Rio Arriba County, New Mexico Demographics 2026

Name: Rio Arriba County, New Mexico Demographics
Creator: U.S. Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Rio Arriba County, New Mexico has a population of 40,070, the 13th most populous county in New Mexico. The median household income is $57,155 and the median home value is $243,700. The poverty rate is 18.2%.

Data vintage: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates · refreshed July 2026 · Methodology & source notes

Rio Arriba County Quick Facts

Population 40,070

Median Household Income $57,155

Median Home Value $243,700

Poverty Rate 18.2%

Unemployment Rate 4.9%

Median Age 42.0 years

Homeownership Rate 80.0%

Affordability Ratio 4.3x

Bachelor's Degree+ 19.0%

High School Graduation 87.7%

Cities/Places 35

Population 40,070 13th of 33

Median Income $57,155 11% lower than state

Poverty Rate 18.2%

Unemployment 4.9%

How Rio Arriba County Changed

Change from the 2019–2023 ACS period to 2020–2024. These are rolling five-year estimates, not year-over-year measurements.

Metric	2019–2023	2020–2024	Change
Population	40,165	40,070	-0.2%
Median household income	$53,901	$57,155	+6.0%
Median home value	$230,900	$243,700	+5.5%

Median Household Income

Rio Arriba

$57,155

$64,059

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

Rio Arriba

$243,700

$248,100

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 22.4%

$25K-$50K 23.2%

$50K-$100K 28.9%

$100K+ 25.5%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

6.3%

$10K-$15K

5.3%

$15K-$20K

5.6%

$20K-$25K

5.3%

$25K-$30K

3.8%

$30K-$35K

5.1%

$35K-$40K

5.1%

$40K-$45K

4.8%

$45K-$50K

4.4%

$50K-$60K

6.6%

$60K-$75K

10.7%

$75K-$100K

11.6%

$100K-$125K

7.5%

$125K-$150K

5.4%

$150K-$200K

6.1%

$200K+

6.5%

Employment

4.9% Unemployment Rate State: 6.0%|National: 5.2%

53.0% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 80.0%

Renter 20.0%

Affordability Index Moderate

4.3x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $740/mo 15.5% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

22.5%

18-34

19.1%

35-54

22.8%

55-74

26.7%

75+

8.9%

Race & Ethnicity

Diversity Index

Moderate Diversity

Moderate diversity with one or two groups making up the majority.

State average: 63 | National average: 61

Education

Educational Attainment (Adults 25+)

Cities & Places in Rio Arriba County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
Dulce	3,218	$39,773	22.1%	$53,300
La Mesilla	2,697	$81,438	9.0%	$315,800
Dixon	1,623	$54,231	37.6%	$392,700
La Villita	1,534	$104,162	4.7%	$253,500
Ohkay Owingeh	1,194	$47,067	23.6%	N/A
Los Luceros	1,136	N/A	3.4%	N/A
El Rito	1,102	N/A	54.4%	$332,300
Chamita	867	$68,472	19.8%	$222,300
Chama	776	$30,694	20.8%	$189,100
San Jose (Rio Arriba County)	776	$80,179	14.3%	$254,900
Hernandez	769	$26,923	28.1%	$148,200
Santa Clara Pueblo	733	$46,875	26.7%	$123,900
Truchas	528	N/A	8.3%	$315,800
El Duende	454	$124,081	0.4%	N/A
Canova	452	N/A	0.0%	N/A
Tierra Amarilla	429	N/A	0.0%	N/A
Cordova	389	$23,395	64.3%	N/A
Gallina	318	$77,629	9.4%	$196,100
Alcalde	285	$48,000	17.2%	$250,000
Medanales	280	N/A	0.0%	N/A
Velarde	229	$97,776	0.0%	$234,100
Ensenada	225	N/A	0.0%	N/A
Chili	209	$63,939	0.0%	$296,300
Canjilon	185	N/A	0.0%	$395,800
La Madera (Rio Arriba County)	171	N/A	100.0%	N/A
Lumberton	130	N/A	16.9%	N/A
Ojo Sarco	112	$13,292	72.3%	$63,200
Lindrith	111	$71,359	0.0%	$106,600
Coyote	64	N/A	0.0%	N/A
Cañones	57	$103,625	0.0%	$658,300
Youngsville	44	N/A	0.0%	N/A
Pueblito	41	N/A	0.0%	N/A
Abiquiu	40	N/A	0.0%	N/A
Los Ojos	23	N/A	0.0%	N/A
Lybrook	21	N/A	0.0%	N/A

Explore New Mexico Rankings

Cities by Population All cities ranked by size Richest Cities Ranked by median income Most Educated By bachelor's degree rate Most Affordable By housing affordability

Population Overview

Rio Arriba County is located in New Mexico with a total population of 40,070. It is the 13th most populous county out of 33 in New Mexico. The county encompasses 35 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Rio Arriba County is 42.0 years. This is 7% higher than the state median of 39.4 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Rio Arriba County is $57,155. This is 11% lower than the state median of $64,059. It is also 29% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 18.2%. This is 2% higher than the state poverty rate of 17.8%. The unemployment rate is 4.9%. This is 17% lower than the state rate of 6.0%. The median home value is $243,700. Housing costs are 2% lower than the state median of $248,100. The home-value-to-income ratio is 4.3x. 80.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 14% higher than the state average of 70.0%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Rio Arriba County is Hispanic or Latino, making up 67.2% of the population. White (non-Hispanic) residents account for 14.0%. The White (non-Hispanic) population (14.0%) is well below the state average of 36.0%. The Black or African American population (0.6%) is well below the state average of 1.8%. The Asian population (0.6%) is well below the state average of 1.6%.

Education

19.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 39% lower than the state rate of 31.0%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 87.7%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Rio Arriba County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against New Mexico and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Rio Arriba County, New Mexico?

Rio Arriba County has a population of 40,070, making it the 13th most populous county in New Mexico.

What is the median income in Rio Arriba County?

The median household income in Rio Arriba County is $57,155 with a poverty rate of 18.2%.

How many cities are in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico?

Rio Arriba County contains 35 Census-designated places.