County · New Mexico

McKinley County, New Mexico

McKinley County, New Mexico. McKinley County had 68,119 residents in 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 6.5% since 2020, while New Mexico grew 0.4%. It holds 44 places (1 city, village or borough and 43 census-designated) and 33 census tracts. GEOID 35031.

McKinley County is the county of the Gallup, NM micropolitan statistical area (the Census Bureau's July 2023 delineation).

Residents, July 2025 estimate

68,119

Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 72,902 · ACS 2020-2024: 70,431

Median household income

$47,668

±$2,757 (90% margin)
New Mexico: $64,059

Median home value

$78,700

±$5,118 (90% margin)
New Mexico: $248,100

Median gross rent

$859

±$56 (90% margin)
New Mexico: $1,067

How many people live in McKinley County, and is it growing?

The 2020 Census counted 72,902 residents in McKinley County. The Census Bureau estimates 68,119 for July 1, 2025, down 6.5% since 2020, while New Mexico grew 0.4%. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts the population at 70,431 over 5,451 square miles of land.

July 2020→2021 −1,160 (71,380)
2021→2022 −1,464 (69,916)
2022→2023 −1,114 (68,802)
2023→2024 −171 (68,631)
2024→2025 −512 (68,119)

McKinley County in New Mexico. Boundaries: Census Bureau 2024.

Counts, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, with the change from 2015-2019
Measure	McKinley County	New Mexico	Change since 2015-2019
Total population	70,431	2,120,246	−2,007
Households	21,353±242	837,414	no clear change
Average household size	3.25±0.04	2.48	−0.17
Housing units	25,304±50	956,964	−1,008

McKinley County's population since 2000

From 74,798 in 2000 to 68,119 in 2025: down 8.9%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.

2000 Census 74,798
2005 (estimate) 70,666
2010 Census 71,492
2015 (estimate) 73,485
2020 Census 72,902
2025 (estimate) 68,119

Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); PEP Vintage 2025 (CO-EST2025); 2020 Census · Check it at data.census.gov

What cities and towns are in McKinley County?

McKinley County holds 44 places: 1 city, village or borough (an incorporated place) and 43 census-designated places. The largest is Gallup with 19,969 residents (2025 estimate). Places that cross a county line are listed with the share of their 2020 residents who live in this county.

Places in McKinley County, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Ring: estimate with a coefficient of variation over 40%.

Gallup	city	21,899	21,023±28	$58,303	$165,200	26.8%	100%
Zuni Pueblo	CDP	6,176	5,864±677	$45,724	$81,700	29.9%	100%
Crownpoint	CDP	2,900	2,882±426	$51,011	$61,100	31.5%	100%
Thoreau	CDP	2,367	1,973±348	$45,469	$95,200	27.5%	100%
Navajo	CDP	1,942	2,181±273	$32,208	not published	51.6%	100%
Church Rock	CDP	1,542	1,381±280	$35,083	$39,100	33.7%	100%
Gamerco	CDP	1,343	1,176±432	$48,977	$99,600	52.0%	100%
Iyanbito	CDP	1,193	1,233±205	$52,500	$49,300	32.2%	100%
Black Rock	CDP	1,190	1,125±167	$46,000	$101,100	38.9%	100%
Twin Lakes	CDP	1,004	893±192	$25,938	$56,500	50.2%	100%
PrewittGEOID 3559540	CDP	842	1,027±401	$19,074	not published	54.4%	100%
Rock SpringsGEOID 3564230	CDP	807	1,013±540	$97,155	$18,000	10.9%	100%
Tohatchi	CDP	785	750±257	$48,125	$56,700	31.3%	100%
Sundance	CDP	760	585±140	$32,000	$52,800	45.1%	100%
Yah-ta-heyGEOID 3585860	CDP	757	507±198	$44,068	$28,200	25.8%	100%
Williams AcresGEOID 3585230	CDP	491	643±514	$40,539	not published	52.7%	100%
PinedaleGEOID 3557160	CDP	485	575±265	not published	$39,900	57.0%	100%
RamahGEOID 3561220	CDP	461	407±228	$112,564	$165,400	49.4%	100%
Tse BonitoGEOID 3579885	CDP	380	93±74	not published	$17,800	16.1%	100%
White CliffsGEOID 3584505	CDP	371	581±416	$74,148	not published	11.9%	100%
Nakaibito	CDP	355	251±64	$27,917	$67,500	45.4%	100%
Fort WingateGEOID 3527410	CDP	328	726±385	$250,000 or more	not published	29.6%	100%
Pueblo Pintado	CDP	318	187±64	$41,250	not published	29.9%	100%
JamestownGEOID 3535070	CDP	317	439±333	$145,172	$157,800	14.1%	100%
BecentiGEOID 3506340	CDP	294	235±81	$55,833	$53,100	18.3%	100%
Brimhall Nizhoni	CDP	286	367±104	$55,417	$65,000	38.1%	100%
CrestviewGEOID 3518770	CDP	279	580±425	$126,678	$228,300	1.4%	100%
HaystackGEOID 3531925	CDP	233	250±84	not published	$106,300	28.4%	100%
Ojo EncinoGEOID 3553620	CDP	222	470±258	$28,953	$92,600	71.9%	100%
SagarGEOID 3565595	CDP	192	197±168	not published	not published	0.0%	100%
Continental DivideGEOID 3517330	CDP	187	231±205	$61,284	not published	11.3%	100%
BluewaterGEOID 3508180	CDP	174	275±144	$122,750	$337,900	0.0%	100%
PinehavenGEOID 3557175	CDP	172	8±15	not published	not published	0.0%	100%
Purty RockGEOID 3560327	CDP	163	133±167	$61,250	not published	0.0%	100%
Catalpa CanyonGEOID 3512844	CDP	161	302±239	not published	not published	12.3%	100%
Crystal	CDP	302	287±76	$43,125	$89,000	33.8%	47%
Borrego PassGEOID 3508493	CDP	117	129±80	$33,333	$85,000	61.2%	100%
Homer C JonesGEOID 3533122	CDP	113	2±6	not published	not published	0.0%	100%
TimberlakeGEOID 3577930	CDP	121	110±125	not published	not published	0.0%	73%
ManuelitoGEOID 3546660	CDP	68	27±17	$33,750	not published	48.1%	100%
VanderwagenGEOID 3582430	CDP	48	61±86	not published	not published	44.3%	100%
Red Rock RanchGEOID 3562295	CDP	35	0±14	not published	not published	–	100%
Black HatGEOID 3507492	CDP	12	2±4	not published	not published	100.0%	100%
McGaffeyGEOID 3545890	CDP	0	0±14	not published	not published	–	100%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 place-by-county parts · Check it at data.census.gov

Who lives in McKinley County?

The median resident of McKinley County is 34.6 years old; 27.1% are under 18 and 13.8% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native residents at 75.4%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 12.2%. 2.4% of residents were born outside the United States.

Age, origin and education, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Race groups are non-Hispanic; Hispanic includes any race.
Measure	McKinley County	New Mexico	Change since 2015-2019
Median age	34.6±0.1	39.4	+2.2
Under 18 years	27.1%±0.1 pts	21.7%	–
65 years and over	13.8%±0.1 pts	19.3%	–
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	12.2%	48.4%	−2.0 pts
White alone, not Hispanic	8.0%±0.1 pts	36.0%	−0.6 pts
Black or African American alone, not Hispanic	0.4%±0.1 pts	1.8%	−0.2 pts
Asian alone, not Hispanic	1.4%±0.1 pts	1.6%	+0.4 pts
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	75.4%±0.5 pts	8.5%	–
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0.1%±0.1 pts	0.1%	–
Two or more races, not Hispanic	2.4%±0.6 pts	3.1%	–
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	0.1%±0.1 pts	0.5%	–
Born outside the United States	2.4%±0.3 pts	9.4%	no clear change
Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+)	48.9%±1.8 pts	31.3%	–
Civilian veterans (age 18+)	4.3%±0.6 pts	7.9%	–
With a disability	16.5%±0.8 pts	17.0%	–
No health insurance coverage	16.8%±1.2 pts	9.6%	−3.1 pts
High school graduate or higher (age 25+)	81.8%±1.1 pts	88.0%	–
Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)	13.3%±1.0 pts	31.0%	+1.9 pts
Graduate or professional degree (age 25+)	5.3%±0.6 pts	13.9%	–
Moved from another state in the past year	1.2%±0.5 pts	3.0%	–

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov

What do households in McKinley County earn?

Half of McKinley County's 21,353 households earn less than $47,668 a year (±$2,757), against $64,059 in New Mexico. In 2015-2019 the median was $41,639 in 2024 dollars, so it rose by $6,029 after inflation. 33.2% of residents live below the poverty line.

Income and poverty in 2024 dollars, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	McKinley County	New Mexico	Change since 2015-2019
Median household income	$47,668±$2,757	$64,059	+$6,029
Mean household income	$62,961±$2,640	$88,155	–
Per capita income	$20,856±$807	$36,218	+$1,250
People below the poverty line	33.2%±2.3 pts	17.8%	no clear change
Children under 18 below the poverty line	42.5%±4.6 pts	24.0%	no clear change
Households receiving SNAP	37.7%±2.1 pts	19.2%	–
Households with a broadband subscription	64.8%±1.7 pts	86.5%	–

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov

What does housing cost in McKinley County?

Owners occupy 69.8% of McKinley County's occupied homes and renters 30.2%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $78,700 by its owner (±$5,118). The median renter pays $859 a month including utilities, and 35.4% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.

Housing, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	McKinley County	New Mexico	Change since 2015-2019
Median home value (owner-occupied)	$78,700±$5,118	$248,100	no clear change
Median gross rent	$859±$56	$1,067	no clear change
Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent	35.4%±4.9 pts	41.7%	+7.8 pts
Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage	$1,319±$98	$1,564	–
Owner-occupied homes	69.8%±1.8 pts	70.0%	no clear change
Housing units	25,304±50	956,964	−1,008
Homeowner vacancy rate	0.2%±0.2 pts	1.0%	–
Rental vacancy rate	2.3%±0.9 pts	5.9%	–
Single-family detached homes	63.9%±1.8 pts	64.5%	–
Mobile homes	25.0%±1.6 pts	15.5%	–
Built 2020 or later	0.9%±0.4 pts	1.4%	–
Built 1939 or earlier	2.7%±0.7 pts	4.4%	–

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov

How many new homes is McKinley County building?

Builders took permits for 0 new housing units across McKinley County in 2025 (0 single-family), 0.0 per 1,000 residents.

2019 2 units
2020 13 units
2021 2 units
2022 1 units
2023 1 units
2024 8 units
2025 0 units

Source: Building Permits Survey, annual county files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey

How do people in McKinley County get to work?

79.9% of McKinley County's workers drive alone and 8.9% work from home. The average trip to work takes 27.0 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 9.0%.

Work and commuting, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	McKinley County	New Mexico	Change since 2015-2019
In the labor force (age 16+)	48.5%±1.3 pts	57.8%	–
Unemployment rate	9.0%±1.2 pts	6.0%	−5.0 pts
Drove alone to work	79.9%±1.7 pts	73.6%	–
Carpooled	7.8%±1.4 pts	9.9%	–
Public transportation	1.1%±0.7 pts	0.6%	–
Walked	1.4%±0.4 pts	1.9%	–
Worked from home	8.9%±1.1 pts	12.2%	no clear change
Mean travel time to work	27.0 min±1.3	23.5 min	+4.7 min

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov

What are McKinley County's census tracts?

McKinley County is divided into 33 census tracts. Among those with a reliable estimate, median household income runs from $24,167 (Tract 9457.02) to $90,326 (Tract 9457.01).

All 33 census tracts of McKinley County, with their figures

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · Check it at data.census.gov

How does McKinley County compare with New Mexico's other counties?

McKinley County's rank among New Mexico's counties with a reliable estimate (1 = highest)
Measure	Rank
Population	8th of 33
Growth 2020-2025	33rd of 33
Residents per square mile	12th of 33
Median household income	25th of 32
Median home value	31st of 32
Median gross rent	19th of 31
Poverty rate	1st of 33
Bachelor's degree or higher	32nd of 33
Median age	29th of 33

Every county in New Mexico

Source: PlainCities ranks from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed

How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections

Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for McKinley County are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.