Los Alamos, NM · standard
ZIP Code 87544
Los Alamos County, New Mexico - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 17,950
- 124/sq mi High-density area
- $138,583
- Median income Above-median income area
- $488,300
- Median home value Above-median home value
- 69.3%
- Bachelor's or higher Above-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Los Alamos pairs a top-decile household income with upper-quartile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 5%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 14%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 124
- people per sq mi
- 67%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 87544 against every reporting US ZIP.
FHFA HPI release change
What changed in the latest House Price Index year
- FHFA House Price Index values in ZIP 87544 (Los Alamos, NM) rose +10.7% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 225.0 in 2023 to 249.2 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 87544 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Los Alamos, Los Alamos County, New Mexico, home to 17,950 residents across 144.5 square miles, a density of 124 people per square mile, in the Denver time zone.
ZIP 87544 skews affluent, with a median household income of $138,583 (134% above the average New Mexico ZIP), while per-capita income is $75,942. Both reported hardship measures are comparatively low in absolute terms: poverty is 4.0% and unemployment is 0.8%. Housing is both higher-cost and owner-heavy: median home value is $488,300 (127% above the average New Mexico ZIP), while 67.1% of occupied homes are owner-occupied and median rent is $1,360.
This is a highly-educated ZIP: 69.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 38.6, and the average commute is -. No nearby ZIP peer set is available for this delivery area, so the New Mexico and national benchmarks above are the appropriate context for 87544.
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 →
Top industries in ZIP 87544
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Los Alamos, NM
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 87544.
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
65 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
51 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
44 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
29 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
26 establishments
What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.
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 87544, Los Alamos, 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
17,950
Population
144.5
Area (sq mi)
124
People / sq mi
Denver
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 87544?
38.6
Median Age
53.3%
Male
46.7%
Female
11.6%
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?
$138,583
Median Household Income
+134% vs state ZIP avg
$75,942
Per Capita Income
4.0%
Poverty Rate
0.8%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 87544 ranks among New Mexico ZIPs
Los Alamos, 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)
$138,583 Top 1% higher than 99% 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
6,395housing units
6,395
Total Housing Units
6,163
Occupied Units
232
Vacant Units
2.19
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$488,300
Median Home Value
+127% vs state ZIP avg
$1,360
Median Rent
1976
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How have home values changed over time?
FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals
+10.7%
YoY Change (2024)
249
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+149%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 87544 have increased 10.7% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +149% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +3.8% | 154 |
| 2021 | +12.0% | 173 |
| 2022 | +19.2% | 206 |
| 2023 | +9.2% | 225 |
| 2024 | +10.7% | 249 |
Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 327 business establishments in ZIP 87544, employing approximately 4,320 people with a combined annual payroll of $282,812,000.
327
Businesses
4,320
Employees
$282.8M
Annual Payroll
13
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 65 | 19.9% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 51 | 15.6% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 44 | 13.5% |
| Accommodation and food services | 29 | 8.9% |
| Retail trade | 26 | 8.0% |
| Construction | 23 | 7.0% |
| Finance and insurance | 19 | 5.8% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 18 | 5.5% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 16 | 4.9% |
| Information | 9 | 2.8% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 9 | 2.8% |
| Manufacturing | 8 | 2.5% |
| Educational services | 7 | 2.1% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 87544, 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 (17,950 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 87544 in?
ZIP code 87544 (Los Alamos) is located in Los Alamos County, New Mexico. Los Alamos County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/los-alamos-nm.
What is the population of ZIP code 87544?
ZIP code 87544 in Los Alamos, NM has a population of 17,950 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 87544?
The median household income in ZIP 87544 is $138,583, which is 82% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 87544?
The median home value in ZIP 87544 is $488,300, which is 76% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 87544?
The largest racial group in ZIP 87544 is White at 73.1%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 18.6% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 87544?
ZIP code 87544 has 327 business establishments employing approximately 4,320 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 87544?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 87544 are: Health care and social assistance (65), Other services (except public administration) (51), Professional, scientific, and technical services (44). There are 13 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 87544?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 87544 increased by 10.7% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 149%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 87544?
In ZIP code 87544, 78.5% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 69.3% 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 87544?
In ZIP code 87544, approximately 67.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 32.9% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 87544?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 87544 is 4.0% 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 87544's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 87544 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.