County profile

Colfax County

New Mexico · ACS 2020–2024

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Latest estimates

At a glance

U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Total population
12,322
Median household income
$53,554
People below poverty
18.2%
Median home value
$167,200

Income

The median income of households in Colfax County, New Mexico was $53,554. An estimated 5.8% of households had income below $10,000 a year and 5.5% had income of $200,000 or more.

Household Income in Colfax County, New Mexico in 2020-2024

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Percent
Less than $10,000 5.8
$10,000 to $14,999 4.9
$15,000 to $24,999 10.1
$25,000 to $34,999 13.4
$35,000 to $49,999 10.5
$50,000 to $74,999 26.4
$75,000 to $99,999 9.2
$100,000 to $149,999 11.3
$150,000 to $199,999 3
$200,000 or more 5.5

Median Earnings for Full-Time Year-Round Workers by Sex in Colfax County, New Mexico in 2020-2024

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Dollars
Male 46924
Female 47740

An estimated 60.6% of households received earnings. An estimated 52.6% of households received Social Security and an estimated 34.6 % of households received retirement income other than Social Security. The average income from Social Security was $22,565. These income sources are not mutually exclusive; that is, some households received income from more than one source.

Proportion of Households with Various Income Sources in Colfax County, New Mexico in 2020-2024

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Percent
Earnings 60.6
Social Security 52.6
Retirement income 34.6
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 7.6
Cash public assistance income 2.9

Poverty and Participation in Government Programs

In 2020-2024, 18.2 % of people were in poverty. An estimated 33.4% of children under 18 were below the poverty level, compared with 9.9% of people 65 years old and over. An estimated 17.5% of people 18 to 64 years were below the poverty level.

Poverty Rates in Colfax County, New Mexico in 2020-2024

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Percent
People in poverty 18.2
Children under 18 years below poverty 33.4
People 65 years old and over below poverty 9.9
People 18 to 64 years below poverty 17.5

In 2020-2024, 23.4 % of households received SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). An estimated 35.9% of households that received SNAP had children under 18, and 37.2% of households that received SNAP had one or more people 60 years and over. An estimated 23.7% of all households receiving SNAP were families with a female householder and no spouse present.


Among the civilian noninstitutionalized population in Colfax County, New Mexico in 2020-2024, 89.9% had health insurance coverage and 10.1% did not have health insurance coverage. Private coverage was 50% and public coverage was 64.5%, respectively. The percentage of children under the age of 19 with no health insurance coverage was 10.9%.


In 2020-2024, Colfax County, New Mexico had a total population of 12,322 - 6,078 (49.3%) females and 6,244 (50.7%) males. The median age was 49.1 years. An estimated 17.5% of the population was under 18 years, 25.9% was 19 to 44 years, 25.4% was 45 to 64 years, and 28.8 % was 65 years and older.

Population by Age and Sex for Colfax County, New Mexico in 2020-2024

Male Female
Under 5 209 281
5 to 9 254 353
10 to 14 332 317
15 to 19 297 403
20 to 24 342 253
25 to 29 394 272
30 to 34 376 267
35 to 39 374 282
40 to 44 298 339
45 to 49 352 349
50 to 54 346 260
55 to 59 354 468
60 to 64 536 465
65 to 69 513 490
70 to 74 534 489
75 to 79 416 345
80 to 84 195 101
85 and over 122 344

Hispanic Origin and Race

For people reporting one race alone, 62.8% were White; 0.7% were Black or African American; 8.4% were American Indian and Alaska Native; 0.2% were Asian; 0.3% were Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, and 0% were Some Other Race. An estimated 24.2% reported Two or More Races. An estimated 47.6% of the people in Colfax County, New Mexico were Hispanic or Latino. An estimated 47.4% of the people in Colfax County, New Mexico were White alone, non-Hispanic. People of Hispanic origin may be of any race.


Households and Families

In 2020-2024, there were 5,368 households in Colfax County, New Mexico. The average household size was 2.17 people.

Married-couple households made up 36.7% of the households in Colfax County, New Mexico while cohabiting couple households made up 6.7% of households. Female householders with no spouse or partner present were 31.4% of all households, while 25.3% of households had male householders with no spouse or partner present. Some households had one person, as 17.6% of households were male householders living alone, and 21% were female householders living alone, for a total of 38.6% of all households.

In Colfax County, New Mexico, 20% of all households had one or more people under the age of 18; 49.4% of all households had one or more people 65 years and over.

Types of Households in Colfax County, New Mexico in 2020-2024

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Percent
Married-couple households 36.7
Cohabiting Couples 6.7
Male Householder
No spouse/partner present
25.3
Female Householder
No spouse/partner present
31.4

Marital Status

Among persons 15 and older, 41.5% of males and 38.7% of females were currently married.

Population 15 years and over Percent
Males
Percent
Females
Never married 35.7 25.9
Now married, except separated 41.5 38.7
Separated 1.8 2.1
Widowed 5.1 14.2
Divorced 15.9 19

Grandparents and Grandchildren

In Colfax County, New Mexico, 133 grandparents lived with their grandchildren under 18 years old. Of those grandparents, 96.2% were responsible for the basic needs of their grandchildren.


Nativity and Foreign-Born

In 2020-2024, an estimated 95.7% of the people living in Colfax County, New Mexico were U.S. natives. 53.1% of the Colfax County, New Mexico population were living in the state where they were born.

Approximately 4.3% of Colfax County, New Mexico residents in 2020-2024 were foreign-born. 42.3% of foreign-born were naturalized U.S. citizens and an estimated 67.6 % entered the country before the year 2010.

Foreign-born residents of Colfax County, New Mexico come from different parts of the world. The bar graph below displays the percentage of foreign-born from each world region of birth in 2020-2024 for Colfax County, New Mexico.

Region of Birth for the Foreign-Born Population in Colfax County, New Mexico in 2020-2024

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Percent
Latin America 65.9
Asia 6.3
Europe 26.9
Africa 0.4
Northern America 0.6
Oceania 0

Language

Among people at least five years old living in Colfax County, New Mexico in 2020-2024, 19 % spoke a language other than English at home. Spanish was spoken by 17.4% of people at least five years old; 2.9% reported that they did not speak English "very well."

Percentage of the Population 5 years and over who Speak a Language other than English in Colfax County, New Mexico in 2020-2024

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Percent
Spanish 17.4
Other Indo-European languages 0.5
Asian and Pacific Islander languages 0
Other languages 1.1

Geographic Mobility

In 2020-2024, 85.4 % of the people at least one year old living in Colfax County, New Mexico were living in the same house one year earlier.

Geographic Mobility of Residents of Colfax County, New Mexico in 2020-2024

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Percent
Same house 85.4
Different house, same county 8
Different county, same state 3.1
Different state 3
Abroad 0.6

Education

In 2020-2024, 90.3 % of people 25 years and over had at least graduated from high school and 25.4% had a bachelor's degree or higher. An estimated 9.7% did not complete high school.

The total school enrollment in Colfax County, New Mexico was 2,301 in 2020-2024. Nursery school enrollment was 200 and kindergarten through 12th grade enrollment was 1,622. College or graduate school enrollment was 479.

Educational Attainment of People in Colfax County, New Mexico in 2020-2024

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Percent
Less than high school diploma 9.7
High school diploma or equivalency 32.8
Some college, no degree 22
Associate's degree 10.1
Bachelor's degree 16.2
Graduate or professional degree 9.2

Disability

In Colfax County, New Mexico, among the civilian noninstitutionalized population in 2020-2024, 26.3 % reported a disability. The likelihood of having a disability varied by age - from 7.9% of people under 18 years old, to 21.7% of people 18 to 64 years old, and to 46% of those 65 and over.


Employment Status and Type of Employer

In Colfax County, New Mexico, 46.2 % of the population 16 and over were employed; 52% were not currently in the labor force.

An estimated 70% of the people employed were private wage and salary workers; 19.5% were federal, state, or local government workers; and 9.4 % were self-employed in their own (not incorporated) business.

Class of worker Number Percent
Private wage and salary workers 3,391 70
Federal, state, or local government workers 944 19.5
Self-employed workers in own not incorporated business 454 9.4

Industries

In 2020-2024, the civilian employed population 16 years and older in Colfax County, New Mexico worked in the following industries:

Percent by Industry in Colfax County, New Mexico in 2020-2024

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Percent
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining 4.8
Construction 4.9
Manufacturing 4.2
Wholesale trade 1.7
Retail trade 14.9
Transportation and warehousing, and utilities 3.5
Information 1.3
Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing 5.1
Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services 9.5
Educational services, and health care and social assistance 21.1
Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation, and food services 12.7
Other Services, except public administration 10.1
Public administration 6.1

Occupations

Occupations for the Civilian Employed Population 16 Years and over in Colfax County, New Mexico in 2020-2024

Civilian employed population 16 years and over Number Percent
Management, business, sciences, and arts occupations 1,462 30.2
Service occupations 1,351 27.9
Sales and office occupations 1,010 20.9
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations 489 10.1
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations 531 11

Commuting to Work

An estimated 69% of Colfax County, New Mexico workers drove to work alone in 2020-2024, and 14.3% carpooled. Among those who commuted to work, it took them on average 19.9 minutes to get to work.

Percent of Workers 16 and over Commuting by Mode in Colfax County, New Mexico in 2020-2024

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Percent
Car, truck, van -- drove alone 69
Car, truck, van -- carpooled 14.3
Public transportation (excluding taxicab) 0.8
Walked 1.6
Other means 2.3
Worked from home 12

In 2020-2024, Colfax County, New Mexico had a total of 9,607 housing units. Of these housing units, 74.4% were single-family houses either not attached to any other structure or attached to one or more structures (commonly referred to as "townhouses" or "row houses"). 11.1% of the housing units were located in multi-unit structures, or those buildings that contained two or more apartments. 14.4% were mobile homes, while any remaining housing units were classified as "other," which included boats, recreational vehicles, vans, etc.

Types of Housing Units in Colfax County, New Mexico in 2020-2024

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Percent
Single-family houses 74.4
Apartments in multi-unit structures 11.1
Mobile homes 14.4
Boat, RV, van, etc 0.1

4.3% of the housing inventory was comprised of houses built since 2010, while 14.2% of the houses were first built in 1939 or earlier. The median number of rooms in all housing units in Colfax County, New Mexico was 5.1 rooms, and of these housing units 59.5% had three or more bedrooms.


In 2020-2024, Colfax County, New Mexico had 5,368 housing units that were occupied or had people living in them, while the remaining 4,239 were vacant. Of the occupied housing units, the percentage of these houses occupied by owners (also known as the homeownership rate) was 71.8% while renters occupied 28.2%. The average household size of owner-occupied houses was 2.19 and in renter-occupied houses it was 2.12.

4.5% of householders of these occupied houses had moved into their house since 2021, while 18.1% moved into their house in 1989 or earlier. Households without a vehicle available for personal use comprised 6.6% and another 29.9% had three or more vehicles available for use.

The following chart provides the primary fuel used to heat houses in Colfax County, New Mexico:

House Heating Fuel Used in Colfax County, New Mexico in 2020-2024

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Percent
Gas 78.4
Electricity 11
Fuel oil, kerosene, etc 0.1
All other fuels 10.1
No fuel used 0.3

In 2020-2024, the median property value for owner-occupied houses in Colfax County, New Mexico was $167,200.

Of the owner-occupied households, 37 % had a mortgage. 63% owned their houses "free and clear," that is without a primary mortgage or loan on the house. The median monthly housing costs for owners with a mortgage was $1,274 and for owners without a mortgage it was $448.

For renter-occupied houses, the median gross rent for Colfax County, New Mexico was $729. Gross rent includes the monthly contract rent and any monthly payments made for electricity, gas, water and sewer, and any other fuels to heat the house.