About two in five adults aged 25 to 54 in McKinley County, New Mexico, are not working
In McKinley County, 41.6% of adults aged 25 to 54 were not working (Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2020 to 2024). That is higher than in 98% of U.S. counties.
More distressed than 95% of U.S. counties.
What drives McKinley County's score
In McKinley County, late payments on loans weigh most: the score for late payments on loans is 97.7. About half of people (49.1%, Q4 2025) have a subprime credit score, a higher share than in 99% of U.S. counties. Jobs come next, at 96.8.
The County Distress Index combines five things we measure for every county: jobs, late payments on loans, income and the safety net, collections and bankruptcy, and housing costs. Each gets a score from 0 to 100; the higher the score, the worse off the county is compared with others.
McKinley County does better than most counties on two measures: bankruptcy filings per 100,000 people (37.8, 2025) and renters paying half their income or more in rent (16.6%, 2020 to 2024).
The five parts count equally; together they hold 14 measures. Under each part, a bar shows where McKinley County ranks among all 3,144 U.S. counties on that measure, as a percentile: the share of counties it is higher than. A longer bar means more trouble.
- 97.7 of 100
Late payments
Biggest factorCredit records, August 2025; credit scores, Q4 2025
- People with a car or retail loan behind14.3% · August 202598th percentile
- People with a credit card behind9.9% · August 202594th percentile
- People with a subprime credit score49.1% · Q4 202599th percentile
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- 96.8 of 100
Jobs
Adults not working, 2020–24 Census survey; unemployment through Aug 2026
- Adults 25 to 54 not working41.6% · 2020 to 202498th percentile
- Unemployment rate, 12-month average6.4% · Sep 2025 to Aug 202695th percentile
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- 86.9 of 100
Income and safety net
Poverty and income, 2024; disability and insurance, 2020–24 Census survey
- Children below the poverty line31.9% · 202493rd percentile
- People with a disability16.5% · 2020 to 202454th percentile
- Median household income (lower income, longer bar)$45,517 · 202496th percentile
- People below the poverty line26.2% · 202496th percentile
- People without health insurance16.8% · 2020 to 202492nd percentile
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- 68.8 of 100
Housing costs
HUD's fair market rents, fiscal year 2027; renters, 2020–24 Census survey
- Rent on a two-bedroom as a share of the median income30.1% · fiscal year 202796th percentile
- Renters paying half their income or more in rent16.6% · 2020 to 202440th percentile
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- 51.7 of 100
Collections and bankruptcy
Credit records, August 2025; bankruptcy filings, 2025
- People with unpaid debt sent to a collector44.5% · August 202598th percentile
- Bankruptcy filings per 100,000 people37.8 · 20255th percentile
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Sources: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents and U.S. Census Bureau income; Census Bureau, American Community Survey; Urban Institute, Debt in America; Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. County Distress Index by American Default Research, from data through Aug 2026.
Where the money in McKinley County comes from
The Bureau of Economic Analysis adds up all the income that reaches the people of a county and splits it three ways: pay from work, income from investments and rent, and benefit checks.
Cents of every dollar of income, 2024
McKinley County
New Mexico
United States
- Pay from work
- Investments and rent
- Benefit checks
In McKinley County in 2024, pay from work was 48 cents of every dollar of income. Income from investments and rentals was 11 cents. Benefit checks were 41 cents. Across the country, pay is 61 cents of the dollar and benefit checks are 18.
Benefit checks brought in more than pay in two of the years since 1969, but pay is ahead now.
In McKinley County, benefit checks rose from 10 to 41 cents of every dollar
Benefit checks and pay from work as shares of all personal income, McKinley County, New Mexico: 41.3% and 47.5% in 2024. Yearly, 1969–2024.
Use this chart Free to use with credit
The quote: In 2024, benefit checks made up 41.3% of all personal income in McKinley County, New Mexico (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, CAINC4).
Benefit checks are Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid paid on people's behalf, veterans' benefits, and food and income support, so a high share usually means an older population, low pay, or both. In McKinley County, 13.8% of residents are 65 or older (Census Bureau, 2024), against 17.2% nationally.
How McKinley County has changed
The number of people living in McKinley County grew by about 60% between 1969 and 2024, from 43,000 to 68,945. The number of jobs located there grew by about 13% from 1990 to 2024.
Unemployment fell from 8.4% in 1990 to 5.6% in 2025.
| Measure | Then | Now |
|---|---|---|
| People living in the countyBEA | 1969 43,000 | 2024 68,945 |
| Jobs located in the countyBLS QCEW | 1990 17,298 | 2024 19,500 |
| Unemployment rateBLS LAUS | 1990 8.4% | 2025 5.6% |
| People below the poverty lineCensus SAIPE | 1989 35.9% | 2024 26.2% |
| Median household income (not adjusted for prices)Census SAIPE | 1989 $15,879 | 2024 $45,517 |
| Share of income from benefit checksBEA | 1969 10.2% | 2024 41.3% |
Figures are as each agency published them, not adjusted for prices. We don't chart the distress score over time because it compares counties at one moment.
Dated events in McKinley County's history
Largest decennial census count
The county's largest recorded population was the 2000 Census count of 74,798. The 2020 Census counted 72,902, 97% of the peak. Census Bureau
2006
Flash flood: two deaths. NOAA Storm Events Database
2008
Flash flood: three deaths. NOAA Storm Events Database
2015
Flash flood: one death. NOAA Storm Events Database
2016
Flash flood: two deaths. NOAA Storm Events Database
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Since 1972
11 federal disaster and emergency declarations have covered McKinley County, 6 of them for flooding. FEMA
Storms are listed if they did $1 million or more in damage or killed someone.
McKinley County beside its neighbors
McKinley County scores higher than all four counties that border it, in New Mexico and Arizona. For the share of income from benefit checks, McKinley County ranks 2nd of the five; Apache County is highest, at 51.0%.
| County | Score | Poverty | Benefit checks |
|---|---|---|---|
| McKinley County, NM | 95 | 26.2% | 41.3% |
| Cibola County, NM | 95 | 25.9% | 41.0% |
| Apache County, AZ | 90 | 29.3% | 51.0% |
| San Juan County, NM | 81 | 18.2% | 29.5% |
| Sandoval County, NM | 45 | 9.4% | 21.9% |
Distress score: American Default Research, County Distress Index, data through Aug 2026; each county scored against all 3,144. Poverty rate: Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024. Benefit checks: Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024. Neighbors share a border, from Census county maps.
Is McKinley County the poorest county in New Mexico?
No, McKinley County's poverty rate was 26.2% in 2024, 2nd highest of 33 in New Mexico (U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). By that measure the poorest county in the state is Socorro County, at 28.5%. On our distress index, which counts more than poverty, McKinley County ranks 2nd of 33 in the state.
McKinley County in photographs
Places in McKinley County from Wikimedia Commons, each captioned in its photographer's own words.
McKinley County (New Mexico) courthouse, located at 207 W.
"Welcome to New Mexico" sign along eastbound Interstate 40 entering McKinley County, New Mexico from Apache County, Arizona.
McKinley County, New Mexico: common questions
What is the poverty rate in McKinley County, New Mexico?
26.2% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates: about one in four people. Among children it was 31.9%.
Is McKinley County the poorest county in New Mexico?
No, McKinley County's poverty rate was 26.2% in 2024, 2nd highest of 33 in New Mexico (U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). By that measure the poorest county in the state is Socorro County, at 28.5%. On our distress index, which counts more than poverty, McKinley County ranks 2nd of 33 in the state.
What is the population of McKinley County, New Mexico?
About 68,945 people in 2024, by the Bureau of Economic Analysis's count. The 2020 Census counted 72,902, 97% of the county's peak of 74,798 in 2000.
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
We rank every U.S. county on 14 federal measures of money trouble, grouped into five equally weighted parts, and average them. The published score is the share of the other 3,143 counties with a lower average. The methodology lists every measure and its source.
If you're behind on your mortgage in McKinley County
A U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-approved housing counselor works at a nonprofit agency approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The counseling to avoid foreclosure is free, and a counselor can help you talk to your mortgage company and understand what it offers, according to the Consumer Financial Protection BureauSourceCFPB.
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New Mexico Legal Aid
Legal aid
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HUD-approved housing counselors
Counseling to avoid foreclosure is free. Our help directory lists 1,311 approved agencies by state.
The score, its 14 measures and their sources, in one file. Free to use with credit to American Default Research.
Download the CSV for McKinley County · Every U.S. county (CSV)
Sources and method
- American Default Research · County Distress Index Data through Aug 2026, built from HUD Fair Market Rents and Census income; Census Bureau, American Community Survey; Urban Institute, Debt in America; U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. Our methodology
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Economic Accounts (CAINC4) · income shares Where the money in McKinley County comes from, 2024.
- History The agencies named in each row and the linked records above.