Population 70,431 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in McKinley County
Household size in McKinley County
| Period | McKinley County | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.07 | 2.71 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 4.10 | 2.77 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.51 | 2.71 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.35 | 2.63 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.72 | −0.07 | −0.03 |
Households in McKinley County are large by national standards, averaging 3.35 people against 2.65 for the U.S. That usually means more families with children at home. Household size has dropped from 4.07 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only one other New Mexico county has larger households.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in McKinley County
| Period | McKinley County | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.2 | 37.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 31.4 | 38.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 33.3 | 39.3 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 34.8 | 40.5 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.6 | +3.2 | +2.3 |
McKinley County is young: half of its residents are under 34.8, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young families with children. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 31.2, as it has nationally.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in McKinley County
| Period | McKinley County | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.3% | 14.2% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 20.0% | 14.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 21.8% | 13.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 27.3% | 14.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +8.0 pts | +0.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head more than a quarter of households in McKinley County (27.3%), well above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has risen 8.0 points since 2006–10, even as the national share fell. No other New Mexico county has a higher share of single-parent households.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in McKinley County
Renters in McKinley County
| Period | McKinley County | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.6% | 30.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 27.0% | 31.8% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 29.1% | 32.3% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 30.2% | 30.0% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.6 pts | −0.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
About three in ten households in McKinley County rent their homes (30.2%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 78.2% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the west and least common in the north. The renter share has risen 3.6 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in McKinley County
| Period | McKinley County | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.4% | 13.6% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 30.2% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 20.4% | 15.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.7% | 11.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −15.7 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 15.7% of the housing in McKinley County, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Vacancy has fallen 15.7 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in McKinley County
| Period | McKinley County | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1980 | 1980 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1981 | 1981 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1983 | 1982 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1985 | 1985 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in McKinley County is a little younger than the country's: half of it was built after 1985, against 1980 nationally. The picture is much the same across New Mexico. The median year built has moved up from 1980 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in McKinley County
| Period | McKinley County | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $486 | $777 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $566 | $866 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $695 | $943 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $843 | $1,188 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$357 | +$411 | +$606 |
The median renter in McKinley County pays $843 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $357 a month from 2006–10, a 73% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 24.5% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in McKinley County
Bachelor's degrees in McKinley County
| Period | McKinley County | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.0% | 25.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.5% | 25.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 11.3% | 26.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.4% | 30.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +2.4 pts | +5.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in McKinley County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 13.4%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 2.4 points, a smaller shift than nationally. Only one other New Mexico county has a lower share of college graduates.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in McKinley County
| Period | McKinley County | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 68.3% | 82.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 71.9% | 83.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 76.5% | 85.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 82.1% | 87.5% | 89.3% |
| Change | +13.8 pts | +5.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in six adults in McKinley County never finished high school, well above the national share: only 82.1% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma has risen 13.8 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. McKinley County has a lower share of high school graduates than the great majority of New Mexico counties.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in McKinley County
| Period | McKinley County | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.6% | 7.3% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 14.1% | 9.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 14.5% | 6.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.2% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.4 pts | −1.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in McKinley County: 9.2% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Of New Mexico's 33 counties, only two have higher unemployment. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
McKinley County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McKinley County | 3.35 | 34.8 | 27.3% | 30.2% | 15.7% | 1985 | $843 | 13.4% | 82.1% | 9.2% |
| Apache County | 3.18 | 37.7 | 18.7% | 20.6% | 25.3% | 1988 | $713 | 17.1% | 85.1% | 10.0% |
| Santa Fe County | 2.29 | 48.8 | 9.2% | 28.5% | 9.9% | 1988 | $1,481 | 44.6% | 90.8% | 5.3% |
| Coconino County | 2.39 | 36.7 | 11.9% | 40.3% | 15.2% | 1992 | $1,420 | 40.6% | 92.3% | 6.0% |
| San Miguel County | 2.27 | 45.7 | 14.3% | 26.9% | 20.4% | 1977 | $825 | 27.2% | 87.6% | 4.9% |
| Hutchinson County | 2.91 | 39.6 | 9.1% | 16.7% | 30.5% | 1970 | $1,010 | 16.2% | 84.9% | 3.8% |
| Gray County | 2.37 | 38.3 | 13.5% | 23.6% | 19.2% | 1964 | $931 | 17.1% | 83.9% | 5.8% |
| Roger Mills County | 2.37 | 43.1 | 8.6% | 16.9% | 23.5% | 1974 | $798 | 24.9% | 94.3% | 3.2% |
| Custer County | 2.49 | 34.0 | 10.7% | 39.8% | 15.2% | 1978 | $852 | 31.6% | 88.5% | 4.2% |
| Canadian County | 2.94 | 36.4 | 10.7% | 25.2% | 6.3% | 1999 | $1,476 | 33.2% | 93.1% | 4.2% |
| Oklahoma County | 2.53 | 36.5 | 13.2% | 41.8% | 9.6% | 1980 | $1,291 | 35.4% | 87.7% | 4.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Putnam County, TN · Madison County, NY · Manitowoc County, WI · Marion County, OH · Mayaguez Municipio, PR · Monroe County, FL · Natrona County, WY · Oconee County, SC · Payne County, OK · Lynchburg City, VA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up McKinley County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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