HomeNew MexicoChaves County
Chaves County, New Mexico: commercial real estate data.
Chaves County, New Mexico has a population of 64,217 across 6,065 square miles, down 2.2 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $2.87 bn in 2024, 1,342 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 26 7(a) approvals worth $10.7 m.
117 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Chaves County
How many people live in Chaves County
- Population64,217
- Households23,712
- Average household size2.71
- Median household income$52,938
- Median age37.2
- Median gross rent$867 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$156,400
- Home value to household income3.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income19.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher17.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over41,958
- Population under 1815,799
- Share under 1824.6 percent
- Population 65 and over10,569
- Share 65 and over16.5 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6437,849
- Civilian labor force28,005
- Unemployment rate5.0 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over57.8 percent
- Rank by population among New Mexico counties10th of 33
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents860th
Chaves County is the 10th largest of 33 New Mexico counties by population. A median home costs 3.0 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 24.6 percent against 16.5 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Chaves County
Is Chaves County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-2.24 percent
- Census 2020 base population65,156
- Births, 2024727
- Deaths, 2024710
- Natural change, 202417
- Net domestic migration, 2024-197
- Net international migration, 2024208
- Total net migration, 202411
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-1,897
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2558th
The county has lost 2.24 percent of its population since the 2020 census base.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Chaves County
Where people moving to Chaves County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,084
- People arriving, from those returns2,083
- Adjusted gross income arriving$52.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$48,740
- Largest single originChaves County Non-migrants (21,250 households)
- Largest single destination (21,250 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chaves County Non-migrants | 21,250 | 45,311 | $1.30 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 624 | 1,223 | $34.4 m |
| Other flows - South | 277 | 547 | $15.6 m |
| Other flows - West | 256 | 507 | $14.0 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 115 | 221 | $4.6 m |
| Eddy County | 104 | 215 | $4.5 m |
| Bernalillo County | 78 | 125 | $3.3 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 64 | 132 | $3.3 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Chaves County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Chaves County
What the Chaves County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$2.87 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.67 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20247.2 percent
- GDP change over five years31.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among New Mexico counties12th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1013th
- GDP per resident$44,624
Output grew 7.2 percent in the latest year and 31.2 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Chaves County
Who employs people in Chaves County
- Covered employment, annual average21,658
- Establishments reporting1,805
- Average annual pay$47,769
- Average weekly wage$919
- Sector 62, employment3,714
- Sector 62, average annual pay$46,176
- Sector 72, employment3,136
- Sector 72, average annual pay$22,426
- Sector 44-45, employment2,887
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$34,986
- Sector 42, employment885
- Sector 42, average annual pay$51,274
- Sector 31-33, employment880
- Sector 11, employment874
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 3,714 | 377 | $46,176 |
| Sector 72 | 3,136 | 134 | $22,426 |
| Sector 44-45 | 2,887 | 190 | $34,986 |
| Sector 42 | 885 | 66 | $51,274 |
| Sector 31-33 | 880 | 40 | $60,757 |
| Sector 11 | 874 | 79 | $45,698 |
| Sector 48-49 | 826 | 63 | $51,865 |
| Sector 23 | 705 | 123 | $54,102 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 3,714 jobs, 17.1 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Chaves County
What businesses operate in Chaves County
- Establishments, all industries1,342
- Employment at those establishments16,093
- Annual payroll$683.7 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents20.9
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Chaves County
What is being built in Chaves County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202488
- Declared construction value permitted$15.9 m
- Single family units authorised88
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$181,249
- Units authorised per 1,000 households3.7
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Chaves County
How much SBA lending happens in Chaves County
- 7(a) approvals recorded26
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$10.7 m
- Average 7(a) approval$413,377
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$12,500
- 90th percentile approval$925,300
- Largest single approval$3,174,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)175
- Jobs per approval6.7
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active13
- Distinct industries receiving approvals23
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer19.2 percent
- Loans on real estate terms5
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter17
- Franchise loans2
- Franchise share of approvals7.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countOffices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (2)
- Most active lenderWells Fargo Bank National Association (8)
- 504 approvals recorded7
- 504 gross approval dollars$5.9 m
- Average 504 approval$839,857
- Median 504 approval$598,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval9.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved10.7
- Most active CDCEnchantment Land Certified Development Company (3)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals78.8 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$16.6 m
The average approval of $413,377 sits well above the median of $150,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 19.2 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Chaves County
Do SBA loans in Chaves County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure20
- Status: Cancelled4
- Status: Paid in full2
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 2 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Chaves County
Which parts of Chaves County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending3
- Roswell, approvals23
- Hagerman, approvals2
- Dexter, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Roswell | 23 | $9,972,600 |
| Hagerman | 2 | $720,200 |
| Dexter | 1 | $55,000 |
Roswell accounts for 23 approvals against 2 in Hagerman. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Chaves County
How big is Chaves County
- Land area6,065 sq mi
- Rank by land area among New Mexico counties4th of 33
- Width, east to west106.5 mi
- Height, north to south108.4 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land11
- Establishments per square mile0.22
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Chaves County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Chaves County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population64,217
- Households23,712
- Average household size2.71
- Median household income$52,938
- Median age37.2
Common questions
Chaves County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Chaves County, New Mexico?
64,217, in 23,712 households, ranking 10th of 33 New Mexico counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Chaves County growing?
The population has fallen 2.24 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 727 births against 710 deaths, with net migration of 11. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Chaves County?
$52,938. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $156,400, which is 3.0 times income, and median gross rent is $867 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Chaves County?
1,342 establishments, employing 16,093 people with an annual payroll of $683.7 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Chaves County?
Average annual pay is $47,769, or $919 a week, across 21,658 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Chaves County?
26 7(a) approvals totalling $10.7 m since FY2020, across 13 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 7 504 approvals worth $5.9 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Chaves County?
88 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $15.9 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Chaves County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Chaves County come from?
The largest single origin is Chaves County Non-migrants, with 21,250 households. Arriving households report an average income of $48,740 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Chaves County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Chaves County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.