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Quay County, NM: population growth, jobs and income

Quay County lost 88 residents between 2024 and 2025 (−1.0%).

Quay County had an estimated 8,454 residents in 2025, down 3.0% (260 fewer people) since 2020. That is slower than New Mexico as a whole (+0.3%), and the 24th fastest growth of 32 counties in New Mexico.

Data as of 2025 · updated

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In the Quay County report

One-time $99 PDF: everything on this page for Quay County, ranked against New Mexico and the U.S., plus these figures that are not on the free page:

  • Median gross rent$712/mo2020–24
  • Vacant homes, incl. seasonal and second homes20.7%2020–24
  • Rent growth, 5 years+21.1%2016-2020 to 2020-2024
  • New homes permitted, last 12 monthsIn the report
  • Permits in 5+ unit buildingsIn the report
  • IRS income moving in (net AGI)In the report
  • Neighbouring-county comparison tableIn the report

What's inside: 5 pages

  1. 1 Summary, headline numbers and ranks (free preview)
  2. 2 Ranks and the neighbouring-county table
  3. 3 Migration, with IRS mover and income flows
  4. 4 Rent, vacant homes, permits and employers
  5. 5 Every source and the methods
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Headline numbers

What the numbers say

Net domestic migration was negative in 2025: 51 more people moved out to other U.S. counties than moved in.

Private employers had 1,779 paid employees in mid-March 2023, +0.2% since 2018 (County Business Patterns).

Unemployment averaged 3.9% in 2025, 0.9 points lower than in 2019 (before the pandemic).

Median household income was $41,946 in the 2020–24 American Community Survey, +23.5% since 2016–20.

Across the 3,107 U.S. counties with a comparable estimate, its population growth ranks 2,677th.

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Quay County population by year

Resident population, July 1 estimate (Census Bureau)
YearPopulationChange
20258,454−88
20248,542−73
20238,615+66
20228,549−78
20218,627−87
20208,714–

Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year.

What drove the change in Quay County

Quay County lost 260 people since 2020; the biggest drag was natural change (−288).

Components of population change, people (Census Bureau)
Component20252020–25Share
Natural changebirths minus deaths−36−288
International migrationfrom and to other countries+0+47
Domestic migrationfrom and to other U.S. counties−51−24
Census adjustmentbalancing residual−1+5
Total change−88−260

Census Bureau population estimates, components of change, each year July 1 to June 30. The components add up to the change in the estimate; the Census adjustment is the small balancing figure the Bureau publishes.

How it ranks

MeasureIn New MexicoAmong U.S. counties
Population growth24th of 322,677th of 3,107
Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents25th of 322,654th of 3,108
Private-sector job growth18th of 321,833rd of 3,092
Median household income28th of 312,995th of 3,107
Lowest unemployment rate9th of 321,455th of 3,108

1st = highest (lowest for unemployment). Counties are ranked only against others with a figure for the same period.

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The County Growth and Demographics Report for Quay County, NM as a PDF, from federal data: population and migration, housing and rents, permits, private employers and jobs, unemployment, ranks in the state and the country, and neighbouring counties, with a source next to every number. Pay once, no subscription.

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Neighbouring counties

Over 2020–25, Quay County's population change (−3.0%) was ahead of 4 of its 9 neighbouring counties with a comparable figure and behind 5.

Its median household income ($41,946, 2020–24) is lower than in all 9 of its neighbouring counties with a comparable figure.

Quay County, NM and its 10 neighbouring counties: public federal figures
CountyPopulation2025Population change2020–25Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents2025Homes permitted per 1,000 residents2025Median household income2020–24
Quay County, NM This county8,454−3.0%−6.0–$41,946
Curry County, NM46,655−3.5%−21.61.3$57,309
Harding County, NM617–––$48,553
Deaf Smith County, TX18,626+0.5%−4.91.8$60,799
Oldham County, TX1,783+1.0%−8.40.0$79,900
Roosevelt County, NM18,615−2.8%−10.70.0$52,685
De Baca County, NM1,647−2.4%11.5–$31,532 (2016–20)
Union County, NM3,844−5.6%−16.9–$46,694
San Miguel County, NM26,260−3.2%−1.70.0$49,431
Guadalupe County, NM4,343−2.2%−6.0–$42,750
Hartley County, TX4,904−8.1%−17.9–$75,841

Census Bureau population estimates and building permits, American Community Survey 5-year income. Rates per 1,000 residents. – means no figure, or a base too small for a change or rate (it would swing on a few people). A figure from another period shows its year and is left out of the comparison.

All 33 New Mexico counties · Every state

Questions

Is Quay County growing?

No. Its population fell 3.0% between 2020 and 2025, about 260 fewer people (Census Bureau population estimates). New Mexico as a whole changed +0.3% over the same years. That ranks 24th of 32 counties in New Mexico for population growth.

How many people moved to Quay County?

On net, none in 2025: about 51 more people moved out to other U.S. counties than moved in (Census Bureau net domestic migration estimate).

What is the unemployment rate in Quay County?

It averaged 3.9% in 2025 (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual average).

What is the population of Quay County?

About 8,454 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's population estimate for July 1, 2025.

How many jobs are in Quay County?

Private employers there had 1,779 paid employees in mid-March 2023, +0.2% since 2018 (Census Bureau County Business Patterns; government jobs and the self-employed are not counted).

What Beacon CRE covers in New Mexico

Map, parcel and listing layers cover North and South Carolina only for now. This page and the other New Mexico county pages carry the public federal growth figures.

Quay County data alerts

Email me when Quay County gets new Census numbers: population, building permits, jobs and income. About 4 emails a year, one click to stop.

We use your address only to email you when new data for Quay County is out: what changed, with a link to that county's report. No newsletter, no other sales emails. Delete it any time with the link in every email. We'll email you a link to confirm first; nothing starts until you click it. Privacy notice.

Sources and method

Each number shows its own period. Changes compare the latest period with five years earlier (or the earliest period available). Beacon CRE last refreshed these figures on 2026-11-05. Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how we compute every number. More on every layer: data sources and licences.

Jobs outside North and South Carolina use County Business Patterns (paid private-sector employees in mid-March); wages and government jobs are not included.