McKinley County, New Mexico

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 5455 sqmi, of which 5.5 sqmi (0.1%) are covered by water.

Adjacent counties

• San Juan County - north
• Sandoval County - east
• Cibola County - south
• Apache County, Arizona - west

Major highways

National protected areas

• Chaco Culture National Historical Park (part)
• Cibola National Forest (part)

Demographics

| align-fn = center 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 72,902. The median age was 34.4 years; 27.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 13.4% were 65 years of age or older.

For every 100 females there were 94.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 91.2 males age 18 and over.

The 2020 redistricting data reported the county was 10.5% White, 0.5% Black or African American, 78.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 4.3% from some other race, and 5.3% from two or more races, with 11.8% of residents identifying as Hispanic or Latino of any race.

33.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 66.5% lived in rural areas.

There were 22,659 households in the county, of which 41.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.5% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present, 23.1% were made up of individuals, and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 25,057 housing units, of which 9.6% were vacant; among occupied housing units, 68.3% were owner-occupied and 31.7% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.0%.

The most reported ancestries were:

• Navajo (61.9%)
• Zuni (9.9%)
• Mexican (9%)
• English (2.8%)
• German (2.3%)
• Irish (2.1%)
• Spanish (1.3%)
• Filipino (1%)

Racial and ethnic composition

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, 71,492 people, 21,968 households, and 16,219 families resided in the county.{{cite web |access-date=January 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213014929/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US35031 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |url-status=dead |access-date=January 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213192610/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY07/0500000US35031 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |url-status=dead

Of the 21,968 households, 46.2% had children under 18 living with them, 40.8% were married couples living together, 24.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 26.2% were not families, and 22.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 3.22, and the average family size was 3.82. The median age was 30.7 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,335 and for a family was $37,345. Males had a median income of $31,527 versus $26,236 for females. The per capita income for the county was $12,932. About 26.6% of families and 33.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 43.0% of those under 18 and 31.3% of those 65 or over.{{cite web |access-date=January 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213012659/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US35031 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |url-status=dead

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, 74,798 people, 21,476 households, and 16,686 families were living in the county. The population density was 14 /mi2. The 26,718 housing units had an average density of 5 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 74.72% Native American, 16.39% White, 0.46% Asian, 0.40% African American, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 5.47% from other races, and 2.52% from two or more races. About 12.40% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.

Of the 21,476 households, 46.0% had children under 18 living with them, 47.7% were married couples living together, 22.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.3% were not families. About 19.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.3% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.44, and the average family size was 3.99.

In the county, the age distribution was 38.0% under 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 17.6% from 45 to 64, and 6.9% who were 65 or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.50 males. For every 100.0 females 18 and over, there were 89.3 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $25,005, and for a family was $26,806. Males had a median income of $26,963 versus $21,014 for females. The per capita income for the county was $9,872. About 31.9% of families and 36.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 42.3% of those under 18 and 31.5% of those 65 or over. The county's per capita income makes it one of the poorest counties in the United States.

McKinley County is one of only 38 county-level census divisions of the United States where the most spoken language is not English and one of only three where it is neither English nor Spanish; 45.75% of the population speak Navajo at home, followed by English at 38.87%, Zuñi at 9.03%, and Spanish at 5.72%.

Communities

City

• Gallup (county seat)

Unincorporated communities

• Becenti
• Buffalo Springs
• Chi Chil Tah
• Continental Divide
• Manuelito
• Rehoboth
• Smith Lake
• Whitehorse

Census-designated places

For purposes of census-data collection, organization and analysis, the United States Census Bureau has devised 44 census-designated places since 1980 within McKinley County.

• Black Hat
• Black Rock
• Bluewater
• Borrego Pass
• Brimhall Nizhoni
• Catalpa Canyon
• Church Rock
• Continental Divide
• Crestview
• Crownpoint
• Crystal (part)
• Fort Wingate
• Gamerco
• Haystack
• Homer C Jones
• Iyanbito
• Jamestown
• McGaffey
• Nakaibito
• Navajo
• Ojo Encino
• Pinedale
• Pinehaven
• Prewitt
• Pueblo Pintado
• Purty Rock
• Ramah
• Red Rock Ranch
• Rock Springs
• Sagar
• Sundance
• Thoreau
• Timberlake (part)
• Tohatchi
• Tse Bonito
• Twin Lakes
• Vanderwagen
• White Cliffs
• Williams Acres
• Yah-ta-hey
• Zuni Pueblo

Education

Locally controlled public schools in most of McKinley County are run by Gallup-McKinley County Schools, the local school district, and include Crownpoint High School, Gallup Central High School, Gallup High School, Hiroshi Miyamura High School, Navajo Pine High School, Ramah Middle / High School, Thoreau High School, Tohatchi High School, and Tse Yi Gai High School. Areas in and around the Zuni reservation are in the Zuni Public School District, which operates Zuni High School.

Two Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) boarding schools are in the Fort Wingate area: Wingate Elementary School, and Wingate High School. The BIE also operates a K-8 school, Pueblo Pintado Community School, in Pueblo Pintado, and a K-6 school, Baca /Dlo'Ay Azhi Community School. Additionally, a tribal school affiliated with the BIE, Ch'ooshgai Community School, is located in Tohatchi.

Politics

During its early history from 1912 to 1928, McKinley County voted for the Republican candidate in every presidential election. From 1932 onward, the county, with its large Native American majority, has strongly backed Democratic candidates in all but three presidential elections that were national landslides for the Republican Party.

Democratic strength in the county lies in most of Gallup and the Navajo and Zuni Reservations, which cover a large majority of the county's land area. The community of Ramah has previously been one of the only Republican-leaning parts of the county. In 2024 the county saw the strongest shift toward the Republican party of any county in New Mexico, along with Guadalupe, Mora, and Rio Arriba Counties. Parts of southern Gallup and the Thoreau area flipped to a Republican majority, and many parts of the Navajo and Zuni Reservations experienced shifts as well along with most other rural areas.

References

References

1. "McKinley County, New Mexico". [[United States Census Bureau]].
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
3. (2007). "New Mexico: Consolidated Chronology of State and County Boundaries". The Newberry Library.
4. (August 22, 2012). "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
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6. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library.
7. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau.
8. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau.
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10. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
11. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
12. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
13. "Detailed Races and Ethnicities in the United States and Puerto Rico: 2020 Census". U.S. Census Bureau.
14. Includes responses such as Spaniard or Spanish American.
15. "HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE (2020)". U.S. Census Bureau.
16. "HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE (2010)". U.S. Census Bureau.
17. "New Mexico: 2000". U.S. Census Bureau.
18. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
19. "Gallup-McKinley County Schools - High Schools".
20. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: McKinley County, NM". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].
21. "Home". Wingate Elementary School.
22. "Pueblo Pintado Community School". [[Bureau of Indian Education]].
23. "U.S. Department of the Interior - Bureau of Indian Education".
24. "Ch'ooshgai Community School". [[Bureau of Indian Education]].
25. (January 15, 2025). "An Extremely Detailed Map of the 2024 Election". The New York Times.
26. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".