Sierra County, NM

County

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2023 Population

11,511

0.0435% 1-year growth

US Senator

Martin Heinrich

Democratic Party

US Senator

Ben Ray Luján

Democratic Party

2023 Median Age

57.3

3.43% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

24.9%

1.06% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$37,840

7.33% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$144,800

4.62% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

3,460

2.64% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Sierra County, NM had a population of 11.5k people with a median age of 57.3 and a median household income of $37,840. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Sierra County, NM grew from 11,506 to 11,511, a 0.0435% increase and its median household income grew from $35,256 to $37,840, a 7.33% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Sierra County, NM are White (Non-Hispanic) (63.8%), Two+ (Hispanic) (12.1%), White (Hispanic) (9.8%), Other (Hispanic) (7.3%), and Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (3.89%).

None of the households in Sierra 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.

93.1% of the residents in Sierra County, NM are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Sierra County, NM was $144,800, and the homeownership rate was 70.2%.

Most people in Sierra County, NM drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 13.8 minutes. The average car ownership in Sierra County, NM was 2 cars per household.

Sierra County, NM borders Catron County, NM, Doña Ana County, NM, Grant County, NM, Lincoln County, NM, Luna County, NM, Otero County, NM, and Socorro County, NM.

United States New Mexico

Population & Diversity

Sierra County, NM is home to a population of 11.5k people, from which 93.1% are citizens. As of 2023, 8.36% of Sierra County, NM residents were born outside of the country (962 people).

In 2023, there were 5.28 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (7.35k people) in Sierra County, NM than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.39k Two+ (Hispanic) and 1.13k White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

93.1%

2023 Citizenship

97.4%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 93.1% of Sierra County, NM residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Sierra County, NM was 97.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Sierra County, NM

White (Non-Hispanic)
7.35k ± 176
Two+ (Hispanic)
1.39k ± 444
White (Hispanic)
1.13k ± 346

29.4%

Hispanic Population

3.39k people

29.4% of the people in Sierra County, NM are hispanic (3.39k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Sierra 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
128,832 ± 8,539 people
Philippines
5,882 ± 1,880 people
Germany
4,070 ± 1,565 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of New Mexico was Mexico, the natal country of 128,832 New Mexico residents, followed by Philippines with 5,882 and Germany with 4,070.

Foreign-Born Population

8.36%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

962 people

4.19%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

482 people

As of 2023, 8.36% of Sierra County, NM residents (962 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Sierra County, NM was 4.19%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
656 ± 169
Korea
164 ± 102
Gulf War (2001-)
120 ± 103

Sierra County, NM has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 4 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Sierra County, NM employs 3.46k people. The largest industries in Sierra County, NM are Health Care & Social Assistance (756 people), Retail Trade (527 people), and Educational Services (372 people), and the highest paying industries are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($86,417), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($63,370), and Manufacturing ($56,125).

Males in New Mexico have an average income that is 1.26 times higher than the average income of females, which is $53,740. The income inequality in New Mexico (measured using the Gini index) is 0.462, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

3.46k

2023 Value

± 529

−2.64%

1 Year decline

± 22.2%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Sierra County, NM declined at a rate of −2.64%, from 3.55k employees to 3.46k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Sierra County, NM, are Management Occupations (641 people), Healthcare Support Occupations (555 people), and Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (372 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Sierra County, NM.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

3.46k

2023 Value

± 529

−2.64%

1 Year decline

± 22.2%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Sierra County, NM declined at a rate of −2.64%, from 3.55k employees to 3.46k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Sierra County, NM, are Health Care & Social Assistance (756 people), Retail Trade (527 people), and Educational Services (372 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Sierra County, NM, though some of these residents may live in Sierra County, NM and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$25,408

Median earning men ± $4,645

$27,532

Median earning women ± $9,961

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($64,022), Public Administration ($56,182), and Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation, & Accommodations & Food Services ($36,250).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($86,667), Public Administration ($50,833), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($41,622).

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

21
Retail Trade
20
Construction
17
Accommodation and Food Services

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

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$22.5k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$12.8k
Retail Trade
$11.8k
Construction

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

Education

Completions

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.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2022, 1.05% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.86% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

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

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (454k), Some college (398k), and Secondary Education (257k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Sierra County, NM was $144,800 in 2023, which is 0.477 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $138,400 to $144,800, a 4.62% increase. The homeownership rate in Sierra County, NM is 70.2%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Sierra County, NM have an average commute time of 13.8 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Sierra County, NM is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Sierra County, NM is $37,840. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Sierra County, NM was Census Tract 9623 with a value of $46,667, followed by Census Tract 9624.01 and Census Tract 9624.02, with respective values of $43,112 and $40,303.

In 2023, 17.6% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Sierra County, NM. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator grew 2.75%.

Housing

Property

$144,800

Median Property Value 2023

±$23,979

$3,806

Median Property Taxes

±$450

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

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

Rent vs Own

70.2%

Homeownership

2023

67.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 70.2% of the housing units in Sierra County, NM were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 73.2%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 9623
Census Tract 9624.01
Census Tract 9624.02

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Sierra County, NM was Census Tract 9623 with a value of $46,667, followed by Census Tract 9624.01 and Census Tract 9624.02, with respective values of $43,112 and $40,303.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Sierra County, NM colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

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

$37,840

Median Household Income

± $7,491

5.42k

Number of Households

± 610

In 2023, the median household income of the 5.42k households in Sierra County, NM grew to $37,840 from the previous year's value of $35,256.

The following chart displays the households in Sierra 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 Sierra County, NM is from New Mexico.

0.462

2022 Wage GINI in New Mexico

0.46

2021 Wage GINI in New Mexico

In 2022, the income inequality in New Mexico was 0.462 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.44% growth from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for New Mexico was lower than than the national average of 0.478. 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 2023

Drove Alone (73.8%)
Carpooled (8.76%)
Worked At Home (7.22%)

In 2023, 73.8% of workers in Sierra County, NM drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (8.76%) and those who worked at home (7.22%).

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

13.8 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Sierra County, NM have a shorter commute time (13.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 0.188% of the workforce in Sierra County, NM have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2023, 17.6% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Sierra County, NM. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator grew 2.75%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

24.9% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Sierra County, NM (2.81k out of 11.3k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 65 - 74, followed by Males 55 - 64 and then Females 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Sierra County, NM is White, followed by Hispanic 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 2023, 50.2% of the children was living in poverty in Sierra County, NM. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator grew 7.7%.

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.

Health

95.9% of the population of Sierra County, NM has health coverage, with 20.6% on employee plans, 34.1% on Medicaid, 20.7% on Medicare, 18.2% on non-group plans, and 2.21% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Sierra County, NM see 2173 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.695% increase from the previous year (2158 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1278 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 479 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 52.4% were men and 47.6% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,173 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Sierra County, NM

Primary care physicians in Sierra County, NM see an average of 2,173 patients per year. This represents a 0.695% increase from the previous year (2,158 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 16.1% under 18 years, 12.1% between 18 and 34 years, 35.5% between 35 and 64 years, and 36.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 52.4% were men and 47.6% were women.

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

Uninsured People

4.09%

Uninsured

20.6%

Employer Coverage

34.1%

Medicaid

20.7%

Medicare

18.2%

Non-Group

2.21%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Sierra County, NM grew by 3.37% from 3.96% to 4.09%.

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