%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in San Miguel County, NM declined at a rate of −0.424%, from 11.1k employees to 11k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in San Miguel County, NM, are Health Care & Social Assistance (2,278 people), Educational Services (2,031 people), and Public Administration (1,295 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of San Miguel County, NM, though some of these residents may live in San Miguel County, NM and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$38,645

Median earning men ± $3,467

$29,884

Median earning women ± $5,371

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($68,781), Construction ($62,910), and Public Administration ($57,625).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($54,021), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($45,865), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($35,000).

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

34
Health Care and Social Assistance
29
Construction
26
Other Services (except Public Administration)

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

$95.1k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$27.4k
Retail Trade
$21.4k
Utilities

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

Education

In 2023, universities in San Miguel County, NM awarded 969 degrees. The student population of San Miguel County, NM in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 1,237 male students and 2,334 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in San Miguel County, NM are Hispanic or Latino (561 and 59.4%), White (222 and 23.5%), American Indian or Alaska Native (83 and 8.78%), and Black or African American (28 and 2.96%).

The largest universities in San Miguel County, NM by number of degrees awarded are New Mexico Highlands University (820 and 84.6%) and Luna Community College (149 and 15.4%).

The most popular majors in San Miguel County, NM are Clinical Social Work (203 and 20.9%), General Business Administration & Management (131 and 13.5%), and Registered Nursing (64 and 6.6%).

The median tuition cost in San Miguel County, NM for a public four year colleges is $4,888 for in-state students and $9,808 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 3,571 students enrolled in San Miguel County, NM, 34.6% men and 65.4% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Hispanic or Latino with 2,171 records, of which 66.7% were women and 33.3% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
55 degrees awarded
Kindergarten & Preschool Education
53 degrees awarded
Clinical Social Work
63 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in San Miguel County, NM was General Business Administration & Management with 55 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

New Mexico Highlands University
820 degrees awarded
Luna Community College
149 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was New Mexico Highlands University with 820 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 235 men were awarded degrees from institutions in San Miguel County, NM, which is 0.32 times less than the 734 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 561 degrees mean that there were 2.53 times more degrees awarded to Hispanic or Latino students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 222 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

Public, 4-year or above ($4,888) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($2,372) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,350) 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 San Miguel County, NM was $188,500 in 2024, which is 0.567 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $177,600 to $188,500, a 6.14% increase. The homeownership rate in San Miguel County, NM is 73.1%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in San Miguel County, NM have an average commute time of 22.7 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in San Miguel County, NM is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 19.1% of the population was living with severe housing problems in San Miguel County, NM. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 1.93%.

Housing

Property

$188,500

Median Property Value 2024

±$18,158

$8,718

Median Property Taxes

±$701

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

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

Rent vs Own

73.1%

Homeownership

2024

72.1%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 73.1% of the housing units in San Miguel County, NM were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 73.3%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in San Miguel 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.

$49,431

Median Household Income

± $3,657

11.9k

Number of Households

± 937

In 2024, the median household income of the 11.9k households in San Miguel County, NM grew to $49,431 from the previous year's value of $47,400.

The following chart displays the households in San Miguel 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 range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for San Miguel 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 (73.9%)
Worked At Home (11.2%)
Carpooled (9.82%)

In 2024, 73.9% of workers in San Miguel County, NM drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (11.2%) and those who carpooled to work (9.82%).

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

22.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in San Miguel County, NM have a shorter commute time (22.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 3.25% of the workforce in San Miguel County, NM have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 19.1% of the population was living with severe housing problems in San Miguel County, NM. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 1.93%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

24.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in San Miguel County, NM (6.3k out of 25.8k 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 55 - 64, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Males 55 - 64.

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

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, 30% of the children was living in poverty in San Miguel County, NM. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 5.7%.

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 480 in San Miguel County, NM. From 2015 to 2022, the indicator grew 0.627 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

92.9% of the population of San Miguel County, NM has health coverage, with 26.4% on employee plans, 35.1% on Medicaid, 17.3% on Medicare, 12.8% on non-group plans, and 1.37% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in San Miguel County, NM see 2,088 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,088 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1925 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 91 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.4% were men and 51.6% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,088 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in San Miguel County, NM

Primary care physicians in San Miguel County, NM see an average of 2,088 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,088 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 19.3% under 18 years, 17.2% between 18 and 34 years, 37.9% between 35 and 64 years, and 25.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.4% were men and 51.6% were women.

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

Uninsured People

7.09%

Uninsured

26.4%

Employer Coverage

35.1%

Medicaid

17.3%

Medicare

12.8%

Non-Group

1.37%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in San Miguel County, NM declined by 6.43% from 7.57% to 7.09%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in San Miguel 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 59.1 in San Miguel County, NM.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in San Miguel 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 35.1% in San Miguel County, NM.

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