Chaves County, New Mexico facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chaves County
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Chaves County Courthouse in Roswell
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Location within the U.S. state of New Mexico
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 New Mexico's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  New Mexico |
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| Founded | February 25, 1889 | |
| Named for | José Francisco Chaves | |
| Seat | Roswell | |
| Largest city | Roswell | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 6,075 sq mi (15,730 km2) | |
| • Land | 6,065 sq mi (15,710 km2) | |
| • Water | 9.8 sq mi (25 km2) 0.2%% | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 65,157 | |
| • Density | 11/sq mi (4/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (Mountain) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) | |
| Congressional districts | 1st, 2nd, 3rd | |
Chaves County is a county in New Mexico, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 65,157. Its county seat is Roswell. Chaves County was named for Colonel Jose Francisco Chaves, a military leader there during the Civil War and later in Navajo campaigns. The county was created by the New Mexico Territorial Legislature on February 25, 1889, out of land from Lincoln County.
Chaves County comprises the Roswell, New Mexico Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Contents
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 6,075 square miles (15,730 km2), of which 6,065 square miles (15,710 km2) is land and 9.8 square miles (25 km2) (0.2%) is water. It is the fourth-largest county in New Mexico by area.
Adjacent counties
- De Baca County - north
- Roosevelt County - northeast
- Lea County - east
- Eddy County - south
- Otero County - southwest
- Lincoln County - west
National protected areas
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 16,850 | — | |
| 1920 | 12,075 | −28.3% | |
| 1930 | 19,549 | 61.9% | |
| 1940 | 23,980 | 22.7% | |
| 1950 | 40,605 | 69.3% | |
| 1960 | 57,649 | 42.0% | |
| 1970 | 43,335 | −24.8% | |
| 1980 | 51,103 | 17.9% | |
| 1990 | 57,849 | 13.2% | |
| 2000 | 61,382 | 6.1% | |
| 2010 | 65,645 | 6.9% | |
| 2020 | 65,157 | −0.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010 |
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2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 65,645 people, 23,691 households, and 16,646 families living in the county. The population density was 10.8 inhabitants per square mile (4.2 inhabitants/km2). There were 26,697 housing units at an average density of 4.4 units per square mile (1.7 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 70.9% white, 2.0% black or African American, 1.2% American Indian, 0.6% Asian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 21.9% from other races, and 3.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 52.0% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 10.1% were German, 9.3% were Irish, 8.5% were English, and 4.6% were American.
Of the 23,691 households, 37.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% were married couples living together, 14.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.7% were non-families, and 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.22. The median age was 34.7 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $37,524 and the median income for a family was $43,464. Males had a median income of $37,573 versus $26,250 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,504. About 15.9% of families and 21.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.1% of those under age 18 and 14.6% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
City
- Roswell (county seat)
Towns
Census-designated place
Unincorporated communities
- Dunken
- Elk
- Elkins
- Greenfield
- Mesa
Education
School districts include:
- Artesia Public Schools
- Dexter Consolidated Schools
- Elida Municipal Schools
- Hagerman Municipal Schools
- Lake Arthur Municipal Schools
- Roswell Independent Schools
- Tatum Municipal Schools
Notable people
- Jacqueline Wonsetler (1918–1974), American meteorologist
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Chaves para niños
