Our District: Gallup and McKinley County at a glance
McKinley County, in Northwest New Mexico, is next to Arizona's eastern border. It covers an area of over 5,000 square miles (about the size of Rhode Island), and is sparsely populated. With 72,000 inhabitants estimated in 2005, we have an average of 14 people per square mile.
Children under the age of 18 account for 34.7% of our population, greater than the national average of 24.8%. Our schools serve over 13,000 students. Approximately 82% of them are Native American, 11% Hispanic, 6% Anglo, and 1% belong to other ethnicities.
Our socioeconomic conditions are more challenging than the national average. In 2003, 30.6% of our people lived below poverty, compared to 12.5% across the nation. The per capita income in 1999 was $9,872, compared to the State's $17,261 and $21,587 nationwide.
Despite these challenges, we are making strides to improve our infrastructure, the quality of our teaching, and the services that we provide to our students and communities.