PlainZIP

Mescalero, NM · standard

ZIP Code 88340

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

3,616
2/sq mi
$36,927
Median income
$48,600
Median home value
13.6%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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

4th pct
household income, US ZIPs
1th pct
home value, US ZIPs
2
people per sq mi
72%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 88340 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 88340 covers 1903.2 square miles in Mescalero, Otero County, New Mexico (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 3,616 residents on file, a density of 2 people per square mile, in the Denver time zone.

ZIP 88340 sits on the lower end of the income spectrum: median household income is $36,927 (38% below the New Mexico average), while per-capita income is $20,754. 28.7% of residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate reads 10.1%. Housing costs here run $48,600 for a typical home value (77% below the state average), with rent averaging $330 a month; 71.6% of homes are owner-occupied.

Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 13.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 33.2, and the average commute is 23 minutes. Use the benchmarks above to see where 88340 sits relative to New Mexico and the national baseline rather than viewing the numbers 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 →

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 88340, Mescalero, 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

3,616

Population

1903.2

Area (sq mi)

2

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 88340?

33.2

Median Age

48.6%

Male

51.4%

Female

0.4%

Foreign-Born

White 6.4%
African American 0.0%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 89.1%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 3.4%
Hispanic or Latino 8.4%

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?

$36,927

Median Household Income

-38% vs state

$20,754

Per Capita Income

28.7%

Poverty Rate

10.1%

Unemployment Rate

22.5 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 88340 ranks nationally

Mescalero, NM household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$36,927 4th percentile higher than 4% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). This entry sits in this band. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Above this entry. $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 51.3%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 13.6%

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

What does housing look like?

1,100

Total Housing Units

890

Occupied Units

210

Vacant Units

3.95

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 71.6%
Renter 28.4%

$48,600

Median Home Value

-77% vs state

$330

Median Rent

1984

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 9 business establishments in ZIP 88340, employing approximately 962 people with a combined annual payroll of $47,231,000.

9

Businesses

962

Employees

$47.2M

Annual Payroll

0

Industry Sectors

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

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Pop: 15,708
88352 standard
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Pop: 5,188
88330 standard
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88337 standard
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88317 standard
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Pop: 1,751

Related Areas

Otero County Mescalero, NM New Mexico

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 88340 in? ▼
ZIP code 88340 (Mescalero) is located in Otero County, New Mexico. Otero County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/otero-nm.
What is the population of ZIP code 88340? ▼
ZIP code 88340 in Mescalero, NM has a population of 3,616 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 88340? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 88340 is $36,927, which is 52% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 88340? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 88340 is $48,600, which is 83% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 88340? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 88340 is American Indian or Alaska Native at 89.1%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 8.4% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 88340? ▼
ZIP code 88340 has 9 business establishments employing approximately 962 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 88340? ▼
In ZIP code 88340, 51.3% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 13.6% 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 88340? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 88340 is 22.5 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 88340? ▼
In ZIP code 88340, approximately 71.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 28.4% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 88340? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 88340 is 28.7% 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.