PlainZIP

Capitan, NM · standard

ZIP Code 88316

Lincoln County, New Mexico - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

2,351
1/sq mi
$54,080
Median income
$123,600
Median home value
26.5%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Capitan pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

20th pct
household income, US ZIPs
18th pct
home value, US ZIPs
1
people per sq mi
85%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 88316 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 88316 covers 2938.8 square miles in Capitan, Lincoln County, New Mexico (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 2,351 residents on file, a density of 1 people per square mile, in the Denver time zone.

ZIP 88316 reports a modest median household income of $54,080 (9% below the New Mexico average), while per-capita income is $37,337. 9.3% of residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate reads 10.0%. Housing costs here run $123,600 for a typical home value (43% below the state average), with rent averaging $946 a month; 85.4% of homes are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 26.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 59.1, and the average commute is -. The state and national benchmarks above give 88316's numbers context; they should not be read in isolation.

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 88316

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Capitan, NM

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 88316.

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 · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

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 88316, Capitan, 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

2,351

Population

2938.8

Area (sq mi)

1

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 88316?

59.1

Median Age

45.8%

Male

54.2%

Female

0.9%

Foreign-Born

White 92.1%
African American 0.0%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 7.7%
Hispanic or Latino 22.3%

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?

$54,080

Median Household Income

-9% vs state

$37,337

Per Capita Income

9.3%

Poverty Rate

10.0%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 88316 ranks nationally

Capitan, NM household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$54,080 20th percentile higher than 20% 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 47.6%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 26.5%

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

What does housing look like?

1,460

Total Housing Units

1,171

Occupied Units

289

Vacant Units

1.87

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 85.4%
Renter 14.6%

$123,600

Median Home Value

-43% vs state

$946

Median Rent

1994

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 43 business establishments in ZIP 88316, employing approximately 189 people with a combined annual payroll of $7,078,000.

43

Businesses

189

Employees

$7.1M

Annual Payroll

5

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Construction 11 25.6%
Other services (except public administration) 7 16.3%
Retail trade 6 13.9%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 6 13.9%
Accommodation and food services 4 9.3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.

More ZIP Codes in Lincoln County

88345 standard
Ruidoso, NM
Pop: 8,845
88346 standard
Ruidoso Downs, NM
Pop: 3,132
88312 standard
Alto, NM
Pop: 2,586
88301 standard
Carrizozo, NM
Pop: 1,386
88341 standard
Nogal, NM
Pop: 538
88318 standard
Corona, NM
Pop: 381

Related Areas

Lincoln County Capitan, NM New Mexico

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 88316 in? ▼
ZIP code 88316 (Capitan) is located in Lincoln County, New Mexico. Lincoln County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/lincoln-nm.
What is the population of ZIP code 88316? ▼
ZIP code 88316 in Capitan, NM has a population of 2,351 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 88316? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 88316 is $54,080, which is 29% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 88316? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 88316 is $123,600, which is 56% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 88316? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 88316 is White at 92.1%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 22.3% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 88316? ▼
ZIP code 88316 has 43 business establishments employing approximately 189 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 88316? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 88316 are: Construction (11), Other services (except public administration) (7), Retail trade (6). There are 5 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 88316? ▼
In ZIP code 88316, 47.6% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 26.5% 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 88316? ▼
In ZIP code 88316, approximately 85.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 14.6% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 88316? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 88316 is 9.3% 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.