In a county where more than 70 percent of residents own their homes, it’s easy to assume stability. But behind the walls of those homes, the truth is more complex. More than one in four Cibola County residents live in poverty—and for children, the numbers are even more stark.
According to the most recent data from the United States Census Bureau, 41.1 percent of Cibola’s children, that’s county residents under the age of 18, live below the poverty line. That’s nearly double the national average, and a full 13 percentage points higher than the New Mexico poverty rate of 27.6 percent.
For adults aged 18 to 64, the poverty rate stands at 24.7 percent.
For people over the age of 64, data shows 18.9 percent are living in poverty— many on fixed incomes and limited access to healthcare.
Even among those who are working, poverty is difficult to escape.
Cibola’s median household income sits at $51,765, over $10,000 lower than the state average. For marriedcouple families, that number rises to $77,494—but for nonfamily households, it drops to just $26,595.
Data shows that those living alone struggle to keep up financially.