How many people live in McKinley County, NM?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 68,900 people living in McKinley County, NM. That makes McKinley County the ninth-most populous county in New Mexico. It is home to 3.2% of people living in the state.
68.9K
population of McKinley County, NM (2024)
3.2%
County share of the New Mexico population (2024)
About 68,900 people lived in McKinley County, NM in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are McKinley County, NM’s age demographics?
About 10,200 McKinley County residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 14.8% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 20.3% of New Mexico’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 17,900 McKinley County residents, or 26% of the population, were children under 18. For comparison, the age group represents 21.2% of New Mexico’s population and 21.6% in the US overall.
A higher share of McKinley County, NM's population is aged under 18 than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are McKinley County, NM’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native residents make up 75.6% of the McKinley County, NM population, higher than the national share of 0.72%.
In contrast, McKinley County’s non-Hispanic white population accounts for 8%, below the 57.5% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic Black or African American population makes up 0.55% of the county, compared with 12.6% nationally.
Racial and ethnic make up differ based on location. These figures reflect how people identified their race alone (not in combination with other races), and separate out Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, following Census reporting standards.
McKinley County, NM has a higher share of a non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native population than New Mexico as a whole.
Population estimates by race and ethnicity, (2024)
The largest city or town in McKinley County, NM is Gallup with about 20,300 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in McKinley County, NM ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Gallup | 20,339 |
| 2. | Balance of McKinley County | 48,606 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
