Waterflow, NM · standard
ZIP Code 87421
San Juan County, New Mexico - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 1,871
- 18/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $51,029
- Median income Below-median income area
- $122,800
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 8.0%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Waterflow pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 15th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 18th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 18
- people per sq mi
- 72%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 87421 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 87421 covers 104.5 square miles in Waterflow, San Juan County, New Mexico (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 1,871 residents on file, a density of 18 people per square mile, in the Denver time zone.
ZIP 87421 reports a modest median household income of $51,029 (14% below the average New Mexico ZIP), while per-capita income is $20,177. Economic pressure is pronounced: 22.0% of residents are below the poverty line and unemployment is 12.4%. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $122,800 (43% below the average New Mexico ZIP), and median rent is $1,616; owner occupancy is 71.9%.
Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 8.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 36.8, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 1 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in San Juan County, so 87421 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 87421, Waterflow, NM · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
1,871
Population
104.5
Area (sq mi)
18
People / sq mi
Denver
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 87421?
36.8
Median Age
47.5%
Male
52.5%
Female
3.0%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$51,029
Median Household Income
-14% vs state ZIP avg
$20,177
Per Capita Income
22.0%
Poverty Rate
12.4%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 87421 ranks among New Mexico ZIPs
Waterflow, NM household income vs. every New Mexico ZIP code
Median household income among 265 reporting New Mexico ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$51,029 41st percentile higher than 41% of 265 New Mexico ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more New Mexico ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
633housing units
633
Total Housing Units
466
Occupied Units
167
Vacant Units
3.15
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$122,800
Median Home Value
-43% vs state ZIP avg
$1,616
Median Rent
1991
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 23 business establishments in ZIP 87421, employing approximately 429 people with a combined annual payroll of $37,874,000.
23
Businesses
429
Employees
$37.9M
Annual Payroll
2
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 8 | 34.8% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 4 | 17.4% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 87421 vs 87416 →
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 87416 | Fruitland, NM | 5,454 | 7.3 mi |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 87421, both outside NM so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (1,871 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in San Juan County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 87421 in?
ZIP code 87421 (Waterflow) is located in San Juan County, New Mexico. San Juan County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/san-juan-nm.
What is the population of ZIP code 87421?
ZIP code 87421 in Waterflow, NM has a population of 1,871 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 87421?
The median household income in ZIP 87421 is $51,029, which is 33% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 87421?
The median home value in ZIP 87421 is $122,800, which is 56% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 87421?
The largest racial group in ZIP 87421 is American Indian or Alaska Native at 71.3%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 7.6% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 87421?
ZIP code 87421 has 23 business establishments employing approximately 429 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 87421?
In ZIP code 87421, 33.3% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 8.0% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 87421?
In ZIP code 87421, approximately 71.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 28.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 87421?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 87421 is 22.0% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
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- See how ZIP 87421 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
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ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.