Economy

The county economy centers on Lordsburg and its Interstate 10 corridor. Education, health care, and social assistance provide close to a third of all jobs, with agriculture, forestry, and mining next at about 14 percent, reflecting the ranching and farming of the Animas and Playas valleys. Public administration and hospitality round out the largest sectors in a small, rural labor market.

Employment by industry, Hidalgo County

Education, health care, and social assistance 29.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing, hunting, and mining 13.7%
Public administration 12%
Arts, entertainment, recreation, and food service 11.5%
All other industries 32.9%

Share of employed civilians 16 and over. Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table C24050.

Workforce

1,728
County labor force
Census ACS 2020-2024
1,652
Employed, civilian 16+
Census ACS 2020-2024
$48,882
Median household income
Census ACS 2020-2024

JTIP's small-community and rural tiers apply to Hidalgo County hires: see the JTIP guide. Gross receipts tax rates vary by community within the county, from 6.1875% in the unincorporated remainder to 7.75% in Lordsburg: check any address in the GRT tool.

Housing

$111,000
Median home value
Census ACS 2020-2024
$814
Median gross rent
Census ACS 2020-2024
80.8%
Owner-occupied
Census ACS 2020-2024

Sources and updates

  • U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates for Hidalgo County, New Mexico (population B01003, median household income B19013, median home value B25077, median gross rent B25064, labor force B23025, tenure B25003, industry C24050). Hidalgo County has about 4,000 people, so several ACS estimates carry wide margins of error; only the more reliable aggregate figures are shown, and detailed industry lines are grouped into a combined remainder.
  • NM Taxation and Revenue Department, Gross Receipts and Compensating Tax Rate Schedule effective July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027 (Hidalgo County remainder 6.1875%, Lordsburg 7.7500%).

All figures on this page carry their source inline. Last reviewed Jul 16, 2026. Corrections are welcome through the contact form.