Most rural counties in New Mexico
A surprising number of U.S. counties have 100% rural land-702, in fact. compiled a list of the most rural counties in New Mexico using data from the . Counties are ranked by the percent of land area that is rural, as of the 2010 Census, with ties broken by residents per square mile, according to 2020 5-year population estimates.
According to the Census Bureau, rural land encompasses any land that isn't an urban area. To be considered an urban area, a place has to have a densely settled core of census tracts or blocks and count at least 2,500 people, at least 1,500 of whom must be residents of non-institutional buildings. Areas with 50,000 people or more are considered urbanized areas, while areas with between 2,500 and 50,000 people are considered urban clusters.
#33. Bernalillo County
- Rural area: 83.2% (966 square miles)
- Urban area: 16.8% (195 square miles)
- Total land area: 1,161 square miles
--- #31 largest county in state, #532 nationwide
- Population density: 585.0 people / square mile (679,037 residents)
--- #33 lowest density county in state, #2,918 nationwide
#32. Los Alamos County
- Rural area: 90.9% (99 square miles)
- Urban area: 9.2% (10 square miles)
- Total land area: 109 square miles
--- #33 largest county in state, #3,080 nationwide
- Population density: 173.8 people / square mile (18,976 residents)
--- #32 lowest density county in state, #2,546 nationwide
#31. Valencia County
- Rural area: 93.5% (997 square miles)
- Urban area: 6.5% (69 square miles)
- Total land area: 1,066 square miles
--- #32 largest county in state, #607 nationwide
- Population density: 71.8 people / square mile (76,518 residents)
--- #30 lowest density county in state, #1,999 nationwide
#30. Santa Fe County
- Rural area: 96.0% (1,833 square miles)
- Urban area: 4.0% (77 square miles)
- Total land area: 1,909 square miles
--- #29 largest county in state, #300 nationwide
- Population density: 78.7 people / square mile (150,319 residents)
--- #31 lowest density county in state, #2,084 nationwide
#29. Do帽a Ana County
- Rural area: 97.6% (3,717 square miles)
- Urban area: 2.4% (91 square miles)
- Total land area: 3,808 square miles
--- #16 largest county in state, #131 nationwide
- Population density: 57.2 people / square mile (217,696 residents)
--- #29 lowest density county in state, #1,807 nationwide
#28. Curry County
- Rural area: 98.4% (1,382 square miles)
- Urban area: 1.6% (23 square miles)
- Total land area: 1,405 square miles
--- #30 largest county in state, #428 nationwide
- Population density: 35.2 people / square mile (49,502 residents)
--- #27 lowest density county in state, #1,345 nationwide
#27. Sandoval County
- Rural area: 98.5% (3,654 square miles)
- Urban area: 1.5% (56 square miles)
- Total land area: 3,711 square miles
--- #18 largest county in state, #136 nationwide
- Population density: 39.1 people / square mile (144,954 residents)
--- #28 lowest density county in state, #1,456 nationwide
#26. San Juan County
- Rural area: 98.9% (5,450 square miles)
- Urban area: 1.1% (63 square miles)
- Total land area: 5,513 square miles
--- #6 largest county in state, #67 nationwide
- Population density: 22.8 people / square mile (125,608 residents)
--- #26 lowest density county in state, #993 nationwide
#25. Taos County
- Rural area: 99.3% (2,187 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.7% (16 square miles)
- Total land area: 2,203 square miles
--- #26 largest county in state, #256 nationwide
- Population density: 14.9 people / square mile (32,759 residents)
--- #24 lowest density county in state, #734 nationwide
#24. Eddy County
- Rural area: 99.3% (4,147 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.7% (28 square miles)
- Total land area: 4,176 square miles
--- #13 largest county in state, #113 nationwide
- Population density: 13.9 people / square mile (57,865 residents)
--- #23 lowest density county in state, #702 nationwide
#23. Lea County
- Rural area: 99.4% (4,362 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.7% (29 square miles)
- Total land area: 4,391 square miles
--- #11 largest county in state, #103 nationwide
- Population density: 16.0 people / square mile (70,359 residents)
--- #25 lowest density county in state, #770 nationwide
#22. Chaves County
- Rural area: 99.6% (6,038 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.5% (27 square miles)
- Total land area: 6,065 square miles
--- #4 largest county in state, #58 nationwide
- Population density: 10.7 people / square mile (64,912 residents)
--- #21 lowest density county in state, #597 nationwide
#21. Rio Arriba County
- Rural area: 99.6% (5,837 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.4% (24 square miles)
- Total land area: 5,861 square miles
--- #5 largest county in state, #63 nationwide
- Population density: 6.6 people / square mile (38,962 residents)
--- #16 lowest density county in state, #438 nationwide
#20. Otero County
- Rural area: 99.6% (6,588 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.4% (26 square miles)
- Total land area: 6,613 square miles
--- #3 largest county in state, #50 nationwide
- Population density: 10.1 people / square mile (66,804 residents)
--- #20 lowest density county in state, #582 nationwide
#19. McKinley County
- Rural area: 99.7% (5,432 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.3% (17 square miles)
- Total land area: 5,450 square miles
--- #7 largest county in state, #69 nationwide
- Population density: 13.2 people / square mile (71,956 residents)
--- #22 lowest density county in state, #680 nationwide
#18. Grant County
- Rural area: 99.7% (3,949 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.3% (13 square miles)
- Total land area: 3,962 square miles
--- #14 largest county in state, #123 nationwide
- Population density: 6.9 people / square mile (27,391 residents)
--- #17 lowest density county in state, #449 nationwide
#17. Luna County
- Rural area: 99.7% (2,957 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.3% (8 square miles)
- Total land area: 2,965 square miles
--- #22 largest county in state, #175 nationwide
- Population density: 8.1 people / square mile (24,022 residents)
--- #19 lowest density county in state, #500 nationwide
#16. Roosevelt County
- Rural area: 99.8% (2,442 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.2% (5 square miles)
- Total land area: 2,447 square miles
--- #24 largest county in state, #223 nationwide
- Population density: 7.7 people / square mile (18,723 residents)
--- #18 lowest density county in state, #479 nationwide
#15. San Miguel County
- Rural area: 99.8% (4,706 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.2% (10 square miles)
- Total land area: 4,716 square miles
--- #9 largest county in state, #91 nationwide
- Population density: 5.8 people / square mile (27,546 residents)
--- #14 lowest density county in state, #402 nationwide
#14. Cibola County
- Rural area: 99.8% (4,531 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.2% (8 square miles)
- Total land area: 4,539 square miles
--- #10 largest county in state, #98 nationwide
- Population density: 5.9 people / square mile (26,763 residents)
--- #15 lowest density county in state, #405 nationwide
#13. Lincoln County
- Rural area: 99.8% (4,822 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.2% (9 square miles)
- Total land area: 4,831 square miles
--- #8 largest county in state, #84 nationwide
- Population density: 4.1 people / square mile (19,640 residents)
--- #12 lowest density county in state, #315 nationwide
#12. Sierra County
- Rural area: 99.8% (4,171 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.2% (8 square miles)
- Total land area: 4,179 square miles
--- #12 largest county in state, #111 nationwide
- Population density: 2.6 people / square mile (10,988 residents)
--- #9 lowest density county in state, #209 nationwide
#11. Colfax County
- Rural area: 99.9% (3,754 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.1% (4 square miles)
- Total land area: 3,758 square miles
--- #17 largest county in state, #134 nationwide
- Population density: 3.2 people / square mile (12,106 residents)
--- #11 lowest density county in state, #256 nationwide
#10. Quay County
- Rural area: 99.9% (2,871 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.1% (3 square miles)
- Total land area: 2,874 square miles
--- #23 largest county in state, #180 nationwide
- Population density: 2.9 people / square mile (8,265 residents)
--- #10 lowest density county in state, #225 nationwide
#9. Socorro County
- Rural area: 99.9% (6,641 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.1% (6 square miles)
- Total land area: 6,647 square miles
--- #2 largest county in state, #49 nationwide
- Population density: 2.5 people / square mile (16,723 residents)
--- #8 lowest density county in state, #196 nationwide
#8. Guadalupe County
- Rural area: 99.9% (3,028 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.1% (2 square miles)
- Total land area: 3,030 square miles
--- #21 largest county in state, #171 nationwide
- Population density: 1.4 people / square mile (4,336 residents)
--- #6 lowest density county in state, #104 nationwide
#7. Torrance County
- Rural area: 100.0% (3,345 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 3,345 square miles
--- #20 largest county in state, #150 nationwide
- Population density: 4.6 people / square mile (15,477 residents)
--- #13 lowest density county in state, #354 nationwide
#6. Mora County
- Rural area: 100.0% (1,931 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 1,931 square miles
--- #28 largest county in state, #294 nationwide
- Population density: 2.3 people / square mile (4,500 residents)
--- #7 lowest density county in state, #183 nationwide
#5. Hidalgo County
- Rural area: 100.0% (3,437 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 3,437 square miles
--- #19 largest county in state, #146 nationwide
- Population density: 1.2 people / square mile (4,234 residents)
--- #5 lowest density county in state, #92 nationwide
#4. Union County
- Rural area: 100.0% (3,824 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 3,824 square miles
--- #15 largest county in state, #129 nationwide
- Population density: 1.1 people / square mile (4,106 residents)
--- #4 lowest density county in state, #76 nationwide
#3. De Baca County
- Rural area: 100.0% (2,323 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 2,323 square miles
--- #25 largest county in state, #239 nationwide
- Population density: 0.9 people / square mile (1,995 residents)
--- #3 lowest density county in state, #56 nationwide
#2. Catron County
- Rural area: 100.0% (6,924 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 6,924 square miles
--- #1 largest county in state, #47 nationwide
- Population density: 0.5 people / square mile (3,547 residents)
--- #2 lowest density county in state, #30 nationwide
#1. Harding County
- Rural area: 100.0% (2,125 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 2,125 square miles
--- #27 largest county in state, #262 nationwide
- Population density: 0.2 people / square mile (432 residents)
--- #1 lowest density county in state, #8 nationwide