Lea County, New Mexico
Among the top 6% of US counties for weather.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade D, better than 15% of US counties
WeatherWeather: grade A, better than 94% of US counties
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade D, better than 10% of US counties
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade C, better than 47% of US counties
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade D, better than 10% of US counties
- top 4% for sunny days
- top 11% for property tax rate
- bottom 2% for property crime
Lea County is a county in New Mexico with about 73,000 residents. It grades A for weather and D for safety & wellbeing. Standout strengths include sunny days, property tax rate, and summer humidity. It rates lower on violent crime and property crime.
Official websiteleacounty.net (opens in new tab)
Climate
Sweltering, dry summers · Cool winters · Dry
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sweltering
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87%78%clearovercast
Precipitation 2.0 in0.5 in
humid 18%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$66k64th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$48kbetter than 27% of US counties
Home Value$162k52nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$1kbetter than 21% of US counties
Monthly Owner Costs$1kbetter than 37% of US counties
Property Tax Rate0.47%better than 89% of US counties
Income Tax5.90%better than 24% of US counties
Sales Tax7.62%better than 42% of US counties
Estimated total tax burden9.56%better than 48% of US counties
Unemployment7.4%better than 13% of US counties
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)44°F76th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)83°F88th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation14.6 in6th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall1.6 inbetter than 74% of US counties
Sunny Days299 daysbetter than 96% of US counties
Summer Humidity57°Fbetter than 84% of US counties
Comfortable Days54 daysbetter than 13% of US counties
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk86.0better than 14% of US counties
Air Quality45 AQIbetter than 35% of US counties
School Quality61.0better than 62% of US counties
Violent Crime2362/100kbetter than 3% of US counties
Property Crime3559/100kbetter than 2% of US counties
Community
Population73,10376th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age32.24th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.5588th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio1.0885th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningR+6180th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)32.4%7th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)3.6%60th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)61.5%96th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)0.6%51st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)1.9%14th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time24 minbetter than 49% of US counties
Walkability7.5/20better than 82% of US counties
Airport Distance185 mibetter than 16% of US counties
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access82.6%better than 45% of US counties
Amenities Nearby0.00better than 12% of US counties
Park & Nature AccessLimitedbetter than 13% of US counties
Frequently asked questions
- Is Lea County an affordable place to live?
- Lea County is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $48k, better than 27% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Lea County?
- The median home value in Lea County is $162k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Lea County?
- Median household income in Lea County is $66k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Lea County?
- Median gross rent in Lea County is $1k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Lea County safe?
- Lea County is higher-crime than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 2362/100k (better than 3%). Property crime is 3559/100k.
- What is the weather like in Lea County?
- Lea County averages 83°F in July and 44°F in January, with 14.6 in of annual precipitation and about 299 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Lea County?
- Public-school quality in Lea County is above average, scoring better than 62% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Lea County?
- The average one-way commute in Lea County is 24 min.
Other counties in New Mexico
Explore New Mexico
Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)