Penasco, NM · standard
ZIP Code 87553
Taos County, New Mexico - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 1,209
- 23/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $48,906
- Median income Below-median income area
- $202,700
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 14.1%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Penasco pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 13th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 44th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 23
- people per sq mi
- 78%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 87553 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 87553 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Penasco, Taos County, New Mexico, home to just 1,209 residents across 53.0 square miles, a density of 23 people per square mile, in the Denver time zone.
ZIP 87553 reports a modest median household income of $48,906 (18% below the average New Mexico ZIP), while per-capita income is $30,281. The poverty rate is 13.5%, with unemployment at 5.0%; those measures add context to the income figure. Median home value is $202,700 (6% below the average New Mexico ZIP) and median rent is $1,013; 78.0% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 14.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 43.1, and the average commute is 36 minutes. The page also surfaces 4 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Taos County, so 87553 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 87553, Penasco, 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
1,209
Population
53.0
Area (sq mi)
23
People / sq mi
Denver
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 87553?
43.1
Median Age
58.7%
Male
41.3%
Female
1.3%
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?
$48,906
Median Household Income
-18% vs state ZIP avg
$30,281
Per Capita Income
13.5%
Poverty Rate
5.0%
Unemployment Rate
36.3 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 87553 ranks among New Mexico ZIPs
Penasco, 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)
$48,906 36th percentile higher than 36% 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
650housing units
650
Total Housing Units
492
Occupied Units
158
Vacant Units
2.56
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$202,700
Median Home Value
-6% vs state ZIP avg
$1,013
Median Rent
1976
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 13 business establishments in ZIP 87553, employing approximately 55 people with a combined annual payroll of $2,010,000.
13
Businesses
55
Employees
$2.0M
Annual Payroll
2
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 5 | 38.5% |
| Health care and social assistance | 4 | 30.8% |
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 87553 vs 87557 →
ZIP 87553 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 87557
Ranchos De Taos (87557)
6,359 residents
- 87553 1,209
Penasco (87553)
1,209 residents
- 87521 1,003
Chamisal (87521)
1,003 residents
- 87531 368
Embudo (87531)
368 residents
- 87543 247
Llano (87543)
247 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 87553 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 87553 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 87557
Ranchos De Taos (87557)
$49,337 median income
- 87553
Penasco (87553)
$48,906 median income
- 87521
Chamisal (87521)
$39,718 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 87553 ranks #2 of 3 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 87553, 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 (1,209 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 87553 in?
ZIP code 87553 (Penasco) 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 87553?
ZIP code 87553 in Penasco, NM has a population of 1,209 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 87553?
The median household income in ZIP 87553 is $48,906, which is 36% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 87553?
The median home value in ZIP 87553 is $202,700, which is 27% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 87553?
The largest racial group in ZIP 87553 is Two or More Ethnicities at 68.3%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 81.1% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 87553?
ZIP code 87553 has 13 business establishments employing approximately 55 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 87553?
In ZIP code 87553, 51.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 14.1% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 87553?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 87553 is 36.3 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 87553?
In ZIP code 87553, approximately 78.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 22.0% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 87553?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 87553 is 13.5% 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 87553's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 87553 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Penasco, 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.