County-level Census Bureau data covering income, housing, demographics, education, employment, and more. Counties are the primary administrative division in the U.S. and the most common unit for comparing local conditions across a state.
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023 (released December 2024).
Quick Facts — Lea County
- What is the median household income in Lea County?
- The median household income in Lea County is $68,750 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023).
- What is the poverty rate in Lea County?
- The poverty rate in Lea County is 15.3% (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the median home value in Lea County?
- $176,000 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the average rent in Lea County?
- The median gross rent in Lea County is $1,119 per month (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What percentage of Lea County residents have a college degree?
- 15.3% of adults in Lea County hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
Population
73,154
Median Income
$68,750
Median Home Value
$176,000
Poverty Rate
15.3%
Unemployment (ACS 2023)
7.0%
Median Age
32.0 yrs
Since 2019
Median Income:
+$8,204 (+13.6%)
Home Value:
+$42,900 (+32.2%)
Poverty Rate:
+2.9 pp (+23.4%)
Bachelor's+:
+1.7 pp (+12.5%)
Unemployment:
+0.7 pp (+11.1%)
Demographics
Total Population
73,154
Median Age
32.0
Female
48.1%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino 61.6%
White (non-Hisp.) 32.1%
Black 4.0%
Asian 0.9%
Two or More 31.0%
Other 10.9%
Hispanic Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Mexican
55.1%
Cuban
0.3%
Puerto Rican
0.2%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Income & Poverty
Median Household Income
$68,750
±$4,810
+$6,625 vs. state
Per Capita Income
$96,702
Median Family Income
$79,139
Poverty Rate
15.3%
+1.6 pp vs. state
Child Poverty Rate
21.5%
Working-Age Poverty Rate
—
SNAP Recipients
17.8%
Social Security Income
—
Retirement Income
11.9%
Household Income Distribution
< $10k
8.4%
$10–15k
3.7%
$15–25k
7.4%
$25–35k
9.2%
$35–50k
10.0%
$50–75k
15.2%
$75–100k
13.1%
$100–150k
16.6%
$150–200k
7.9%
$200k+
8.5%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Housing
Total Housing Units
28,125
Owner-Occupied
69.5%
Renter-Occupied
30.5%
Vacancy Rate
12.6%
Median Home Value
$176,000
-$56,200 vs. state
Median Gross Rent
$1,119
Owner Cost Burden (30%+)
22.3%
Renter Cost Burden (30%+)
37.2%
Home Value Distribution
< $50k
8.7%
$50–100k
15.0%
$100–200k
16.7%
$200–300k
24.5%
$300–500k
12.1%
$500k–$1M
4.1%
$1M+
1.0%
Gross Rent Distribution
< $500
7.7%
$500–1k
29.1%
$1–1.5k
44.7%
$1.5–2k
15.8%
$2–2.5k
1.7%
$2.5–3.5k
0.9%
$3.5k+
0.1%
Vehicle Availability
No vehicle
4.3%
1 vehicle
28.1%
2 vehicles
37.0%
3+
30.6%
Housing Type
Single-fam. det.
69.3%
Single-fam. att.
1.9%
2–4 units
0.6%
5–19 units
1.9%
20+ units
3.3%
Mobile home
16.5%
Housing Age
Pre-1940
2.9%
1940–1969
3.4%
1970–1999
16.9%
2000–2009
8.4%
2010+
12.8%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Education
High School or Higher
75.6%
Bachelor's or Higher
15.3%
-14.9 pp vs. state
Graduate Degree
6.9%
Some College / Associate
20.1%
Less Than High School
13.5%
Enrolled in School
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Employment
Labor Force Participation
61.8%
Unemployment Rate
7.0%
+1.0 pp vs. state
Work from Home
3.7%
Self-Employed
6.4%
Government Workers
15.6%
Private For-Profit
77.7%
Industry
Agriculture
17.9%
Edu/Health
16.7%
Retail
10.6%
Transportation
10.5%
Construction
9.4%
Arts/Entmt.
7.8%
Prof. Services
7.7%
Public Admin
3.7%
Manufacturing
3.3%
Finance
3.2%
Wholesale
2.5%
Information
1.9%
Occupation
Management
28.9%
Sales
19.8%
Production
19.7%
Construction
19.6%
Food Prep
11.9%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Commute
Median Travel Time
25.2 min
Drove Alone
77.4%
Carpool
17.0%
Public Transit
0.2%
Work from Home
3.7%
Walked
0.9%
Bicycle
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Households & Families
Total Households
24,568
Avg. Household Size
2.00
Avg. Family Size
—
Married-Couple Households
48.1%
Single-Mother Households
—
Single-Father Households
—
Living Alone
—
Households with Children
22.3%
Multigenerational
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Age Distribution
Under 5
8.0%
5–9
8.6%
10–14
8.1%
15–19
8.1%
20–24
7.4%
25–34
13.9%
35–44
13.4%
45–54
10.8%
55–64
4.9%
65–74
5.5%
75–84
7.0%
85+
2.9%
Under 18: 29.8%
Working age (18–64): 70.2%
65 and over: 11.2%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Social Characteristics
Immigration
Foreign Born
18.0%
Naturalized Citizen
23.1%
Speaks English Less Than Very Well
16.0%
Foreign-Born Origin
Latin America
96.6%
Asia
2.0%
Africa
0.6%
Europe
0.5%
Veterans & Disability
Veteran
3.7%
With a Disability
12.6%
Cognitive Difficulty
—
Ambulatory Difficulty
—
Health Insurance
Insured
85.7%
Uninsured
14.3%
Employer Insurance
—
Medicaid
—
Medicare
—
Technology & Mobility
Broadband Internet
84.4%
Has a Computer
93.0%
Same House 1 Year Ago
88.0%
Moved from Abroad
0.9%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Compare Lea County
Compare to another county →Where People Move From (IRS Migration Data)
Top origins of people who moved to Lea County in 2023, by number of tax returns filed (IRS SOI Migration Data).
| Origin | Tax Returns | People (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| Other flows - South | 383 | 764 |
| Other flows - West | 153 | 319 |
| Other flows - Midwest | 78 | 148 |
| Lubbock County | 64 | 114 |
| El Paso County | 63 | 132 |
| Bernalillo County | 49 | 81 |
| Gaines County | 46 | 101 |
| Eddy County | 45 | 94 |
| Chaves County | 41 | 72 |
| Midland County | 39 | 69 |