McKinley County, New Mexico
County Distress Index score and five-domain breakdown for McKinley County. Population: 68,797 (mid).
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-17
McKinley County, NM shows significant household financial distress with a score of 76.1 — 46th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where poverty rates are high and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within New Mexico, it ranks 1st of 33 counties. It scores higher than all 4 of its neighboring counties.
Five-Domain Breakdown
How McKinley County compares to all U.S. counties across five dimensions of financial distress. Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.
Income & Poverty
Primary DriverEmployment & Wages
Debt & Delinquency
Community Vulnerability
Housing Cost Burden
How McKinley County Compares
Neighboring Counties
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| McKinley County, NM | 76.1 | Serious Stress | — |
| Cibola County, NM | 75.5 | Serious Stress | -0.6 |
| Apache County, AZ | 68.7 | Serious Stress | -7.4 |
| San Juan County, NM | 63.1 | Elevated | -13.1 |
| Sandoval County, NM | 44.2 | Normal | -32.0 |
Population Peers
Counties with similar population (mid) and closest distress scores nationally.
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bibb County, GA | 76.1 | Serious Stress | -0.1 |
| Robeson County, NC | 76.3 | Serious Stress | +0.1 |
| Cumberland County, NJ | 74.9 | Serious Stress | -1.3 |
| Muskogee County, OK | 74.4 | Serious Stress | -1.7 |
| Maverick County, TX | 74.2 | Serious Stress | -2.0 |
Download Data
Export all distress indicators for McKinley County as a CSV file.
Resources
McKinley County scores in the Serious Stress zone. If you or someone you know is experiencing financial hardship, free help is available.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the distress score for McKinley County, New Mexico?
McKinley County has a County Distress Index score of 76.1 out of 100, placing it in the Serious Stress zone. It ranks 46th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 1st in New Mexico out of 33 counties.
What drives financial distress in McKinley County?
The primary driver of distress in McKinley County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 95.9 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.
How does McKinley County compare to neighboring counties?
McKinley County (76.1) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Cibola County, NM (75.5); Apache County, AZ (68.7); San Juan County, NM (63.1).
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 McKinley County?
McKinley County, New Mexico has a population of approximately 68,797 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.