Lea County, New Mexico
According to the 2000 Census, Lea County, New Mexico has a population of 55,511 people. Of those, 37,263 (67%) are White, 2,426 (4%) are Black, and 22,010 (40%) are Latino[1]. However, 1,270 (or 2% of the 55,511 people) are not residents by choice but are people in prison.
Even though prisoners cannot participate in the local community, the Census Bureau nevertheless counts them as residents of the county where they are incarcerated.
A more accurate description would not include the prisoners. This would give Lea County a population of 54,241 with a demographic that is 67% White, 4% Black, and 39% Latino.
| Reported in Census 2000 |
Incarcerated population |
Actual population |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 55,511 | 1,270 | 54,241 |
| White | 37,263 | 802 | 36,461 |
| Black | 2,426 | 182 | 2,244 |
| Latino | 22,010 | 690 | 21,320 |
Notes:
[1]The numbers for Whites, Blacks and Latinos may not add up to the total number because we have not included racial groups other than Whites and Blacks and because the Census Bureau considers "Latino" to be an ethnicity, not a race. Most of the people reported as being Latino are also counted as being White or Black.
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