Is Lea County, NM's population growing or shrinking?
Updated annually
It grew by 1,600 between 2023 and 2024. Changes in population can reflect birth and death rates, immigration patterns, regional shifts, and even the overall health of the economy. The 2.2% annual increase was primarily driven by immigration to the state.
In the decade between 2014 and 2024, Lea County, NM’s population grew by 7.1%.
+1.65K
population change (2023 to 2024)
+2.2%
percent change in population (2023 to 2024)
Since 2000, Lea County, NM’s population increased 18 out of 24 years. The largest increase occurred between 2009 and 2010, when Lea County, NM gained 4,200 residents. Its largest decline occurred between 2020 and 2021 when there were 1,600 fewer residents.
Lea County, NM gained 1,600 residents between 2023 and 2024.
Annual population change
A county’s population is influenced by three factors:
- Natural population change: If births outnumber deaths in a given year, natural population growth is positive. If deaths exceed births, it is negative. Between 2023 and 2024 natural population change was positive in Lea County, NM, with births exceeding deaths by 241.
- Immigration: international migration directly into or out of a county: If more people move in than move out, population change from immigration is positive. If more people move out than move in, it’s negative. Between 2023 to 2024, Lea County, NM’s population change from immigration was positive with about 1,700 more people coming from another country directly to Lea County, NM than leaving.
- Domestic migration, moving between counties: Between 2023 to 2024, Lea County, NM’s population change from domestic migration was negative with about 271 more people moving to any other county in the US.
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Between 2023 and 2024, immigration was the primary driver of population growth in Lea County, NM.
Components of population change
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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.