PlainZIP

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
$48,906
Median income
$202,700
Median home value
14.1%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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 New Mexico average), while per-capita income is $30,281. Poverty here runs at 13.5%, with unemployment measured at 5.0%. On housing, the median home value is $202,700 (6% below the state average) with median rent at $1,013 per month, and 78.0% of occupied units 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. To put 87553 in local context, 4 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles appear further down this page alongside 6 additional ZIPs in Taos County, for a geography-aware comparison.

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

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 87553?

43.1

Median Age

58.7%

Male

41.3%

Female

1.3%

Foreign-Born

White 13.4%
African American 0.0%
Asian 0.4%
American Indian or Alaska Native 12.6%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.2%
Two or More Ethnicities 68.3%
Hispanic or Latino 81.1%

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

$30,281

Per Capita Income

13.5%

Poverty Rate

5.0%

Unemployment Rate

36.3 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 87553 ranks nationally

Penasco, NM household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$48,906 13th percentile higher than 13% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US 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?

High School Graduate or Higher 51.4%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 14.1%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

650

Total Housing Units

492

Occupied Units

158

Vacant Units

2.56

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 78.0%
Renter 22.0%

$202,700

Median Home Value

-6% vs state

$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.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 87553 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 87553 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

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.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
87557 Ranchos De Taos, NM 6,359 5.7 mi
87521 Chamisal, NM 1,003 9.0 mi
87543 Llano, NM 247 7.3 mi
87531 Embudo, NM 368 8.5 mi

More ZIP Codes in Taos County

87571 standard
Taos, NM
Pop: 11,706
87557 standard
Ranchos De Taos, NM
Pop: 6,359
87529 standard
El Prado, NM
Pop: 3,600
87556 standard
Questa, NM
Pop: 2,417
87514 standard
Arroyo Seco, NM
Pop: 1,345
87513 standard
Arroyo Hondo, NM
Pop: 1,007

Related Areas

Taos County Penasco, NM New Mexico

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.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.