Union County, New Mexico Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Union County is located in New Mexico with a total population of 4,039. It is the 30th most populous county out of 33 in New Mexico. The county encompasses 5 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Union County is 40.3 years. This is 3% higher than the state median of 39.2 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Union County is $45,319. This is 27% lower than the state median of $62,125. It is also 42% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 19.5%. This is 8% higher than the state poverty rate of 18.1%. The unemployment rate is 6.6%. This is 10% higher than the state rate of 6.0%. The median home value is $135,900. Housing costs are 41% lower than the state median of $232,200. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.0x. 68.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 2% lower than the state average of 69.3%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Union County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 54.0% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 39.7%. The Black or African American population (0.8%) is well below the state average of 1.8%.

Education

18.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 40% lower than the state rate of 30.2%. Nationally, 35.0% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 88.9%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Union County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023), 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.