State analysis shows NM veterans fare better than nonveterans in variety of areas

• New Mexico was tied with Nevada for 12th in the nation in its concentration of veterans among the general population.
• Catron County (17.4%), Otero County (16.3%) and Sierra County (16%) had the highest percentage of veterans in the state.
• Almost one-third of the state's veterans reported having some form of disability.

A recent analysis of the state’s veterans conducted by the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions shows that, by and large, those former service members are doing better in many areas than their nonveteran counterparts across the state, including in income and educational attainment.

The 2023 Veterans Profile released Nov. 9 by the Department of Workforce Solutions shows that New Mexico was home to nearly 140,000 veterans who made up 8.6% of the state’s population in 2021. That figure left New Mexico tied with Nevada for 12^th in the nation in its concentration of veterans among the general population. Catron County (17.4%), Otero County (16.3%) and Sierra County (16%) had the highest percentage of veterans in the state, while Lea County had the lowest percentage at 3.5%, followed closely by McKinley County (5.7%) and Guadalupe County (6.2). San Juan County tied for fourth on that list with Roosevelt County at 6.6%.

While nearly one-third of all veterans in the state, 32.3%, have some form of disability, compared to 18.3% of nonveterans, they nevertheless attend and graduate from college at a higher rate than nonveterans. The study shows that 38% of veterans have earned an associate degree or completed some college, while 33.7% possess at least a bachelor’s degree. Among nonveterans, only 31.5% have at least an associate degree or some college, while 27.9% have earned at least a bachelor’s degree.

That difference in educational attainment is reflected in income levels among the two groups, according to the analysis. The median annual income for New Mexico veterans in 2021 was $43,971, significantly higher than the figure for the state’s nonveterans ($27,197). New Mexico veterans also were significantly less likely to live in poverty than nonveterans, with only 7.8% of them falling below the poverty level in 2021, compared to 17.4% of the remainder of the population.

In terms of unemployment, several counties in the state — Union, Harding, Guadalupe, De Baca, Soccorro, Catron and Luna — effectively showed a 0% unemployment rate among veterans. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Taos County’s jobless rate among veterans was the highest at 21%, followed by Lincoln County (10.2%), Curry County (8.9%) and Lea County (8.5%).

The overall jobless rate for the state’s veterans was 3.3% in 2022, lower than the rate for New Mexico’s nonveterans at 3.8%. The national unemployment rate for veterans also was 2.8%, compared to 3.8% for nonveterans.

The analysis indicates that homeless among veterans is decreasing at the national level. Slightly more than 33,000 veterans across the United States were homeless in 2022, a reduction of more than 4,100 people or 11.1%, since 2020. In New Mexico, there were an estimated 91 homeless veterans, but the study did not indicate whether that figure has increased or decreased in recent years.

In terms of personal characteristics, New Mexico’s veteran population skews toward an older demographic. Nearly one-fourth (23.2%) of the state’s vets are age 75 or older, while another 27% are between the ages of 65 and 74. Only 7.7% of New Mexico veterans are between the ages of 18 and 34.

An overwhelming majority (89.9%) of the state’s veterans are male, but the study shows the percentage of female veterans in New Mexico has increased steadily in recent years, growing from 8.5% in 2016 to 10.1% in 2021.

The study also shows that the state’s population of veterans is less diverse than the state’s nonveteran population in terms of race. More than three-quarters (76.3%) of New Mexico veterans are white, compared to 65% for nonveterans. As for ethnicity, 30.6% of the state’s veterans identified as Hispanic or Latino, compared to 47.7% among nonveterans. Nearly six in 10 New Mexico veterans (57.6%) identified as white alone, compared to only 38.2% among nonveterans.

Mike Easterling can be reached at 505-564-4610 ormeasterling@daily-times.com. Support local journalism with a digital subscription: http://bit.ly/2I6TU0e.