Hidalgo County, New Mexico


Hidalgo County is the southernmost county of the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,178. The county seat and largest city is Lordsburg. A bill creating Hidalgo from the southern part of Grant County was passed on February 25, 1919, taking effect at the beginning of 1920. The county was named for the town north of Mexico City where the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed, which in turn was named for Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, the priest who is known as the "Father of Mexican Independence."
The county is located on the Mexico–United States border, comprises the New Mexico Bootheel, and is majority-Hispanic or Latino.
WWW hidalgocounty.org

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water. The southern part of the county, the part bounded on the east and south by Mexico, is known as the Bootheel.

Adjacent counties and municipios

National protected areas

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 4,178. The median age was 43.5 years. 22.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 21.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 101.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 104.2 males.
The racial makeup of the county was 63.5% White, 0.3% Black or African American, 1.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 11.4% from some other race, and 23.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 57.2% of the population.
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 1,714 households in the county, of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 28.2% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 2,190 housing units, of which 21.7% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 71.1% were owner-occupied and 28.9% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 18.7%.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 4,894 people, 1,936 households, and 1,286 families residing in the county. The population density was. There were 2,393 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 85.3% white, 0.8% American Indian, 0.6% black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 11.0% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 56.6% of the population. The largest ancestry groups were:
  • 50.3% Mexican
  • 15.2% German
  • 10.0% English
  • 6.0% Irish
  • 4.4% Dutch
  • 3.6% American
  • 2.1% Scottish
  • 2.0% Italian
  • 1.7% Swedish
  • 1.4% Norwegian
  • 1.0% Polish
Of the 1,936 households, 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.4% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.6% were non-families, and 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.09. The median age was 40.9 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $36,733 and the median income for a family was $41,594. Males had a median income of $43,531 versus $23,482 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,451. About 20.6% of families and 22.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.3% of those under age 18 and 15.0% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 5,932 people in the county, organized into 2,152 households, and 1,542 families. The population density was. There were 2,848 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 42% White and about 55% of the population was Hispanic.
Size of family households: 592 2-persons, 341 3-persons, 316 4-persons, 165 5-persons, 83 6-persons, 48 7-or-more-persons. The average household size was 2.7 and the average family size was 3.29. In non-family households, there were 684 with 314 male householders, 293 female householders, and 77 non-relatives. In group quarters, there were 85.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 31.70% under the age of 18, 7.80% from 18 to 24, 25.20% from 25 to 44, 21.70% from 45 to 64, and 13.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 99.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $31,286. The per capita income for the county was $12,431. 27.8% of the population was below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 38.90% of those under the age of 18 and 17.00% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. Unemployment rate in April 2010 was 7.6%.

Communities

City

Village

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Ghost towns

Politics

Hidalgo has historically been a swing county, going for the winner every time since 1928, except for 1968 and 2020, where it went for Hubert Humphrey and Donald Trump respectively. In 2024, Trump broke 60% of the county's vote, the first time that a Republican presidential candidate had done this since Nixon's 1972 landslide. While the city of Lordsburg tends to lean Democratic, the rest of the county, especially the southern half, is heavily Republican.