Grant County is largely rural, with a total population of just under 30,000. Silver City represents about one-third of the total County population, with a population of 10,054. Both population figures are from 2004 estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The next Census estimate of the County's population will be available in late 2007 or early 2008; in the meantime, population indicators like building permits and gross receipts tax records suggest the County population is increasing.

In addition to Silver City, the communities of Hurley, Bayard, Tyrone, Pinos Altos and Santa Clara are clustered near the north-central portion of the County, around Highway 180 and Highway 90. This clustering gives the center of the County a somewhat larger "metropolitan" area than the Silver City population alone would suggest — although, from the U.S. Census Bureau's standpoint, this congregation of municipalities is labeled a "micropolitan" area.

Whatever you call it, the center of Grant County offers casual, relaxed living in low-density cities and communities, while the smaller towns in the County, including Arenas Valley, Cliff, White Signal, Redrock, Buckhorn, Mule Creek, Steeple Rock, Mimbres, San Lorenzo, Fierro, Faywood, Hachita and Vanadium offer small-town living with a real Western feel. Outside of these communities, it is still possible to find folks living miles from one another, and to find places where a secluded lifestyle is more than just a possibility—it's a fact of life.