County outline
Where Lea County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 99.9% of Lea County’s measured area and water for 0.1%. Its combined area converts to 11,382.2 square kilometers or approximately 2,812,607 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 4,391.552 | 11,374.067 | 2,810,593.3 |
| Water | 3.146 | 8.148 | 2,013.4 |
| Total | 4,394.698 | 11,382.216 | 2,812,606.7 |
How Lea County compares
By original Census land area, Lea County ranks #11 of 33 in New Mexico and #104 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 1.169 times the New Mexico county-equivalent median of 3,758 square miles. It accounts for 3.6% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete New Mexico ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Lea County
The Census Bureau estimates that 74,749 people lived in Lea County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #763 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #7 of 33 in New Mexico. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 74,452, the population has grown by 297 (+0.4%), compared with +0.4% for New Mexico as a whole.
With 4,391.6 square miles of land, that is 17 people per square mile (6.6 per km²), placing Lea County #2,411 nationally for density and #9 in New Mexico. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the New Mexico median is 6.9. Put another way, there are about 38 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 74,634 | 73,068 | 72,260 | 73,214 | 74,446 | 74,749 |
| Change | — | −1,566 | −808 | +954 | +1,232 | +303 |
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. Estimates are revised each year and are not decennial census counts. Density divides the whole population by the whole county’s land area, so it describes an average, not how settlement is distributed within the county. Population sources and methods.
Cities and towns in Lea County
5 incorporated places lie at least partly in Lea County. Together they are home to 58,409 people (78.1%); the other 16,340 (21.9%) live outside any incorporated place, in unincorporated communities and rural areas.
The largest is Hobbs city, with 40,863 residents in the county. The county seat, Lovington city, has 11,620 residents. Among places with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, Hobbs city grew fastest since then (+0.9%).
| Incorporated place | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hobbs city | 40,863 | +0.9% | 26.4 |
| Lovington cityCounty seat | 11,620 | −0.3% | 11.2 |
| Eunice city | 3,037 | −0.6% | 4.086 |
| Jal city | 2,178 | −0.8% | 4.823 |
| Tatum town | 711 | 0% | 1.585 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each place inside Lea County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer, for the whole place even where it extends into other counties. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Lea County is a central county of the Hobbs, NM Micropolitan Statistical Area. Lea County is the area’s only county equivalent, so the micro area has the same 4,391.6 square miles of land. By combined land it ranks #32 of 542 micropolitan areas, and #88 by population.
ZIP codes
11 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Lea County, and each lies mostly inside the county.
8811488231882408824288244882528826088262882648826588267
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are the Census Bureau’s approximations of USPS ZIP Code service areas, from the 2020 Census relationship files. Post-office-box and single-address ZIP Codes have no tabulation area.
Counties bordering Lea County
Lea County shares a land border with 9 county equivalents, including 6 in Texas. It has more land than 8 of them. The largest neighbor is Chaves County (6,067.2 mi²) and the smallest is Loving County (668.8 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Lea County forms a block of 23,169.1 mi² of land, of which it holds 19%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Lea | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chaves County | 6,067.2 | 1.4× larger | Compare |
| Eddy County | 4,176.3 | 1.1× smaller | Compare |
| Roosevelt County | 2,446.1 | 1.8× smaller | Compare |
| Gaines CountyTexas | 1,502.4 | 2.9× smaller | Compare |
| Andrews CountyTexas | 1,500.7 | 2.9× smaller | Compare |
| Winkler CountyTexas | 841.3 | 5.2× smaller | Compare |
| Yoakum CountyTexas | 799.7 | 5.5× smaller | Compare |
| Cochran CountyTexas | 775.1 | 5.7× smaller | Compare |
| Loving CountyTexas | 668.8 | 6.6× smaller | Compare |
How big is Lea County compared with U.S. states?
Lea County has more land than 2 of the 50 states. It is about 2.3 times the land area of Delaware (1,948.6 mi²), while Connecticut, the next larger state, has 1.1 times as much land (4,842.5 mi²). New Mexico’s county land could hold about 28 areas the size of Lea County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 66.3 miles (106.6 km) on each side. Real county shapes are rarely square, so this is a scale reference rather than a width or driving distance.
State figures are the sums of each state’s county-equivalent land measurements in the same Census release, so states and counties are compared on the same basis. Published state totals can differ slightly because of rounding. Compare all states · Counties bigger than entire states.
What stands out about Lea County?
Lea County has more land than 3,118 of the other 3,221 county equivalents in the dataset.
A median is the middle county-equivalent measurement, not the average of the largest and smallest. All three bars use the same linear scale. Very small areas may appear as a thin sliver; the labels retain their values.
Does including water change its rank?
Using land plus water places Lea County at #113 nationally by total area, 9 places farther from the top than its land rank. Other county equivalents gain more area when their water measurements are included.
Its water share is 0.1%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 1.1 percentage points lower. This describes the statistical geography’s land/water mix, not flood exposure or developable land.
Closest positions in the national land ranking
These entries sit immediately beside Lea County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #103 | Emery County, Utah | 4,462.6 | Compare |
| #104 | Lea County, New Mexico | 4,391.6 | This county |
| #105 | Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska | 4,387.3 | Compare |
Calculated from the same Census release as the area table. Total-area order uses original ALAND + AWATER; water shares and chart labels use published square miles. Calculation details.
Representative coordinates
The Census internal point is 32.795687, -103.413271. It represents a location inside the geography; it is not necessarily the centroid or the address of a courthouse.
Source and precision
U.S. Census Bureau, 2026 Gazetteer Files, Counties. Original ALAND: 11,374,066,454 m²; AWATER: 8,147,103 m². Rankings use ALAND; exact ties use ascending GEOID. Tables preserve Census-published square miles to three decimals, with conversions based on those values.
Common questions
How big is Lea County?
Lea County, New Mexico has 4,391.6 square miles (11,374.1 km²) of land and 3.146 square miles of water, for a total area of 4,394.7 square miles. It ranks #104 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Lea County the largest county in New Mexico?
No. Lea County ranks #11 of 33 in New Mexico by land area. The largest is Catron County, with 6,924.2 square miles of land.
What counties border Lea County?
Lea County shares a land border with Eddy County, Chaves County, Gaines County, Texas, Andrews County, Texas, Yoakum County, Texas, Roosevelt County, Loving County, Texas, Winkler County, Texas, and Cochran County, Texas.
What is the population of Lea County?
The Census Bureau estimates Lea County had 74,749 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #763 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 17 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Lea County?
The county seat of Lea County is Lovington.
What cities and towns are in Lea County?
Lea County has 5 incorporated places. The most populous are Hobbs city, Lovington city, Eunice city, Jal city, and Tatum town; 16,340 residents live outside any incorporated place.
Is Lea County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the Hobbs, NM Micropolitan Statistical Area.
How many ZIP codes are in Lea County?
11 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Lea County, and 11 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Lea County compare with U.S. states?
It has more land than 2 of the 50 states, including Delaware (1,948.6 square miles of land).
How many acres of land are in Lea County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 2,810,593 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 2,812,607 acres. One square mile equals 640 acres.
Why might another source show a different area?
Check whether it reports land or total area, its Census vintage, and its rounding. Our guide explains how to reconcile county area figures.
Can this establish a property boundary?
No. Statistical measurements and generalized maps do not establish property lines. Consult the relevant local surveying or land-records authority.