You’re probably never going to make enough money to live in the richest counties in New Mexico.
The median household income in Los Alamos County, the richest county in New Mexico is $135,801, significantly higher than the US median of $74,580, which means based purely on math most people never make enough to live there.
And that’s okay because it’s still fun to look at the people living in the lap of luxury.
So we used Saturday Night Science and the most recent Census to rank home prices and incomes for all 32 counties in the Land Of Enchantment. Let’s star gaze together.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | Summary
The 10 Richest Counties In New Mexico For 2024
What is the richest county in New Mexico? The richest county in New Mexico is Los Alamos County. In contrast, the poorest county in state is De Baca County, according to the Census data.
Now you know exactly where to move in New Mexico. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in New Mexico and the cheapest places to live in New Mexico.
The Richest Counties In New Mexico For 2024
1. Los Alamos County
Biggest Place: Los Alamos
Population: 19,253
Median Income: $135,801 (highest)
Median Home Price: $521,400 (2nd highest)
More on Los Alamos County: Data
2. Santa Fe County
Biggest Place: Santa Fe
Population: 154,481
Median Income: $70,522 (4th highest)
Median Home Price: $542,997 (highest)
More on Santa Fe County: Data
3. Sandoval County
Biggest Place: Rio Rancho
Population: 149,460
Median Income: $76,424 (3rd highest)
Median Home Price: $344,355 (4th highest)
More on Sandoval County: Data
4. Taos County
Biggest Place: Taos
Population: 34,475
Median Income: $55,145 (9th highest)
Median Home Price: $438,750 (3rd highest)
More on Taos County: Data
5. Bernalillo County
Biggest Place: Albuquerque
Population: 674,692
Median Income: $62,220 (6th highest)
Median Home Price: $321,383 (6th highest)
More on Bernalillo County: Data
6. Valencia County
Biggest Place: Los Lunas
Population: 76,613
Median Income: $56,246 (7th highest)
Median Home Price: $287,836 (8th highest)
More on Valencia County: Data
7. Eddy County
Biggest Place: Carlsbad
Population: 61,264
Median Income: $77,458 (2nd highest)
Median Home Price: $200,748 (14th highest)
More on Eddy County: Data
8. Rio Arriba County
Biggest Place: Chimayo
Population: 40,285
Median Income: $52,031 (12th highest)
Median Home Price: $298,411 (7th highest)
More on Rio Arriba County: Data
9. Lincoln County
Biggest Place: Ruidoso
Population: 20,222
Median Income: $47,919 (18th highest)
Median Home Price: $327,551 (5th highest)
More on Lincoln County: Data
10. San Juan County
Biggest Place: Farmington
Population: 121,798
Median Income: $50,734 (14th highest)
Median Home Price: $226,331 (10th highest)
More on San Juan County: Data
Methodology: How do you determine which New Mexico county is the richest?
To determine the richest county in New Mexico, we have to look at a handful of metrics that correlate with how rich people are. To do that, we made assumptions about what makes a county rich. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to the American Community Survey data and Zillow for the most recent reporting period for data on the following:
- Average Home Price
- Median Income
We then ranked each county in New Mexico for each of the criteria from one to 32, with one being the richest.
Taking the average rank across the two criteria, we created a Rich Score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Richest County In New Mexico.”
The result is some of the places with the most expensive real estate and highest earners in the Land Of Enchantment.
We updated this article for 2024. This report is our first time ranking the richest counties to live in New Mexico. We have also ranked the richest states and richest cities in the United States.
Summary: The Richest Counties In New Mexico For 2024
Living in New Mexico can vary from one part of the state to the next, with pretty extreme variance in home prices and incomes across counties.
The richest counties in New Mexico are Los Alamos County, Santa Fe County, Sandoval County, Taos County, Bernalillo County, Valencia County, Eddy County, Rio Arriba County, Lincoln County, and San Juan County.
Now you know the parts of the state where Goodwill will have the best goodies, and that’s what you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the poorest counties in New Mexico according to the data:
- De Baca County
- Quay County
- Luna County
For more New Mexico reading, check out:
- Safest Places In New Mexico
- Best Counties To Live In New Mexico
- Richest Cities In New Mexico
- Cheapest Places To Live In New Mexico
Detailed List Of The Richest Counties In New Mexico
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Alamos County | 19,253 | $135,801 | $521,400 |
| 2 | Santa Fe County | 154,481 | $70,522 | $542,997 |
| 3 | Sandoval County | 149,460 | $76,424 | $344,355 |
| 4 | Taos County | 34,475 | $55,145 | $438,750 |
| 5 | Bernalillo County | 674,692 | $62,220 | $321,383 |
| 6 | Valencia County | 76,613 | $56,246 | $287,836 |
| 7 | Eddy County | 61,264 | $77,458 | $200,748 |
| 8 | Rio Arriba County | 40,285 | $52,031 | $298,411 |
| 9 | Lincoln County | 20,222 | $47,919 | $327,551 |
| 10 | San Juan County | 121,798 | $50,734 | $226,331 |
| 11 | Otero County | 67,850 | $50,833 | $208,865 |
| 12 | Lea County | 73,103 | $65,855 | $159,683 |
| 13 | Torrance County | 15,203 | $50,727 | $211,517 |
| 14 | Colfax County | 12,370 | $46,286 | $236,078 |
| 15 | Curry County | 48,327 | $55,427 | $153,664 |
| 16 | Cibola County | 27,211 | $49,866 | $164,815 |
| 17 | Roosevelt County | 19,142 | $52,644 | $140,096 |
| 18 | San Miguel County | 27,215 | $43,490 | $206,338 |
| 19 | Mckinley County | 72,073 | $44,029 | $195,322 |
| 20 | Grant County | 28,006 | $44,895 | $186,605 |
| 21 | Catron County | 3,635 | $44,777 | $191,805 |
| 22 | Hidalgo County | 4,160 | $53,651 | $113,172 |
| 23 | Chaves County | 64,701 | $49,673 | $135,605 |
| 24 | Socorro County | 16,453 | $40,699 | $173,599 |
| 25 | Mora County | 4,208 | $40,231 | $143,264 |
| 26 | Guadalupe County | 4,413 | $38,713 | $157,916 |
| 27 | Union County | 4,074 | $41,714 | $100,273 |
| 28 | Harding County | 671 | $39,489 | $129,561 |
| 29 | Sierra County | 11,506 | $35,256 | $153,121 |
| 30 | Luna County | 25,393 | $38,241 | $128,603 |
| 31 | Quay County | 8,641 | $38,998 | $88,444 |
| 32 | De Baca County | 1,695 | $34,702 | $92,565 |