Population & age
- Total population
- 1,542
- Median age
- 54.8
Las Palomas, NM (87942)
Sierra County · Population 1,542
Fresh.Data current as of Apr 24, 2026
Las Palomas, NM (ZIP 87942) sits in Sierra County. The page draws on 1 federal data feed retrieved Apr 24. Top health signal: High Blood Pressure comes in above the national average at 44.3%. No NCES schools are mapped to this ZIP in the current dataset. 22% of returns claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (IRS), a higher share than most ZIPs. BLS QCEW reports average annual pay of $44,291 per worker, roughly 32% below the US average. BLS LAUS records a 6.1% county unemployment rate (2024) — about 2.1 points above the US average and a labor-market distress signal. FEMA has issued 13 federal disaster declarations affecting this ZIP since 1972. Annual precipitation averages just 9.9" per NOAA's 1991–2020 Normals — an arid-climate ZCTA where landscaping and water-budget choices matter more than national averages suggest. County Health Rankings reports 17,438 years of potential life lost per 100,000 (2025) — well above the national county median. 29.2% of residents in this county are flagged low-access by USDA's 2025 Food Environment Atlas — a notable supermarket-access gap. New Mexico levies a graduated state income tax (top rate 5.90%); a household at the local median AGI of $44,828 would pay roughly $1,587/year before deductions. IRS migration data (2022-2023) shows a net gain of 174 residents (54 households) — the ZIP's primary county is growing. Both healthcare access and on-paper school density skew lighter than national norms; what shows up here is a snapshot, not a verdict — neighborhood-level texture matters at this scale. Notable: median household income $34,967, fair market rent of $1,000 for a two-bedroom, and a typical home value of $169,246, down 2.5% over the past year. Every figure on this page links to its underlying federal dataset with a retrieval date so you can audit the freshness yourself.
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Demographics
Race & ethnicity
- White
- 72.4%
- Black
- 0.0%
- Asian
- 0.0%
- Hispanic / Latino
- 56.9%
- Other / multi-racial
- 27.6%
Income & housing
- Median household income
- $34,967
- Median home value
- $113,600
Education
- Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)
- 1.8%
Employment
- Unemployment rate
- 15.1%
Housing
- Owner-occupied
- 476(86.4%)
- Renter-occupied
- 75(13.6%)
- Vacant units
- 212
- Built (median)
- 1984
Commute
- Public transit
- 21(3.7%)
- Work from home
- 68(12.1%)
- Avg commute
- 20.0 min
Economic wellbeing
- Below poverty line
- 369(23.9%)
- Uninsured
- 0(0.0%)
Digital access
- Broadband access
- 497(90.2%)
- No broadband
- 54(9.8%)
Language & nativity
- Foreign-born
- 239(15.5%)
- Non-English at home
- 712(46.7%)
Fair Market Rent
Fresh.HUD SAFMR · May 1, 2026Studio
$690
/month
1 Bed
$760
/month
2 Bed
$1,000
/month
3 Bed
$1,390
/month
4 Bed
$1,610
/month
HUD Fair Market Rents represent the 40th percentile of standard-quality rental housing in this area. FY2026 data.
Home values
Typical home value
$169,246
Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) · as of March 2026
Year-over-year change
-2.5%
vs. March 2025
5-year change
+7.4%
vs. March 2021
Source: Zillow Research, ZHVI All Homes (SFR, Condo/Co-op) Time Series (zillow.com/research/data). Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) is copyrighted by Zillow, Inc.
Income & tax statistics
Tax returns filed
460
Average AGI
$44,828
Avg property tax
—
EITC participation
21.7%
Income distribution
- $1 – $25,00043.5% · 200
- $25,000 – $50,00028.3% · 130
- $50,000 – $75,00013.0% · 60
- $75,000 – $100,0006.5% · 30
- $100,000 – $200,0008.7% · 40
- $200,000 or more0.0% · 0
Avg mortgage interest
—
Avg charitable contribution
—
Avg capital gains
$628
Avg total income tax
—
Source: IRS Statistics of Income — Individual Income Tax Statistics by ZIP Code (irs.gov). Public domain. Dollar columns reported in thousands by the IRS; figures here display real dollars. Total ZCTA AGI for the area was $20.6M across all reported brackets.
Business & employment
Business establishments
7
Total employment
28
Annual payroll
$1.1M
Average annual pay
$40,071
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Business Patterns (census.gov). Public domain. ZBP covers establishments with paid employees; Census suppresses employment and payroll values when fewer employers operate in a ZIP than would protect their confidentiality.
Employment & wages
Average annual pay
$44,291
Average weekly wage
$852
Total employment
3,522
Total establishments
386
That is roughly 32% below the US national average of $65,470 per worker.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (bls.gov/cew). Public domain. QCEW is derived from state unemployment-insurance filings and covers ~95% of US jobs. Figures are county-level totals assigned to ZIPs whose primary county matches; small-employer cells are suppressed by BLS to protect employer confidentiality.
Unemployment
Unemployment rate
6.1%
That is 2.1 percentage points above the US national unemployment rate of about 4.0%.
Labor force
4,191
Employed
3,937
Unemployed
254
Based on Sierra County, NM data (2024).
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (bls.gov/lau). Public domain. LAUS publishes monthly and annual labor-force estimates for every US county. Figures are county-level totals assigned to ZIPs whose primary county matches.
Alternative-fuel stations
Public EV charging stations
0
No public EV charging in this ZIP
EV drivers will need to rely on home charging or stations in neighboring ZIPs. Other alternative-fuel options may still be available locally.
Propane (LPG)
1
Propane autogas
Active public stations only. Snapshot taken 2026; AFDC's underlying registry refreshes continuously as stations open and close.
Source: U.S. Department of Energy via NREL (afdc.energy.gov). Per-ZIP counts of active public alternative-fuel stations (electric, hydrogen, propane, CNG, biodiesel, E85, LNG, renewable diesel) and EV charging-port totals.
Federal Disaster Declarations
Federally Declared Disasters
13
Date Range
1972–2020
Most Recent Declaration
COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Biological — declared April 5, 2020 (DR-4529)
Incident period: January 20, 2020 – May 11, 2023
Top Incident Types
- Severe Storm5 (38%)
- Flood3 (23%)
- Biological2 (15%)
- Fire2 (15%)
- Hurricane1 (8%)
Individual Assistance
3
Direct help to disaster survivors
Households Program
1
Housing & temporary lodging support
Public Assistance
12
Repair of public facilities & roads
Hazard Mitigation
7
Funding to reduce future disaster risk
FEMA declares disasters at the county level; counts here include every federally declared disaster touching any county that overlaps this ZIP. Statewide declarations and pre-1964 records without county granularity are excluded. Program flags reflect which FEMA assistance categories were activated (Individual Assistance, Households, Public Assistance, Hazard Mitigation). Source: fema.gov/openfema. Public domain.
Climate
30-year averages (1991-2020) from the nearest GHCN-D weather station. Temperature and precipitation values reflect typical annual conditions, not any single year.
Avg. temperature
63.4°F
49.8° – 76.9°
Annual precipitation
9.9"
Annual snowfall
0.9"
Heating · cooling days
2,773.9 · 2,208.9
Annual base 65°F
Nearest station: ELEPHANT BUTTE DAM, NM US, 11.2 miles from the centroid of Las Palomas, NM (ZIP 87942)
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals (ncei.noaa.gov). Public domain.
Community health profile
Years of potential life lost (per 100K)
17,438
That is roughly 9,238 years per 100,000 above the national county median (~8,200).
Premature death is the headline composite outcome CHR reports — age-adjusted, all-cause, before age 75.
Fair or poor health
21%
of adults self-report
Poor physical health days
4.8
avg per adult per month
Poor mental health days
5.8
avg per adult per month
Uninsured
9.1%
of residents under 65
Primary care MDs
43
per 100,000 residents
Preventable hospital stays
1,916
per 100K Medicare enrollees
Food environment (0-10)
5.3
10 = best access & security
Exercise access
74%
residents near a facility
Flu vaccinated
23%
of Medicare enrollees
Low birth weight (under 2,500 g) accounts for 9.1% of live births in this county — an early-life health input that downstream outcomes track against.
Based on Sierra data (2025 CHR release).
Source: County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (countyhealthrankings.org). Annual release. Underlying source datasets vary by measure (CDC BRFSS, NCHS Vital Statistics, AHA, USDA Food Environment Atlas, and others). Figures are county-level and assigned to every ZIP whose primary county matches.
Food access
Food access status
Significant food access concerns
29.2% of Sierra County, NM residents live more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket.
Grocery stores
—
per 1,000 residents
Supercenters & clubs
—
per 1,000 residents
SNAP-authorized stores
1.56
accepting food benefits
Fast-food restaurants
0.64
per 1,000 residents
Among low-income residents, 15.0% are low-access — those without a supermarket within 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural).
Per-1,000 figures show how many of each store type exist in Sierra County, NM for every 1,000 residents. Higher grocery and supercenter density usually means easier access to fresh food; higher convenience-store-only density (with low grocery rate) often signals a food swamp.
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Environment Atlas (ers.usda.gov). County-level metrics fanned to ZIP via the primary county in the Census ZCTA-county relationship file. Variable years differ per family (stores ~2020, low-access ~2019).
Who’s moving in and out
Net migration (2022-2023)
▲+174 people
+54 households • +$6.1M net AGI flow
Moved in
526households
937 people • $25.5M AGI
Moved out
472households
763 people • $19.4M AGI
Where new residents came from
- Do�a Ana County, NM — 69 households
- Bernalillo County, NM — 29 households
Where departing residents went
- Do�a Ana County, NM — 45 households
Incoming households reported an average AGI of $48,496 versus departing households' $41,059.
Source: U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income, Migration Data (irs.gov). Public domain. Migration is measured by year-over-year changes in the address on individual tax returns; figures are county-level totals attributed to ZIPs whose primary county matches. Foreign migration contributes to inflow/outflow totals but does not appear in the top-county lists. Small flows are suppressed by IRS to protect taxpayer confidentiality.
Taxes & benefits in New Mexico
State-level rules that apply to every resident of ZIP 87942. Numbers reflect the most recent published year per source.
Tax rates
Income tax
5.90%
graduated · 5 brackets
Sales tax (combined)
7.67%
State 4.88% · avg local 2.79%
Property tax (effective)
0.66%
Median $1,365/year
Tax burden rank
30 of 50
10.50% of personal income
For ZIP 87942: At this ZIP's median AGI of $44,828, the estimated state income tax (before deductions) runs about $1,587 per year. Applied to this ZIP's typical home value of $169,246, that works out to roughly $1,117/year in property tax.
Paid family leave
Program
No program
No program
Safety net
SNAP eligibility
165% FPL
Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (raises gross income limit above federal 130% floor). No asset test.
Sources: Tax Foundation (state tax rates & brackets), Bipartisan Policy Center (paid family leave), USDA FNS (SNAP categorical eligibility).
Other ZIPs near 87942
Nearby ZIPs by distance
87931 (Oasis, 9.5 mi) · 87935 (Truth Or Consequences, 15.1 mi) · 87930 (Arrey, 16.2 mi) · 87933 (19.1 mi) · 87901 (Truth Or Consequences, 20.4 mi) · 88042 (Hillsboro, 21.3 mi)
Compare ZIP-level stats — population, schools, housing, climate — across nearby areas. Source: U.S. Census Bureau ZCTA basemap.
Data sources used on this page
All data on this page is sourced from federal government datasets · Not AI-generated · Methodology
Health profile
Crude prevalence estimates from CDC PLACES, derived from BRFSS small-area modeling. Population-level figures only.
Obesity
37.6%
4.6pp above the 33.0% national rate.
High Blood Pressure
44.3%
12.3pp above the 32.0% national rate.
Depression
23.2%
Tracks close to the 22.0% national rate.
Annual Checkup
73.0%
3.0pp below the 76.0% national rate.
Health Insurance
13.2%
Tracks close to the 13.0% national rate.
Diabetes
17.3%
6.3pp above the 11.0% national rate.
What these numbers say together
Las Palomas, NM (ZIP 87942) sits in Sierra County. The page draws on 1 federal data feed retrieved Apr 24. Top health signal: High Blood Pressure comes in above the national average at 44.3%. No NCES schools are mapped to this ZIP in the current dataset. 22% of returns claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (IRS), a higher share than most ZIPs. BLS QCEW reports average annual pay of $44,291 per worker, roughly 32% below the US average. BLS LAUS records a 6.1% county unemployment rate (2024) — about 2.1 points above the US average and a labor-market distress signal. FEMA has issued 13 federal disaster declarations affecting this ZIP since 1972. Annual precipitation averages just 9.9" per NOAA's 1991–2020 Normals — an arid-climate ZCTA where landscaping and water-budget choices matter more than national averages suggest. County Health Rankings reports 17,438 years of potential life lost per 100,000 (2025) — well above the national county median. 29.2% of residents in this county are flagged low-access by USDA's 2025 Food Environment Atlas — a notable supermarket-access gap. New Mexico levies a graduated state income tax (top rate 5.90%); a household at the local median AGI of $44,828 would pay roughly $1,587/year before deductions. IRS migration data (2022-2023) shows a net gain of 174 residents (54 households) — the ZIP's primary county is growing. Both healthcare access and on-paper school density skew lighter than national norms; what shows up here is a snapshot, not a verdict — neighborhood-level texture matters at this scale. Notable: median household income $34,967, fair market rent of $1,000 for a two-bedroom, and a typical home value of $169,246, down 2.5% over the past year. Every figure on this page links to its underlying federal dataset with a retrieval date so you can audit the freshness yourself.
The two domains pull in different directions. Healthcare access reads strong, but the on-paper school count is on the lighter side — that’s less a quality signal and more a density one. Households here often look at districts a few ZIPs over for school choice while keeping their providers local.
- Fair market rent for a two-bedroom ($1,000/month, HUD SAFMR) represents 34% of median household income ($34,967, Census ACS) — above the 30% affordability threshold commonly used by housing experts.
- Lower median household income ($34,967, Census ACS) sits alongside an above-average 37.6% obesity rate (CDC PLACES) — a pattern that correlates with reduced healthcare access in lower-income areas.
One concrete reading worth keeping: Depression prevalence sits near the national rate at 23.2%. Each figure on this page links to the original federal dataset with its retrieval date — this synthesis is a reading, not a substitute for the underlying records.
Frequently Asked Questions — ZIP 87942
What is the obesity rate in ZIP 87942?
37.6%, which is 4.6 percentage points above the national average of 33.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the depression rate in ZIP 87942?
23.2%, which is 1.2 percentage points above the national average of 22.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the high blood pressure rate in ZIP 87942?
44.3%, which is 12.3 percentage points above the national average of 32.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the population of ZIP 87942?
1,542 people live in ZIP 87942, with a median age of 54.8 (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What is the median household income in ZIP 87942?
$34,967 per year (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
Is ZIP 87942 mostly renters or homeowners?
In ZIP 87942, 86.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 13.6% are renter-occupied (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
How do people commute in ZIP 87942?
In ZIP 87942, 12.1% of workers work from home. Public transit is used by 3.7% of commuters (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What is the poverty rate in ZIP 87942?
23.9% of the population in ZIP 87942 lives below the federal poverty line (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What percentage of households in ZIP 87942 have broadband internet?
90.2% of households in ZIP 87942 have broadband internet access (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What is the typical home value in ZIP 87942?
The typical home value in ZIP 87942 is $169,246, down 2.5% from a year ago (Zillow Home Value Index, retrieved May 1, 2026).
Are home values rising or falling in ZIP 87942?
Home values are down 2.5% over the past year and up 7.4% over the past five years (Zillow Home Value Index, retrieved May 1, 2026).
What is the average household income in ZIP 87942?
The average Adjusted Gross Income reported on tax returns from ZIP 87942 (Las Palomas, NM) is $44,828 per return (IRS SOI Tax Year 2022, retrieved May 2, 2026).
How much do homeowners pay in property tax in ZIP 87942?
Tax returns from ZIP 87942 report an average of $0 per return in real-estate tax deductions (IRS SOI Tax Year 2022, retrieved May 2, 2026).
What percentage of residents in ZIP 87942 earn over $200,000?
0.0% of tax returns from ZIP 87942 (Las Palomas, NM) report Adjusted Gross Income of $200,000 or more (IRS SOI Tax Year 2022, retrieved May 2, 2026).
How many businesses are in ZIP 87942?
As of 2022, 7 business establishments operated in ZIP 87942 employing 28 workers (Census ZIP Business Patterns, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What is the average salary in ZIP 87942?
The average annual pay across all local establishments in ZIP 87942 is $40,071, based on Census ZIP Business Patterns 2022 data (retrieved May 3, 2026).
How vulnerable is ZIP 87942 to disasters and public health emergencies?
According to the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (2022), ZIP 87942 ranks in the 67th percentile nationally for social vulnerability — a high vulnerability profile (retrieved May 3, 2026).
What is the biggest vulnerability factor in ZIP 87942?
Household Characteristics is the highest-scoring CDC SVI theme for ZIP 87942, ranking in the 81th percentile nationally (CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022, retrieved May 3, 2026).
How many federally declared disasters has ZIP 87942 experienced?
FEMA has recorded 13 federal disaster declarations affecting ZIP 87942 between 1972–2020 (FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What kinds of disasters most often hit ZIP 87942?
Severe Storm is the most common federally declared disaster type affecting ZIP 87942, accounting for 5 of 13 declarations (38%, FEMA OpenFEMA, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What was the most recent disaster declared for ZIP 87942?
The most recent FEMA disaster declaration affecting ZIP 87942 was "COVID-19 PANDEMIC" — a biological declared in 2020 (DR-4529) (FEMA OpenFEMA, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What is the climate like in ZIP 87942?
ZIP 87942 has an average annual temperature of 63.4°F and 9.9" of annual precipitation based on the ELEPHANT BUTTE DAM, NM US weather station 11.2 miles from the ZIP centroid (NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, retrieved May 8, 2026).
What taxes apply in ZIP 87942?
New Mexico has a graduated income tax with a top rate of 5.90%. Households at the local median AGI of $44,828 would pay roughly $1,587 in state income tax annually (estimated, before deductions). Combined sales tax: 7.67% (Tax Foundation 2025).
Does New Mexico have paid family leave?
New Mexico has no state paid family leave program (Bipartisan Policy Center 2026).
What data is available for ZIP 87942?
This page covers health outcomes from CDC PLACES (40 metrics), demographics from the Census ACS 5-Year (2022), home values from the Zillow Home Value Index, income & tax statistics from the IRS SOI (Tax Year 2022), local business & employment from Census ZIP Business Patterns (2022), social vulnerability scores from the CDC/ATSDR SVI (2022), federal disaster declarations from FEMA OpenFEMA (13 on record), climate normals from NOAA NCEI (1991-2020), and state-level tax rates from the Tax Foundation. Data is refreshed on Mubboo's standard schedule.
How current is this data?
Health data retrieved Apr 24, 2026 from CDC PLACES. Demographics retrieved Apr 30, 2026 from Census ACS 5-Year (2022). Home values retrieved May 1, 2026 from Zillow Research. Income & tax statistics retrieved May 2, 2026 from IRS SOI (Tax Year 2022). Business & employment retrieved May 3, 2026 from Census ZBP (2022). Social vulnerability scores retrieved May 3, 2026 from CDC/ATSDR SVI (2022). Federal disaster declarations retrieved May 3, 2026 from FEMA OpenFEMA (13 on record). Climate normals retrieved May 8, 2026 from NOAA NCEI (1991-2020). State-level tax rates retrieved 2026-05-05 15:58:22.284+00 from the Tax Foundation.
Other ZIPs near 87942
Nearby ZIPs by distance
87931 (Oasis, 9.5 mi) · 87935 (Truth Or Consequences, 15.1 mi) · 87930 (Arrey, 16.2 mi) · 87933 (19.1 mi) · 87901 (Truth Or Consequences, 20.4 mi) · 88042 (Hillsboro, 21.3 mi)
Compare ZIP-level stats — population, schools, housing, climate — across nearby areas. Source: U.S. Census Bureau ZCTA basemap.
More Info topics
Have a specific question about ZIP 87942?
Ask Mubboo — launching Q4 2026.
Data refreshed via Mubboo's ETL pipeline; oldest source on this page retrieved Apr 24, 2026.
Social Vulnerability Index
Overall SVI
67th percentile
High Vulnerability
Based on 2 census tracts, population 603
Vulnerability Themes
Households Without Vehicle
14
Limited English Speakers
13
Persons with Disability
170
Without HS Diploma
51
Without Health Insurance
18
Adults Age 65+
192
The Social Vulnerability Index uses U.S. Census data to identify communities most at risk during public health emergencies and natural disasters. Higher percentiles indicate greater vulnerability. Tract-level scores are aggregated to this ZCTA via Census 2020 ZCTA→Tract crosswalk, weighted by land-area share. Source: atsdr.cdc.gov. Public domain.