Ruidoso Downs, NM · standard
ZIP Code 88346
Lincoln County, New Mexico - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 3,132
- 20/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $33,594
- Median income Below-median income area
- $159,700
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 17.6%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Ruidoso Downs pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 3rd pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 29th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 20
- people per sq mi
- 64%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 88346 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 88346 covers 155.0 square miles in Ruidoso Downs, Lincoln County, New Mexico (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 3,132 residents on file, a density of 20 people per square mile, in the Denver time zone.
ZIP 88346 sits on the lower end of the income spectrum: median household income is $33,594 (43% below the average New Mexico ZIP), while per-capita income is $19,553. The poverty rate is 36.5%, 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 $159,700 (26% below the average New Mexico ZIP), and median rent is $953; owner occupancy is 63.7%.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 17.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 40.1, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 5 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Lincoln County, so 88346 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 88346
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Ruidoso Downs, NM
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 88346.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
16 establishments
- Construction
Construction
11 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
11 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
11 establishments
- Transportation and warehousing 4
Transportation and warehousing
4 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 88346, Ruidoso Downs, 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
3,132
Population
155.0
Area (sq mi)
20
People / sq mi
Denver
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 88346?
40.1
Median Age
43.7%
Male
56.3%
Female
8.1%
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?
$33,594
Median Household Income
-43% vs state ZIP avg
$19,553
Per Capita Income
36.5%
Poverty Rate
2.6%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 88346 ranks among New Mexico ZIPs
Ruidoso Downs, 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)
$33,594 11th percentile higher than 11% 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
1,865housing units
1,865
Total Housing Units
1,443
Occupied Units
422
Vacant Units
2.21
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$159,700
Median Home Value
-26% vs state ZIP avg
$953
Median Rent
1983
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 74 business establishments in ZIP 88346, employing approximately 816 people with a combined annual payroll of $32,271,000.
74
Businesses
816
Employees
$32.3M
Annual Payroll
9
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 16 | 21.6% |
| Construction | 11 | 14.9% |
| Accommodation and food services | 11 | 14.9% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 11 | 14.9% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 4 | 5.4% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 4 | 5.4% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 4 | 5.4% |
| Finance and insurance | 3 | 4.0% |
| Health care and social assistance | 3 | 4.0% |
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 88346 vs 88324 →
ZIP 88346 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 88345
Ruidoso (88345)
8,845 residents
- 88346 3,132
Ruidoso Downs (88346)
3,132 residents
- 88312 2,586
Alto (88312)
2,586 residents
- 88324 210
Glencoe (88324)
210 residents
- 88355 29
Ruidoso (88355)
29 residents
- 88323 14
Fort Stanton (88323)
14 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 88346 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 88346 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 88312
Alto (88312)
$80,345 median income
- 88345
Ruidoso (88345)
$53,971 median income
- 88346
Ruidoso Downs (88346)
$33,594 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 88346 ranks #3 of 3 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 88346, 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 (3,132 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Lincoln County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 88346 in?
ZIP code 88346 (Ruidoso Downs) 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 88346?
ZIP code 88346 in Ruidoso Downs, NM has a population of 3,132 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 88346?
The median household income in ZIP 88346 is $33,594, which is 56% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 88346?
The median home value in ZIP 88346 is $159,700, which is 43% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 88346?
The largest racial group in ZIP 88346 is White at 42.3%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 47.5% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 88346?
ZIP code 88346 has 74 business establishments employing approximately 816 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 88346?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 88346 are: Retail trade (16), Construction (11), Accommodation and food services (11). There are 9 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 88346?
In ZIP code 88346, 61.5% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 17.6% 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 88346?
In ZIP code 88346, approximately 63.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 36.3% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 88346?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 88346 is 36.5% 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 88346's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 88346 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Ruidoso Downs, NM ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
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ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.