How many people live in Rio Arriba County, NM?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 40,000 people living in Rio Arriba County, NM. That makes Rio Arriba County the 13th-most populous county in New Mexico. It is home to 1.9% of people living in the state.
40K
population of Rio Arriba County, NM (2024)
1.9%
County share of the New Mexico population (2024)
About 40,000 people lived in Rio Arriba County, NM in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Rio Arriba County, NM’s age demographics?
About 9,200 Rio Arriba County residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 23.1% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 20.3% of New Mexico’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 8,700 Rio Arriba County residents, or 21.9% 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 Rio Arriba County, NM's population is aged 65 or older than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Rio Arriba County, NM’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Hispanic residents make up 67% of the Rio Arriba County, NM population, higher than the national share of 20%. Rio Arriba County, NM also has a larger share of people identifying as non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native (16%) than the US overall (0.72%).
In contrast, Rio Arriba County’s non-Hispanic white population accounts for 14.6%, below the 57.5% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic Black or African American population makes up 0.72% 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.
Rio Arriba County, NM has a higher share of a Hispanic population than New Mexico as a whole.
Population estimates by race and ethnicity, (2024)
The largest city or town in Rio Arriba County, NM is Española with about 7,100 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Rio Arriba County, NM ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Española (pt.) | 7,071 |
| 2. | Chama | 913 |
| 3. | Balance of Rio Arriba County | 31,971 |
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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.
