Lovington, NM · standard
ZIP Code 88260
Lea County, New Mexico - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 14,343
- 7/sq mi Low-density area
- $75,476
- Median income Near-median income area
- $175,400
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 13.4%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Lovington pairs an above-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 44%
- household income, US ZIPs
- 37th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 7
- people per sq mi
- 76%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 88260 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 88260 (Lovington, NM) rose +3.6% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 309.5 in 2023 to 320.7 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 88260 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Lovington, Lea County, New Mexico, home to 14,343 residents across 1964.8 square miles, a density of 7 people per square mile, in the Denver time zone.
ZIP 88260 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $75,476 (27% above the average New Mexico ZIP), while per-capita income is $27,130. The poverty rate is 21.7%, so the area-level income figures should not be treated as typical household experience. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $175,400 (18% below the average New Mexico ZIP), and median rent is $1,024; owner occupancy is 76.3%.
Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 13.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 33.6, and the average commute is 29 minutes. The page also surfaces 1 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Lea County, so 88260 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 →
Top industries in ZIP 88260
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Lovington, NM
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 88260.
- Transportation and warehousing
Transportation and warehousing
65 establishments
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
51 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
44 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
28 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
27 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 88260, Lovington, 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
14,343
Population
1964.8
Area (sq mi)
7
People / sq mi
Denver
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 88260?
33.6
Median Age
50.8%
Male
49.2%
Female
19.6%
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?
$75,476
Median Household Income
+27% vs state ZIP avg
$27,130
Per Capita Income
21.7%
Poverty Rate
5.8%
Unemployment Rate
29.4 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 88260 ranks among New Mexico ZIPs
Lovington, 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)
$75,476 Top 23% higher than 77% 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
5,283housing units
5,283
Total Housing Units
4,608
Occupied Units
675
Vacant Units
3.22
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$175,400
Median Home Value
-18% vs state ZIP avg
$1,024
Median Rent
1975
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
+3.6%
YoY Change (2024)
321
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+221%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 88260 have increased 3.6% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +221% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +1.7% | 261 |
| 2021 | +9.5% | 286 |
| 2022 | +3.3% | 295 |
| 2023 | +4.9% | 309 |
| 2024 | +3.6% | 321 |
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 324 business establishments in ZIP 88260, employing approximately 3,663 people with a combined annual payroll of $246,291,000.
324
Businesses
3,663
Employees
$246.3M
Annual Payroll
16
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation and warehousing | 65 | 20.1% |
| Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction | 51 | 15.7% |
| Retail trade | 44 | 13.6% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 28 | 8.6% |
| Accommodation and food services | 27 | 8.3% |
| Construction | 21 | 6.5% |
| Finance and insurance | 15 | 4.6% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 13 | 4.0% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 12 | 3.7% |
| Wholesale trade | 11 | 3.4% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 11 | 3.4% |
| Health care and social assistance | 10 | 3.1% |
| Information | 6 | 1.9% |
| Manufacturing | 4 | 1.2% |
| Utilities | 3 | 0.9% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 3 | 0.9% |
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 88260 vs 88262 →
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 88262 | Mcdonald, NM | 30 | 9.9 mi |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 88260, 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 (14,343 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Lea County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 88260 in?
ZIP code 88260 (Lovington) is located in Lea County, New Mexico. Lea County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/lea-nm.
What is the population of ZIP code 88260?
ZIP code 88260 in Lovington, NM has a population of 14,343 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 88260?
The median household income in ZIP 88260 is $75,476, which is 1% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 88260?
The median home value in ZIP 88260 is $175,400, which is 37% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 88260?
The largest racial group in ZIP 88260 is White at 45.7%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 65.9% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 88260?
ZIP code 88260 has 324 business establishments employing approximately 3,663 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 88260?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 88260 are: Transportation and warehousing (65), Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction (51), Retail trade (44). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 88260?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 88260 increased by 3.6% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 221%. 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 88260?
In ZIP code 88260, 49.8% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 13.4% 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 88260?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 88260 is 29.4 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 88260?
In ZIP code 88260, approximately 76.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 23.7% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 88260?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 88260 is 21.7% 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 88260's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 88260 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Lovington, 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.