Lincoln County, New Mexico

County Distress Index: Elevated · 57.2 | 20,029 people · 23rd most distressed in New Mexico
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Lincoln County, NM registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 57.2 — 1068th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Community Vulnerability, where uninsured and disability rates are well above the national average. Within New Mexico, it ranks 23rd of 33 counties. It scores lower than all 7 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Lincoln County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 82.8 — worse than roughly 83% of U.S. counties.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 82.8
Uninsured Rate 74
Disability Rate 92
Income & Poverty 59.0
Poverty Rate 69
Income vs. State Median 21
Child Poverty Rate 87
Housing Cost Burden 54.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 72
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 50
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 88
Homeownership Rate 21
Rent-to-Income Ratio 41
Employment & Wages 54.2
Unemployment Rate 76
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 70
Business Formation Rate 17
Debt & Delinquency 35.6
Debt in Collections 49
Medical Debt 45
Student Loan Delinquency 9
Auto Loan Delinquency 46
Credit Card Delinquency 57
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 8

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Lincoln County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Lincoln County
Lincoln County, NM 57.2 Elevated —
Torrance County, NM 69.8 Serious +12.6
Socorro County, NM 68.8 Serious +11.6
De Baca County, NM 68.6 Serious +11.4
Chaves County, NM 68.5 Serious +11.3
Sierra County, NM 65.8 Serious +8.6
Guadalupe County, NM 65.6 Serious +8.4
Otero County, NM 63.4 Elevated +6.2

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Lincoln County
Braxton County, WV 57.2 Elevated 0.0
Washington County, IN 57.2 Elevated +0.0
Hickman County, TN 57.2 Elevated -0.0
Walthall County, MS 57.2 Elevated +0.0
Bath County, KY 57.2 Elevated +0.0

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Lincoln County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Lincoln County

Find an Attorney

State Bar of New Mexico Lawyer Referral Program offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

State Bar of New Mexico Lawyer Referral Program 505-797-6000

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Lincoln County residents at no cost.

New Mexico Legal Aid 1-866-416-1922
Law Access New Mexico 1-800-340-9771
DNA-Peoples Legal Services, Inc. (928) 871-4151

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Lincoln County, New Mexico?

    Lincoln County has a County Distress Index score of 57.2 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,068th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 23rd in New Mexico out of 33 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Lincoln County?

    The primary driver of distress in Lincoln County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 82.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Lincoln County compare to neighboring counties?

    Lincoln County (57.2) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Torrance County, NM (69.8); Socorro County, NM (68.8); De Baca County, NM (68.6).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of Lincoln County?

    Lincoln County, New Mexico has a population of approximately 20,029 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.