Population 8,564 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Quay County
Household size in Quay County
| Period | Quay County | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.31 | 2.71 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.69 | 2.77 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.93 | 2.71 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.94 | 2.63 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.38 | −0.07 | −0.03 |
Quay County is a place of small households, averaging 1.94 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.31, a much bigger shift than nationally. No other New Mexico county has smaller 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 Quay County
| Period | Quay County | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 45.4 | 37.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 45.0 | 38.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 46.3 | 39.3 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 48.5 | 40.5 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.0 | +3.2 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 48.5, Quay County is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. The median age has climbed from 45.4 in 2006–10, mirroring the country. Residents skew youngest in the northwest and oldest in the northeast.
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 Quay County
| Period | Quay County | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.8% | 14.2% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.7% | 14.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.8% | 13.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.4% | 14.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +3.7 pts | +0.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in seven households in Quay County (14.4%), above the national share of 11.6%. The picture is much the same across New Mexico. The single-parent share is up 3.7 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
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 Quay County
Renters in Quay County
| Period | Quay County | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.9% | 30.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 24.5% | 31.8% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 38.5% | 32.3% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 28.4% | 30.0% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.5 pts | −0.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Nearly three in ten households in Quay County rent their homes (28.4%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 64.6% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the northwest; owners are most common in the northeast. The renter share has risen 2.5 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Quay County
| Period | Quay County | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.4% | 13.6% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 37.2% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 42.7% | 15.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 19.2% | 11.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −8.2 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 19.2% of the housing in Quay 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 is down 8.2 points from 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 Quay County
| Period | Quay County | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1968 | 1980 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1965 | 1981 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1965 | 1982 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1965 | 1985 | 1980 |
| Change | −2 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Quay County is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1965, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. Newer construction is concentrated in the northeast, while the west has the oldest housing. Only two of New Mexico's 33 counties have older homes.
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 Quay County
| Period | Quay County | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $530 | $777 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $456 | $866 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $567 | $943 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $995 | $1,188 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$464 | +$411 | +$606 |
The median renter in Quay County pays $995 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $464 a month from 2006–10, an 88% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 35.2% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. The priciest rents are in the west; the most affordable are in the north.
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 Quay County
Bachelor's degrees in Quay County
| Period | Quay County | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.2% | 25.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.9% | 25.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.4% | 26.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 22.8% | 30.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.6 pts | +5.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Quay County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 22.8%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 7.6 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Quay County
| Period | Quay County | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 77.6% | 82.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 81.1% | 83.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 82.9% | 85.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.1% | 87.5% | 89.3% |
| Change | +13.4 pts | +5.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Quay County is a bit above the national rate: 91.1% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 13.4 points, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Quay County
| Period | Quay County | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.1% | 7.3% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 4.3% | 9.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.8% | 6.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.5% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.7 pts | −1.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Quay County: 7.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment is down 0.7 points from 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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).
Quay 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quay County | 1.94 | 48.5 | 14.4% | 28.4% | 19.2% | 1965 | $995 | 22.8% | 91.1% | 7.5% |
| Oldham County | 2.80 | 29.2 | 11.7% | 26.4% | 21.7% | 1968 | $1,112 | 23.0% | 86.7% | 1.7% |
| Randall County | 2.61 | 38.2 | 10.2% | 32.1% | 9.0% | 1989 | $1,295 | 34.5% | 94.1% | 2.8% |
| Potter County | 2.70 | 35.6 | 14.9% | 42.7% | 14.3% | 1968 | $1,090 | 18.0% | 77.6% | 3.4% |
| Armstrong County | 2.31 | 45.8 | 5.6% | 19.8% | 13.5% | 1966 | $1,019 | 26.9% | 94.5% | 1.2% |
| Bernalillo County | 2.45 | 40.6 | 13.0% | 35.5% | 6.4% | 1983 | $1,368 | 37.1% | 90.1% | 5.4% |
| Cibola County | 3.48 | 39.5 | 24.6% | 23.9% | 21.5% | 1980 | $765 | 18.0% | 82.8% | 10.5% |
| Caddo County | 2.83 | 37.6 | 13.4% | 27.3% | 18.2% | 1972 | $765 | 15.6% | 87.1% | 5.7% |
| Grady County | 2.73 | 40.2 | 8.8% | 25.0% | 10.8% | 1985 | $977 | 23.2% | 90.9% | 5.4% |
| McClain County | 2.77 | 39.5 | 8.1% | 20.7% | 7.0% | 1996 | $1,118 | 28.4% | 89.3% | 4.3% |
| Cleveland County | 2.52 | 37.3 | 12.1% | 36.1% | 8.5% | 1990 | $1,308 | 38.0% | 92.7% | 5.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Ceiba Municipio, PR · Van Buren County, TN · Van Buren County, IA · Van Buren County, AR · Valley County, NE · Valley County, MT · Charles Mix County, SD · Charles City County, VA · Chariton County, MO · Vermillion County, IN
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 Quay 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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