Hidalgo County, New Mexico

Hidalgo County, New Mexico
Hidalgo County courthouse in Lordsburg, New Mexico
Location in the state of New Mexico
New Mexico's location in the U.S.
Founded	February 25, 1919
Seat	Lordsburg
Largest city	Lordsburg
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	3,446 sq mi (8,925 km²) 3,446 sq mi (8,925 km²) .38 sq mi (1 km²), 0.01%
Population  - (2000)  - Density	5,932 3/sq mi (1/km²)
Website	www.hidalgocounty.org

Hidalgo County is the southernmost county of the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the United States 2010 Census, the population was 5,057, down from its 1980 peak of 6,049 but up since 1970. Over half of the county's population live in the county seat of Lordsburg.

Hidalgo was created on February 25, 1919, from the southern part of Grant County. It was named for the town north of Mexico City where the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed, which in turn was named for Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, the priest who is known as the "Father of Mexican Independence".

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3,446 square miles (8,930 km²), less than 0.01% of which is water (1 square kilometre (0.39 sq mi)). The southern part of the county, the part bounded on the east and south by Mexico, is known as the Bootheel.

Adjacent counties and municipios

• Grant County, New Mexico - north, and east
• Luna County, New Mexico - east
• Cochise County, Arizona - west
• Greenlee County, Arizona - northwest
• Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico - southwest
• Ascensión, Chihuahua, Mexico - southeast
• Janos, Chihuahua, Mexico - south

National protected areas

• Coronado National Forest (part)
• Gila National Forest (part)

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
2000	5,932		—
2010	4,894		−17.5%

2010

Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:

• 85.3% White
• 0.6% Black
• 0.8% Native American
• 0.5% Asian
• 0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
• 1.8% Two or more races
• 11.0% Other races
• 56.6% Hispanic or Latino (of any race)

As of the census of 2010, there are 5057 people in the county, organized into 2152 households, and 1542 families. The population density is 1 person per square mile (1/km²). There are 2,848 housing units at an average density of 1 per square mile (0/km²). The racial makeup of the county is 42% White and about 55% of the population is Hispanic.

Size of family households: 592 2-persons, 341 3-persons, 316 4-persons, 165 5-persons, 83 6-persons, 48 7-or-more-persons. The average household size is 2.7 and the average family size is 3.29. In non-family households,there are 684 with 314 male householders (286 living alone), 293 female householders (262 living alone), and 77 non-relatives. In group quarters, there are 85 (all institutionalized).

In the county the population is spread out with 31.70% under the age of 18, 7.80% from 18 to 24, 25.20% from 25 to 44, 21.70% from 45 to 64, and 13.60% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 35 years. For every 100 females there are 99.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 97.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county is $31,286. The per capita income for the county is $12,431. 27.8% of the population is below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 38.90% of those under the age of 18 and 17.00% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line. Unemployment rates in April, 2010 was 7.6%.

Localities

There are seven small communities scattered throughout the county:

City

• Lordsburg is southeast of Virden, where US 70 and I-10 meet

Village

• Virden is in the northwestern corner, near U.S. Highway 70

Other communities

• Animas is in the middle of the county, south of Cotton City
• Antelope Wells is located on the US-Mexico border on the southern edge of the county
• Cotton City is about 25 miles southwest of Lordsburg
• Playas is about 13 miles almost due east of Animas, near the county border
• Summit is located on County Route A12
• Rodeo is located southwest of Animas on Highway 80

Ghost towns

• Cloverdale, in the southwestern corner
• Steins
• Shakespeare
• Bramlett
• Valedon
• Road Fork
• Gary

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Hidalgo County, New Mexico

External links

• Geology of Lordsburg Quadrangle, Hidalgo County
• Animas, Cotton City, and Playas
• Hidalgo county, New Mexico
• Hidalgo county, New Mexico