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 Low-density area
- $36,927
- Median income Below-median income area
- $48,600
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 13.6%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
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
- 1st 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 average New Mexico ZIP), while per-capita income is $20,754. Economic pressure is pronounced: 28.7% of residents are below the poverty line and unemployment is 10.1%. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $48,600 (77% below the average New Mexico ZIP), and median rent is $330; owner occupancy is 71.6%.
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. No nearby ZIP peer set is available for this delivery area, so the New Mexico and national benchmarks above are the appropriate context for 88340.
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
Who lives in ZIP 88340?
33.2
Median Age
48.6%
Male
51.4%
Female
0.4%
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?
$36,927
Median Household Income
-38% vs state ZIP avg
$20,754
Per Capita Income
28.7%
Poverty Rate
10.1%
Unemployment Rate
22.5 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 88340 ranks among New Mexico ZIPs
Mescalero, 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)
$36,927 17th percentile higher than 17% 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
1,100housing units
1,100
Total Housing Units
890
Occupied Units
210
Vacant Units
3.95
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$48,600
Median Home Value
-77% vs state ZIP avg
$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.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 88340, 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 (3,616 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Otero County
Related Areas
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.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 88340's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 88340 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Mescalero, 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.