Chamisal, NM · standard
ZIP Code 87521
Taos County, New Mexico - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 1,003
- 4/sq mi Low-density area
- $39,718
- Median income Below-median income area
- $218,600
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 12.8%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Chamisal pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 5th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 49th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 4
- people per sq mi
- 87%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 87521 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 87521 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Chamisal, Taos County, New Mexico, home to just 1,003 residents across 257.2 square miles, a density of 4 people per square mile, in the Denver time zone.
ZIP 87521 sits on the lower end of the income spectrum: median household income is $39,718 (33% below the average New Mexico ZIP), while per-capita income is $37,228. The poverty rate is 12.3%, with unemployment at 0.3%; those measures add context to the income figure. Median home value is $218,600 (2% above the average New Mexico ZIP) and median rent is $945; 86.9% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 12.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 46.5, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 6 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Taos County, so 87521 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 87521, Chamisal, 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
1,003
Population
257.2
Area (sq mi)
4
People / sq mi
Denver
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 87521?
46.5
Median Age
37.1%
Male
62.9%
Female
2.0%
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?
$39,718
Median Household Income
-33% vs state ZIP avg
$37,228
Per Capita Income
12.3%
Poverty Rate
0.3%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 87521 ranks among New Mexico ZIPs
Chamisal, 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)
$39,718 20th percentile higher than 20% 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
497housing units
497
Total Housing Units
375
Occupied Units
122
Vacant Units
3.36
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$218,600
Median Home Value
+2% vs state ZIP avg
$945
Median Rent
1972
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 87521 vs 87543 →
ZIP 87521 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 87522
Chimayo (87522)
3,384 residents
- 87553 1,209
Penasco (87553)
1,209 residents
- 87521 1,003
Chamisal (87521)
1,003 residents
- 87579 890
Vadito (87579)
890 residents
- 87578 611
Truchas (87578)
611 residents
- 87523 405
Cordova (87523)
405 residents
- 87543 247
Llano (87543)
247 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 87521 ranks #3 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 87521 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 87579
Vadito (87579)
$66,244 median income
- 87522
Chimayo (87522)
$58,620 median income
- 87553
Penasco (87553)
$48,906 median income
- 87521
Chamisal (87521)
$39,718 median income
- 87523 $23,395
Cordova (87523)
$23,395 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 87521 ranks #4 of 5 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 87521, 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 (1,003 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Taos County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 87521 in?
ZIP code 87521 (Chamisal) is located in Taos County, New Mexico. Taos County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/taos-nm.
What is the population of ZIP code 87521?
ZIP code 87521 in Chamisal, NM has a population of 1,003 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 87521?
The median household income in ZIP 87521 is $39,718, which is 48% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 87521?
The median home value in ZIP 87521 is $218,600, which is 21% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 87521?
The largest racial group in ZIP 87521 is Two or More Ethnicities at 83.2%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 86.9% of the population.
What is the education level in ZIP code 87521?
In ZIP code 87521, 66.1% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 12.8% 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 87521?
In ZIP code 87521, approximately 86.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 13.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 87521?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 87521 is 12.3% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 87521's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 87521 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Chamisal, NM ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.