Mora County () is a county in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2020 census, its population was 4,189. Its county seat is the census-designated place (CDP) Mora. The county has another CDP, Watrous, a village, Wagon Mound, and 12 smaller unincorporated settlements. Mora became a formal county in the US, in what was then the New Mexico Territory, on February 1, 1860. Ecclesiastically, the county is within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe. The Mora Valley then became a travel way for various Spanish explorers and others. It was not permanently inhabited by colonists until the early 19th century. The written history of the settlement of Mora dates to Christian missionary church building in 1818, then from Santa Cruz de La Cañada, Taos, and the Ojo Caliente area, and later still from the southern part of New Mexico, moving on from the San Miguel del Vado Land Grant, and also coming in via Las Vegas, New Mexico. to various families willing to relocate; estimates vary from 25 Nevertheless, the nearby fort and its garrison provided a stable source of income to local farmers, and several grist mills were founded in Mora, including a successful one opened in 1855 by regional trader and Taos Revolt US volunteer cavalry veteran Ceran St. Vrain. The US county of Mora was established in the territory on February 1, 1860. Without access to the grazing and timbering lands, many residents sought work outside Mora.

The modern county seat, Mora, is a census-designated place, and consists of four neighboring settlements and three plazas.<!-- -->

Geography

According to the US Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which (0.1%) are covered by water. The highest point in the county is the summit of Truchas Peak at .

Adjacent counties

  • Colfax County – north
  • Harding County – east
  • San Miguel County – south
  • Santa Fe County – west
  • Rio Arriba County – west
  • Taos County – northwest

National protected areas

  • Carson National Forest (part)
  • Fort Union National Monument
  • Kiowa National Grassland (part)
  • Santa Fe National Forest (part)
  • Rio Mora National Wildlife Refuge

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 4,189. The median age was 53.8 years. 16.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 29.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 103.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 101.9 males age 18 and over.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"

|+Mora County, New Mexico – Racial and ethnic composition<br><small></small>

!Race / Ethnicity <small>(NH = Non-Hispanic)</small>

!Pop 2000

!Pop 2010

!

!% 2000

!% 2010

!

|-

|White alone (NH)

|877

|873

|style='background: #ffffe6; |764

|16.93%

|17.89%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |18.24%

|-

|Black or African American alone (NH)

|5

|10

|style='background: #ffffe6; |10

|0.10%

|0.20%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.24%

|-

|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)

|43

|17

|style='background: #ffffe6; |22

|0.83%

|0.35%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.53%

|-

|Asian alone (NH)

|2

|11

|style='background: #ffffe6; |14

|0.04%

|0.23%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.33%

|-

|Pacific Islander alone (NH)

|0

|1

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0

|0.00%

|0.02%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.00%

|-

|Other race alone (NH)

|4

|1

|style='background: #ffffe6; |10

|0.08%

|0.02%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.24%

|-

|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)

|20

|15

|style='background: #ffffe6; |68

|0.39%

|0.31%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1.62%

|-

|Hispanic or Latino (any race)

|4,229

|3,953

|style='background: #ffffe6; |3,301

|81.64%

|80.99%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |78.80%

|-

|Total

|5,180

|4,881

|style='background: #ffffe6; |4,189

|100.00%

|100.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%

|}

The racial makeup of the county was 48.2% White, 0.3% Black or African American, 2.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 16.8% from some other race, and 31.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 78.8% of the population.

0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 1,895 households in the county, of which 22.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 26.0% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 34.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The population density was . There were 3,232 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 70.9% white, 1.3% American Indian, 0.7% Black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 23.5% from other races, and 3.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 81.0% of the population.

Of the 2,114&nbsp;households, 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.5% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 38.7% were not families, and 33.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.92. The median age was 46.0 years.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, 5,180 people, 2,017 households, and 1,397 families lived in the county. The population density was . The 2,973 housing units had an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 58.88% White, 0.10% African American, 1.14% Native American, 0.12% Asian, 36.97% from other races, and 2.80% from two or more races; 81.64% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 2,017 households, 31.2% had children under 18 living with them, 50.5% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.7% were not families. Of all households, 26.90% were made up of individuals, and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the county, the population distribution was 26.7% under 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 26.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 102 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 100.2 males.

The median income for a household in the county was US$24,518, and for a family was $27,648. Males had a median income of $24,483 versus $18,000 for females. The per capita income for the county was $12,340. About 20.9% of families and 25.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.9% of those under 18 and 18.40% of those 65 or over.

Place of interest

  • Fort Union National Monument

Communities

Village

  • Wagon Mound

Census-designated places

  • La Cueva
  • Mora (county seat)
  • Watrous

Unincorporated communities

  • Buena Vista
  • Canoncito
  • Chacon
  • Cleveland
  • Golondrinas
  • Guadalupita
  • Holman
  • Ledoux
  • Ocate
  • Ojo Feliz
  • Rainsville

Former Community

  • Valmora (now a private retreat center)

Politics

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Mora County has voted for the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in every election since 1976; prior to that, it leaned Republican. However, Mora County has experienced a strong shift to the Republicans in recent years, as with most Hispanic-majority counties across the country. 2024 marked the first time since 1984 that a Republican presidential candidate won at least 40% of the vote in Mora County, and also the first time since 1984 that a Republican presidential candidate won at least 1,000 votes.

Education

School districts:

  • Las Vegas City Public Schools
  • Mora Independent Schools
  • Wagon Mound Public Schools

See also

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

References

  • Official county website
  • Mora County website