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Catron County, NM

Migration of people and income, 20222023 filing years

At a glance (2023)

Cost of living
91
9% below the U.S. average
Median home value
$171,800
national $303,400
Monthly rent
$740
national $1,348
Homeownership
88%
national 65%
Unemployment
5.4%
national 3.6%
Household income
$46,439
national $78,538
Median age
62.6 yrs
national 38.7

Cost of living is the statewide price level for New Mexico (state avg).

The cost of living runs about 9% below the national average. The median home is valued at $171,800 (nominal). Median rent is about $740 a month. Unemployment averaged 5.4% in 2023 (national 3.6%). Median household income is $46,439. These figures describe all residents, not just tax filers, come from separate sources than the migration data on this page, and do not indicate why anyone moved.

Between the 2022 and 2023 filing years, Catron County, NM saw a net gain of 32 tax-filing households and a net gain of 58 individuals. Against a population of about 3,825, that is a net inflow of about 15 per 1,000 residents. On net, the area gained $2.5M in associated adjusted gross income (AGI, nominal dollars). In the prior (2022) filing year, the area saw a net gain of 104 individuals. These figures cover federal income tax filers only and do not indicate why people moved.

Net income (AGI)
+$2.5M
nominal dollars
Net households
+32
tax returns
Net people
+58
exemptions

+15.2 net people per 1,000 residents (population 3,825)

Income (AGI) in and out

Moved in$5.6M
Moved out$3.1M
Net +$2.5M (nominal)
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Catron County within New Mexico

Catron County is outlined, with arrows tracing its largest moves to and from other New Mexico counties. Hover any county for its figures; click to open it.

Net outNet in(AGI $)
Hover an area to trace its top 5 inbound (in) and outbound (out) moves.
Net income (AGI) that moved in minus out, in nominal dollars (not adjusted for inflation).Net tax returns (filing households) that moved in minus out.Net people per 1,000 residents, so larger and smaller areas compare fairly.
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Where movers came from

No flows above the IRS disclosure threshold.

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Where movers went

No flows above the IRS disclosure threshold.

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Net migration by year

Net 2012–2023: +$28.2M (+661 people)
20122023
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Net AGI and net people by year (nominal dollars)
YearNet AGINet people
2012+$1.1M-5
2013-$451K+24
2014+$941K+37
2015-$302K-26
2016+$2.7M+41
2017+$117K+41
2018-$788K+15
2019+$4M+80
2020+$4.2M+101
2021+$9.4M+191
2022+$4.7M+104
2023+$2.5M+58
Migration in context

How big is this move, relative to the county?

In the 20222023 filing year, about 58 more people moved into Catron County, NM than left (counting tax filers and their dependents) — a net gain of about $2.5M in income (nominal) — in a county of 3,821 people.

Population
3,821
Census 2023 estimate
Net migration rate
+15.2
net people per 1,000 residents
A town of 10,000 would net about +152 people.
Net income per resident
+$658
nominal dollars
+$2.5M total across 3,821 residents.

The rate lets you compare Catron County, NM with a countyof any size: it’s the net flow divided by population. The IRS counts tax filers; population counts all residents, so read the rate as a scale indicator, not a literal share of people.

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Components of population change · 2023 (Census)

Where the county’s overall change came from. Census counts all residents; the IRS migration above is one slice of the domestic-migration component.

Births
+25
Deaths
-61
Net domestic migration
+68
Net international migration
-1
Total change
+33

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program. Figures are people, not tax filers.

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Income & cost of living

What a dollar is worth here

Prices around Catron County, NM run about 9% below the national average. In plain terms: $100 spent here buys about what $110 buys in the average American community. The figures below apply that to income, each compared to the U.S. average of $70,002 per person.

Income per person
$42,009
what people here earn (BEA 2023, nominal)
40% below the U.S. average
Price level
91.0
100 = U.S. average prices (BEA price parity)
everyday costs about 9.0% lower than average
What that income buys
$46,173
local income restated at U.S.-average prices
34% below the U.S. average
Cheaper than U.S. avgU.S. average (100)Pricier

This county isn't in a metro area that BEA prices separately, so cost of living shows the New Mexico (state avg) figure.

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Where the cost comes from · price parity by category

Index where 100 = U.S. average for that category. Housing is usually what separates one place from another.

Housing & rents75.3
Goods97.4
Utilities77.9
Other services93.8

Housing is measured from rents (including an estimated rental value for owner-occupied homes), so a run-up in purchase prices shows here only as it reaches rents. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Covers all residents, a separate universe from the IRS filer income above. How the data works.

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Who lives here

The people of Catron County, NM

American Community Survey, 2019–2023 (a 5-year average of all residents, not just tax filers).

Median age
62.6
years
Median household income
$46,439
per household (ACS 2019–2023, nominal)
41% below the U.S. median
College degree
21%
adults 25+ with a bachelor's or higher
Poverty rate
21.2%
residents below the poverty line
Average commute
22 min
mean travel time to work
Broadband at home
65%
households with any broadband
Race and ethnicity (share of residents)
White 79%Hispanic 15%Black 0%Asian 0%Other 5%

White, Black, and Asian counts are people who are not Hispanic or Latino; Hispanic or Latino can be of any race. Shares are rounded and may not total 100.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Covers all residents, a separate universe from the IRS filer data. A 5-year estimate is an average over 2019–2023; compare years at least five apart, since consecutive windows overlap. How the data works.

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Housing · what it costs to live here (ACS 2019–2023)

Median home value
$171,800
owner-occupied homes
43% below the U.S. median
Median rent
$740
gross rent per month
45% below the U.S. median
Homeownership
88%
of occupied homes are owner-occupied

Home value is what owners estimate their homes are worth, not recent sale prices. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2019–2023), nominal dollars. How the data works.

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Local economy & risk

Jobs and natural hazards

Unemployment rate
5.4%
BLS 2023 annual average
Labor force
1,027
972 employed
Disaster declarations
major federal, 2023

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS) and FEMA. A disaster declaration marks federal assistance eligibility, not damage severity, and says nothing about why anyone moved. How the data works.

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Unemployment now
5.8%
April 2026 · ▲ 1.0 points vs April 2025
January 2024April 2026

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS). Monthly unemployment for this county, not seasonally adjusted. Updated every month, so it moves faster than the annual average above. How the data works.

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How Catron County, NM has voted. Certified returns, popular vote only. This is a separate dataset from the migration figures on this page.

YearDemocraticRepublicanOtherMarginTotal
20245711,75231R +50.22,354
20205951,69833R +47.42,326
20164271,464158R +50.62,049
20125601,49469R +44.02,123
20086641,39850R +34.82,112
20045511,42715R +44.01,993
20003531,27385R +53.81,711

Source: MIT Election Data and Science Lab county returns (CC0). Margins are the popular-vote gap as a share of all votes cast.

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