Quay needs economic shot in arm

As Quay County reels from the state’s decision not to grant a sixth racetrack-casino license, my inner wonk is motivated to see where the county stands as we figure out where we can go from here.

As a first step, I collected U.S. Census numbers updated to 2018. I learned that Quay County still fares poorly in too many areas related to economics, but some neighbors fare worse in these areas.

It also seems that surrounding Texas counties do better overall.

Only two of the counties surrounding Quay actually gained population from 2010 to 2018, Curry County and Oldham County, Texas. The rest — Roosevelt, Guadalupe, San Miguel, Union and Harding in New Mexico and Parmer, Hartley and Deaf Smith in Texas — lost residents.

Quay County lost 9 percent, about 750 individuals, from 2010 to 2018. Among the neighbors, Union County lost 10 percent, representing 436 people. San Miguel County, with a 6-percent loss, lost the largest number of residents at 1,788.

Curry County gained 1,061 in population from 2010 to 2018, a positive growth of 2 percent. Oldham County, Texas, actually picked up 4 percent more, 79, raising its population to 2,131.

In 2018, 24 percent of Quay County residents were living in poverty, but San Miguel County (29 percent) and Roosevelt County (26 percent) scored worse.

Among the Texas counties, only Deaf Smith’s high 18-percent poverty rate matched Union’s, the lowest among Quay’s New Mexico neighbors. The other Texas counties showed poverty rates from 9 percent to 13 percent. New Mexico neighbors scored poverty rates between 26 percent (Roosevelt) and 23 percent (Guadalupe).

Overall, New Mexico’s poverty rate was 20 percent; Texas’, 14.7 percent.

U.S. News and World Report shows that for 2019, New Mexico tied with Louisiana for the nation’s highest poverty rate of 19.7 percent.

If one is living in poverty, however, Quay is the place to go. Its median cost of owner-occupied housing of $72,200 is the lowest among the neighbors.

Quay County’s median income in 2018 was $26,663 vs. $46,718 for the state. Only Guadalupe’s, at $26,060, was lower among the neighbors..

Quay County’s per-capita income, at $18,229 was higher than only Guadalupe’s ($18,086) and San Miguel’s ($18,012).

In Quay County, 47 percent of the population 16 years old and older were in the work force. The state’s rate was 58 percent. San Miguel (42 percent), Union (46 percent) and Guadalupe (38 percent) scored lower among New Mexico neighbors.

All the Texas counties except Hartley (44 percent) scored better than the New Mexico average. The highest was Deaf Smith County at 67 percent. In New Mexico, Curry and Roosevelt counties were within a percentage point of the state average.

Quay County, however, had the highest rate, 26 percent, of residents 65 years old or older among the neighbors. The state average is 18 percent. The next highest rate among the neighbors was San Miguel with 22 percent. Texas counties were below New Mexico’s average in 65-and-over population. Curry (14 percent) and Roosevelt (13 percent) had the lowest 65-plus population among New Mexico neighbors.

Quay County and its neighbors need a big economic shot in the arm. Quay needs more, well-paid jobs and a flood of new or retained younger people, which usually requires well-paid jobs.

I also think that Quay County could learn from Texas neighbors, all rural, what they’re doing better overall than their eastern New Mexico neighbors.

Steve Hansen writes about our life and times from his perspective of a semi-retired Tucumcari journalist. Contact him at:

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