Luna County, New Mexico

County Distress Index: Serious · 72.1 | 25,316 people · 2nd most distressed in New Mexico
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Luna County, NM shows significant household financial distress with a score of 72.1 — 307th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Structural Poverty, where poverty rates are high, transfer income dependency is elevated, and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within New Mexico, it ranks 2nd of 33 counties. It scores higher than all 4 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Luna County's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 95.0 — worse than roughly 95% of U.S. counties.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 95.0
Unemployment Rate 99
Poverty Rate 97
Income vs. State Median 95
Child Poverty Rate 97
Disability Rate 88
Transfer Income Dependency 95
Consumer Credit Distress 74.8
Debt in Collections 83
Medical Debt 86
Auto Loan Delinquency 51
Credit Card Delinquency 85
Uninsured Rate 57
Subprime Credit Population 78
Housing Cost Burden 68.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 78
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 65
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 45
Homeownership Rate 73
Economic Vitality 65.1
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 40
Rent-to-Income Ratio 96
Business Formation Rate 69
House Price Change (YoY) 93
Legal Distress 31.6
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 32

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Luna County
Luna County, NM 72.1 Serious —
Doña Ana County, NM 67.1 Serious -5.0
Hidalgo County, NM 55.5 Elevated -16.6
Grant County, NM 54.9 Elevated -17.3
Sierra County, NM 51.3 Elevated -20.9

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Luna County
Hale County, AL 72.1 Serious -0.0
St. Mary Parish, LA 72.1 Serious -0.0
Barbour County, AL 72.1 Serious -0.0
Palo Pinto County, TX 72.2 Serious +0.0
McCreary County, KY 72.2 Serious +0.1

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Luna County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Luna County

Find an Attorney

State Bar of New Mexico Lawyer Referral Program offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

State Bar of New Mexico Lawyer Referral Program 505-797-6000

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Luna County residents at no cost.

New Mexico Legal Aid 1-866-416-1922
Law Access New Mexico 1-800-340-9771
DNA-Peoples Legal Services, Inc. (928) 871-4151

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Luna County, New Mexico?

    Luna County has a County Distress Index score of 72.1 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 307th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 2nd in New Mexico out of 33 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Luna County?

    The primary driver of distress in Luna County is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 95.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Luna County compare to neighboring counties?

    Luna County (72.1) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Doña Ana County, NM (67.1); Hidalgo County, NM (55.5); Grant County, NM (54.9).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses PCA-weighted percentile scoring across five statistically derived factors: Consumer Credit Distress (47.5%), Housing Cost Burden (22.3%), Structural Poverty (13.6%), Economic Vitality (9.2%), and Legal Distress (7.4%). Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • How often is the CDI updated?

    Annually, aligned to Census American Community Survey and Urban Institute Debt in America release windows — the slowest-moving source inputs. Between annual refreshes, faster-cadence indicators (BLS unemployment, QCEW wages) may drive light mid-year updates if a specific component moves meaningfully. Current data compiled April 14, 2026; next full refresh early 2027.

  • What does the Serious zone mean?

    The CDI divides counties into five zones: Healthy (below 46), Normal (46–55), Elevated (55–71), Serious (71–86), and Crisis (86 and above). Luna County's score of 72.1 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

  • What data sources power Luna County's CDI score?

    Luna County's CDI score draws on Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax credit-bureau panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS, QCEW), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Every number on this page traces to one of these public sources.

  • What is the population of Luna County?

    Luna County, New Mexico has a population of approximately 25,316 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.