Jobs, pay and daily life in Gallup, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Gallup is a city in New Mexico with 21,023 residents. The median household earns $58,303 a year and the median rent is $927 a month, which is 19.1% of the median household income. We could not match it to a metropolitan area in the BLS wage tables, so metro pay data is not shown.
How Gallup compares. Among the 40 largest places in New Mexico, Gallup is #12 by population, #38 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #27 for remote work (#1 = most), #18 for household income (#1 = highest). Its county, McKinley County, is #19 of 33 counties for average pay ($47,226).
Gallup has 21,023 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 1.0% of the population of New Mexico. It covers 20 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,041 people per square mile. The median age is 34.4, 13% younger than the state median (34.4 against 39.4).
The median gross rent is $927 a month (rent plus utilities), 13% below the state median ($927 against $1,067). Over a year that is 19.1% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $165,200, which is 2.8 times the median household income ($58,303); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 52.1% of households own their home, 25% below the state average (52.1% against 70.0%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of McKinley County was 6.6%. 52.4% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in McKinley County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 84.3% drive alone, 2.2% use public transit, 1.0% walk, 5.4% work from home. 12.6% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, about the same as the state average (12.6% against 12.8%).
23.5% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 24% below the state share (23.5% against 31.0%). 5.6% of residents were born outside the United States, 40% below the state share (5.6% against 9.4%). The poverty rate is 26.8%, 50% above the state rate (26.8% against 17.8%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 74°F (23.2°C), and the coolest is Jan at 31°F (-0.5°C). About 279 mm (11 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jul is the wettest month (51 mm) and Jun the driest (8 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Grants (57 miles, rent 16% lower); Shiprock (88 miles, rent 25% lower); Farmington (91 miles, rent 12% higher); Bloomfield (95 miles, rent 6% higher). Rent differences are against Gallup; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in New Mexico (864) →State guide: New MexicoCountry guideMcKinley CountyNew Mexico rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 864 federal postings open in New Mexico (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
No metropolitan wage table is matched to this city. Employment shares of residents by industry (ACS):
| Industry ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 35.6% |
| Retail trade | 14.8% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 13.3% |
| Public administration | 7.7% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 6.3% |
| Other services | 5.8% |
| Construction | 4.5% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 3.6% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 2.9% |
| Information | 2.2% |
| Manufacturing | 1.9% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 1.1% |
| Wholesale trade | 0.4% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Gallup lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McKinley County | 70,431 | $2,894 million | $41,083 | 19,500 | 1,225 | $47,226 | -1.7% | 6.6% | 22,732 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 3,272 | 25.8% | $35,899 | 1.17 |
| Retail trade | 3,222 | 25.4% | $31,861 | 1.65 |
| Accommodation and food services | 2,543 | 20.1% | $22,444 | 1.43 |
| Construction | 592 | 4.7% | $50,615 | 0.58 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 463 | 3.7% | $35,750 | 0.79 |
| Wholesale trade | 428 | 3.4% | $42,567 | 0.56 |
| Manufacturing | 376 | 3.0% | $58,451 | 0.23 |
| Administrative and waste services | 326 | 2.6% | $45,723 | 0.28 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 310 | 2.4% | $62,872 | 0.38 |
| Finance and insurance | 299 | 2.4% | $47,220 | 0.38 |
| Educational services | 285 | 2.2% | $51,873 | 0.71 |
| Professional and technical services | 201 | 1.6% | $58,195 | 0.15 |
| Real estate and rental | 142 | 1.1% | $43,476 | 0.47 |
| Information | 121 | 1.0% | $34,333 | 0.33 |
| Utilities | 56 | 0.4% | $123,722 | 0.76 |
| Management of companies | 25 | 0.2% | $46,709 | 0.08 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 12 | 0.1% | $21,938 | 0.04 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 84.3% |
| Public transit | 2.2% |
| Walk | 1.0% |
| Work from home | 5.4% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 12.6% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,303 |
| Income per person | $25,302 |
| Median gross rent per month | $927 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 19.1% |
| Median home value | $165,200 |
| Homeowners | 52.1% |
| Poverty rate | 26.8% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | n/a |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | n/a |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 5.90%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 34.4 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 89.7% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 23.5% |
| Born abroad | 5.6% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 52.4% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -0.5 | 31 | 21 |
| Feb | 1.1 | 34 | 19 |
| Mar | 5.3 | 42 | 14 |
| Apr | 9.3 | 49 | 14 |
| May | 14.8 | 59 | 14 |
| Jun | 21.6 | 71 | 8 |
| Jul | 23.2 | 74 | 51 |
| Aug | 21.4 | 71 | 46 |
| Sep | 17.7 | 64 | 34 |
| Oct | 10.8 | 51 | 20 |
| Nov | 4.4 | 40 | 17 |
| Dec | -0.5 | 31 | 21 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grants | NM | 57 mi | 8,951 | $47,183 | $783 |
| Shiprock | NM | 88 mi | 7,610 | $35,900 | $694 |
| Farmington | NM | 91 mi | 46,314 | $68,784 | $1,037 |
| Bloomfield | NM | 95 mi | 7,395 | $48,472 | $984 |
| Aztec | NM | 100 mi | 6,150 | $41,977 | $629 |
| Show Low | AZ | 113 mi | 12,102 | $60,368 | $1,110 |
| Winslow | AZ | 116 mi | 8,773 | $58,346 | $1,051 |
| Rio Rancho | NM | 116 mi | 108,515 | $89,596 | $1,514 |
| Corrales | NM | 121 mi | 8,555 | $102,307 | $1,143 |
| Belen | NM | 121 mi | 7,450 | $42,627 | $916 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
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vs
21,023 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$927 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 19.1% of the median household income.
$58,303 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
6.6% (BLS county, McKinley County (latest month 2026M09)).
New Mexico. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.