Map the Block › Places › New Mexico › Lincoln County
What are the crime rate and median income in Lincoln County, New Mexico?
FBI reports put Lincoln County at 0.83 violent crimes per 1,000 people a year over 2021-2025, 89% lower than the rate for New Mexico (7.4). Median household income is $53,303 and the unemployment rate was 4.6% in August 2026. Population: about 20,224 (Census, 2020-2024).
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Lincoln County?
Over 2021-2025, the county's police agencies sent the FBI reports of about 10 violent and 95 property crimes per year. Per 1,000 residents, the violent-crime rate works out to 0.83: 89% lower than the New Mexico rate (7.4), and 77% lower than the national rate (3.7). For property crime the county rate is 7.5 per 1,000 (New Mexico: 27.3; U.S.: 18.1). With this few incidents, one or two cases move the rate a lot from year to year. CDC death records show about 2 homicide deaths a year in the county (7.9 per 100,000), a count that includes cases police may classify differently.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Lincoln County | Per 1,000 | New Mexico per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 10 | 0.83 | 7.4 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 0 | 0.00 | 0.11 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 2 | 0.17 | 0.56 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 0 | 0.00 | 0.84 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 8 | 0.67 | 5.9 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 95 | 7.5 | 27.3 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 16 | 1.3 | 5.3 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 75 | 6.2 | 17.3 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 4 | 0.33 | 4.7 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (4 agencies; 62% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Lincoln County?
The median household in Lincoln County earns $53,303 a year, 17% lower than the New Mexico median ($64,059). Owner-occupied homes have a median value of $233,200, and the median rent is $956 a month. 14.7% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 19.2%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 4.6% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 380 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Lincoln County | New Mexico | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,224 | 2,120,246 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $53,303 | $64,059 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $233,200 | $248,100 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $956 | $1,067 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 5.1% | 6.0% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 19.3% | 17.8% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 14.7% | 19.2% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 32.2% | 31.0% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 76.8% | 70.0% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 52.4 | 39.4 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 84.7% | 86.5% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 9.6% | 9.6% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Lincoln County?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall natural-hazard risk for Lincoln County as “Relatively Low”. Among the hazards we show, the highest-rated are wildfire (Relatively High). The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
No active Superfund site is listed in Lincoln County. 1 former site has finished cleanup and been taken off EPA's National Priorities List: Cimarron Mining Corp.. A listing means EPA is managing a long-term cleanup; it does not by itself mean anyone is exposed today.
High-hazard dams
Lincoln County has 4 dams classed as high hazard in the National Inventory of Dams. 2 are rated Poor or Unsatisfactory in condition, 2 Satisfactory or Fair. Tallest on the list: Grindstone Canyon Dam (133 ft) and Bonito Dam (113 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Disasters, air and water
Lincoln County was covered by 3 federal major disaster declarations from 2016 through 2025 (Fire 2, Flood 1), not counting COVID-19. EPA air monitors logged 0 days in 2024 when the air quality index reached “unhealthy for sensitive groups” or worse. Of 21 community water systems, 4 had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 2 (moderate). NHTSA counted 6 traffic deaths in the county in 2024.
Is there road construction in Lincoln County?
On October 11, 2026 the state transportation feed listed 1 highway work zone in Lincoln County (active that day). Listed roads include NM 532. The map's construction layer is refreshed every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Lincoln County?
Federal school lists show 14 public and 0 private schools in the county. USGS mapping shows 20 fire or EMS stations and 7 police or sheriff stations.
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Lincoln County
Gun shops
3 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map in Lincoln County, plus 9 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). On the ATF list: Big 5 Sporting Goods #452 (Ruidoso), Village Ace Hardware (Ruidoso) and Wooly Bears A Mountain Man Store (Ruidoso).
Liquor stores
One liquor store is on the map in Lincoln County: Noisy Water Winery. New Mexico has no complete public liquor licence list we can use, so this count also draws on OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps and may miss some stores or include closed ones.
Planned Parenthood
There is no Planned Parenthood health center in Lincoln County on the map.
See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official; partial in some states); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Lincoln County?
Lincoln County averaged 10 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 0.83 per 1,000 residents, 89% lower than the New Mexico rate (7.4). The property-crime rate was 7.5 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Lincoln County?
$53,303 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $64,059 for New Mexico and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Lincoln County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 4.6% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 380 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Lincoln County?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall natural-hazard risk for Lincoln County as “Relatively Low”. Among the hazards we show, the highest-rated are wildfire (Relatively High).
Are there Superfund sites in Lincoln County?
No active Superfund site is listed in Lincoln County. 1 former site has finished cleanup and been taken off EPA's National Priorities List: Cimarron Mining Corp..
Is there road construction in Lincoln County right now?
On October 11, 2026 the state transportation feed listed 1 highway work zone in Lincoln County (active that day). Listed roads include NM 532.
How does Lincoln County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chaves County | 64,217 | 7.4 | $52,938 |
| De Baca County | 1,576 | 5.4 | – |
| Guadalupe County | 4,381 | 1.9 | $42,750 |
| Otero County | 68,816 | 3.4 | $55,876 |
| Sierra County | 11,500 | 4.2 | $41,600 |
| Socorro County | 16,200 | 4.1 | $36,570 |
| Torrance County | 15,490 | 4.0 | $57,842 |
More: New Mexico statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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