HomeNew MexicoSierra County
Sierra County, New Mexico: commercial real estate data.
Sierra County, New Mexico has a population of 11,500 across 4,179 square miles, down 1.6 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $423.0 m in 2024, 222 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 26 7(a) approvals worth $9.0 m.
113 sourced county values · tier FULL · 10 sections
Sierra County
How many people live in Sierra County
- Population11,500
- Households5,440
- Average household size2.11
- Median household income$41,600
- Median age57.6
- Median gross rent$729 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$152,600
- Home value to household income3.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income21.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher17.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over9,259
- Population under 181,795
- Share under 1815.6 percent
- Population 65 and over4,465
- Share 65 and over38.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 645,240
- Civilian labor force3,653
- Unemployment rate4.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over37.6 percent
- Rank by population among New Mexico counties25th of 33
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2388th
Sierra County is the 25th largest of 33 New Mexico counties by population. A median home costs 3.7 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 38.8 percent against 15.6 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Sierra County
Is Sierra County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.62 percent
- Census 2020 base population11,576
- Births, 202488
- Deaths, 2024271
- Natural change, 2024-183
- Net domestic migration, 202433
- Net international migration, 20243
- Total net migration, 202436
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024592
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2396th
The county has lost 1.62 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Sierra County
Where people moving to Sierra County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving366
- People arriving, from those returns589
- Adjusted gross income arriving$16.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$45,883
- Largest single originSierra County Non-migrants (4,033 households)
- Largest single destination (4,033 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sierra County Non-migrants | 4,033 | 7,163 | $178.0 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 208 | 335 | $8.5 m |
| Other flows - West | 108 | 164 | $5.1 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 75 | 122 | $3.5 m |
| Other flows - South | 57 | 101 | $2.2 m |
| Do�a Ana County | 46 | 74 | $2.9 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 43 | 70 | $1.3 m |
| Bernalillo County | 37 | 58 | $1.9 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Sierra 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.
Sierra County
What the Sierra County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$423.0 m
- County GDP, 2023$403.1 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.9 percent
- GDP change over five years27.7 percent
- Rank by GDP among New Mexico counties25th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2512th
- GDP per resident$36,783
Output grew 4.9 percent in the latest year and 27.7 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.
Sierra County
Who employs people in Sierra County
- Covered employment, annual average3,522
- Establishments reporting386
- Average annual pay$44,291
- Average weekly wage$852
- Sector 62, employment723
- Sector 62, average annual pay$44,234
- Sector 44-45, employment494
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$28,417
- Sector 23, employment184
- Sector 23, average annual pay$65,522
- Sector 31-33, employment125
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$42,295
- Sector 56, employment72
- Sector 81, employment70
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 723 | 70 | $44,234 |
| Sector 44-45 | 494 | 38 | $28,417 |
| Sector 23 | 184 | 27 | $65,522 |
| Sector 31-33 | 125 | 6 | $42,295 |
| Sector 56 | 72 | 18 | $38,421 |
| Sector 81 | 70 | 18 | $23,680 |
| Sector 48-49 | 60 | 8 | $121,565 |
| Sector 22 | 27 | 3 | $79,868 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 723 jobs, 20.5 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job exceeds median household income, which usually means single earner households and a wage base that can carry rent.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Sierra County
What businesses operate in Sierra County
- Establishments, all industries222
- Employment at those establishments2,180
- Annual payroll$79.7 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents19.3
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.
Sierra County
How much SBA lending happens in Sierra County
- 7(a) approvals recorded26
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$9.0 m
- Average 7(a) approval$344,373
- Median 7(a) approval$225,000
- 10th percentile approval$35,000
- 90th percentile approval$808,500
- Largest single approval$2,800,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)165
- Jobs per approval6.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active7
- Distinct industries receiving approvals22
- Median 7(a) term240 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer50.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms13
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter13
- Franchise loans2
- Franchise share of approvals7.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (3)
- Most active lenderFirst Savings Bank (19)
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$2.0 m
- Average 504 approval$1,991,000
- Median 504 approval$1,991,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval1.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved0.5
- Most active CDCB:Side Capital (1)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals96.3 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$10.9 m
The average approval of $344,373 sits well above the median of $225,000, 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. 50.0 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
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.
Sierra County
Do SBA loans in Sierra County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded10
- Paid in full10
- Charged off0
- Charge off rate on resolved loans0.0 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure13
- Status: Cancelled3
- Status: Paid in full10
Of the 10 loans that have reached a final outcome, 0.0 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Sierra County
Which parts of Sierra County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending5
- TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES, approvals16
- ELEPHANT BUTTE, approvals6
- WINSTON, approvals2
- Williamsburg, approvals1
- MONTICELLO, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES | 16 | $5,969,700 |
| ELEPHANT BUTTE | 6 | $2,572,500 |
| WINSTON | 2 | $67,000 |
| Williamsburg | 1 | $315,000 |
| MONTICELLO | 1 | $29,500 |
TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES accounts for 16 approvals against 6 in ELEPHANT BUTTE. 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.
Sierra County
How big is Sierra County
- Land area4,179 sq mi
- Rank by land area among New Mexico counties12th of 33
- Width, east to west96.3 mi
- Height, north to south60.4 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land3
- Establishments per square mile0.05
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.
- The Building Permits Survey does not carry a 2024 record for this county.
- 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 Sierra 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 Sierra County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population11,500
- Households5,440
- Average household size2.11
- Median household income$41,600
- Median age57.6
Common questions
Sierra County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Sierra County, New Mexico?
11,500, in 5,440 households, ranking 25th of 33 New Mexico counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Sierra County growing?
The population has fallen 1.62 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 88 births against 271 deaths, with net migration of 36. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Sierra County?
$41,600. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $152,600, which is 3.7 times income, and median gross rent is $729 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Sierra County?
222 establishments, employing 2,180 people with an annual payroll of $79.7 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 Sierra County?
Average annual pay is $44,291, or $852 a week, across 3,522 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Sierra County?
26 7(a) approvals totalling $9.0 m since FY2020, across 7 lenders, with a median approval of $225,000, plus 1 504 approvals worth $2.0 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Sierra County get paid back?
Of the 10 loans that have reached a final outcome, 10 were paid in full and 0 charged off, a charge off rate of 0.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is the radon zone for Sierra 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 Sierra County come from?
The largest single origin is Sierra County Non-migrants, with 4,033 households. Arriving households report an average income of $45,883 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 Sierra 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 Sierra 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.