Population & age
- Total population
- 3,969
- Median age
- 32.5
Mescalero, NM (88340)
Otero County · Population 3,969
Fresh.Data current as of Apr 24, 2026
Mescalero, NM (ZIP 88340) sits in Otero County. The page draws on 1 federal data feed retrieved Apr 24. Top health signal: Obesity comes in above the national average at 43.9%. No NCES schools are mapped to this ZIP in the current dataset. 2 colleges and universities serve the area, with median in-state tuition of $1,994. 40% of returns claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (IRS), a higher share than most ZIPs. BLS QCEW reports average annual pay of $50,017 per worker, roughly 24% below the US average. CDC's Social Vulnerability Index places this ZIP in the 96th percentile nationally — a highly vulnerable community profile. FEMA has issued 24 federal disaster declarations affecting this ZIP since 1984 — a high-frequency exposure profile. County Health Rankings reports 11,128 years of potential life lost per 100,000 (2025) — well above the national county median. New Mexico levies a graduated state income tax (top rate 5.90%); a household at the local median AGI of $34,007 would pay roughly $1,204/year before deductions. New residents arriving here predominantly come from El Paso County, TX (IRS SOI Migration, 2022-2023). 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 $38,209, fair market rent of $970 for a two-bedroom, and a 29.9% poverty rate (well above the ~12% US average). Every figure on this page links to its underlying federal dataset with a retrieval date so you can audit the freshness yourself.
Loading map…
Demographics
Race & ethnicity
- White
- 7.8%
- Black
- 0.1%
- Asian
- 0.0%
- Hispanic / Latino
- 7.0%
- Other / multi-racial
- 2.7%
Income & housing
- Median household income
- $38,209
- Median home value
- $43,800
Education
- Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)
- 15.0%
Employment
- Unemployment rate
- 13.0%
Housing
- Owner-occupied
- 625(63.5%)
- Renter-occupied
- 360(36.5%)
- Vacant units
- 182
- Built (median)
- 1985
Commute
- Public transit
- 36(2.7%)
- Work from home
- 38(2.8%)
- Avg commute
- 19.8 min
Economic wellbeing
- Below poverty line
- 1,170(29.9%)
- Uninsured
- 140(3.5%)
Digital access
- Broadband access
- 718(72.9%)
- No broadband
- 267(27.1%)
Language & nativity
- Foreign-born
- 27(0.7%)
- Non-English at home
- 1,231(33.3%)
Fair Market Rent
Fresh.HUD SAFMR · May 1, 2026Studio
$670
/month
1 Bed
$790
/month
2 Bed
$970
/month
3 Bed
$1,350
/month
4 Bed
$1,640
/month
HUD Fair Market Rents represent the 40th percentile of standard-quality rental housing in this area. FY2026 data.
New housing construction
New housing units permitted
6
Across 6 permitted buildings. Total construction value: $2.2M.
Single-family
6
100% of total units
Multifamily (2+ unit)
0
0% of total units
Single-family value
$2.2M
construction value
Multifamily value
$0
construction value
Based on county-level data (2024).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (census.gov/construction/bps). Public domain. BPS reports annual residential building permits from local permit-issuing jurisdictions, aggregated to county. A permit reflects intent to build, not a completed unit — actual construction lags by 6-24 months for multifamily projects.
Income & tax statistics
Tax returns filed
1,630
Average AGI
$34,007
Avg property tax
—
EITC participation
40.5%
Income distribution
- $1 – $25,00045.4% · 740
- $25,000 – $50,00035.0% · 570
- $50,000 – $75,00010.4% · 170
- $75,000 – $100,0004.3% · 70
- $100,000 – $200,0004.9% · 80
- $200,000 or more0.0% · 0
Avg mortgage interest
—
Avg charitable contribution
—
Avg capital gains
—
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 $55.4M across all reported brackets.
Business & employment
Business establishments
9
Total employment
824
Annual payroll
$38.2M
Average annual pay
$46,368
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
$50,017
Average weekly wage
$962
Total employment
17,528
Total establishments
1,328
That is roughly 24% 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
4.4%
That is 0.4 percentage points above the US national unemployment rate of about 4.0%.
Labor force
24,378
Employed
23,310
Unemployed
1,068
Based on Otero 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
2
Limited EV charging
A small number of public charging stations — viable for EV ownership with home charging, but minimal redundancy.
Level 2 ports
0
AC charging — workplace, retail, home
DC Fast ports
0
Highway-class fast charging
Charging networks
- ChargePoint Network
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.
Public libraries
Public-library outlets
1
Single library outlet
One public-library outlet serves this ZIP — typical of suburban and small-town areas. Card holders also have full access to the rest of the system's branches.
Buildings
1
1 central
Avg hours / week
34.5
across outlets in this ZIP
Avg square feet
2,040
per outlet
Outlets in this ZIP
- 1.Mescalero Community Library
Public libraries provide free WiFi, computer access, children's programming, job-seeking resources, and meeting space — community infrastructure beyond books. FY2023 outlet inventory from the federal Public Libraries Survey.
Source: Institute of Museum and Library Services (imls.gov). Per-ZIP counts of active public-library outlets — central buildings, branches, and bookmobiles — operated by federally reporting library systems.
Federal Disaster Declarations
Federally Declared Disasters
24
Date Range
1984–2025
Most Recent Declaration
SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND LANDSLIDES
Flood — declared July 22, 2025 (DR-4886)
Incident period: June 23, 2025 – August 5, 2025
Top Incident Types
- Fire12 (50%)
- Severe Storm5 (21%)
- Flood4 (17%)
- Biological2 (8%)
- Hurricane1 (4%)
Individual Assistance
2
Direct help to disaster survivors
Households Program
3
Housing & temporary lodging support
Public Assistance
24
Repair of public facilities & roads
Hazard Mitigation
11
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
50.1°F
35° – 65.2°
Annual precipitation
22"
Annual snowfall
26.2"
Heating · cooling days
5,566.7 · 143.1
Annual base 65°F
Nearest station: RUIDOSO, NM US, 14 miles from the centroid of Mescalero, NM (ZIP 88340)
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)
11,128
That is roughly 2,928 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
4.6
avg per adult per month
Poor mental health days
5.6
avg per adult per month
Uninsured
9.3%
of residents under 65
Primary care MDs
45
per 100,000 residents
Preventable hospital stays
2,274
per 100K Medicare enrollees
Food environment (0-10)
7.1
10 = best access & security
Exercise access
49%
residents near a facility
Flu vaccinated
35%
of Medicare enrollees
Low birth weight (under 2,500 g) accounts for 8.7% of live births in this county — an early-life health input that downstream outcomes track against.
Based on Otero 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
Moderate food access challenges
23.9% of Otero County, NM residents live more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket.
Grocery stores
0.12
per 1,000 residents
Supercenters & clubs
—
per 1,000 residents
SNAP-authorized stores
0.69
accepting food benefits
Fast-food restaurants
0.46
per 1,000 residents
Among low-income residents, 7.9% 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 Otero 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)
▲+53 people
+192 households • −$18.0M net AGI flow
Moved in
3,883households
7,131 people • $189.5M AGI
Moved out
3,691households
7,078 people • $207.5M AGI
Where new residents came from
- El Paso County, TX — 269 households
- Do�a Ana County, NM — 207 households
- Lincoln County, NM — 85 households
- Clark County, NV — 60 households
- Maricopa County, AZ — 58 households
Where departing residents went
- Do�a Ana County, NM — 226 households
- El Paso County, TX — 188 households
- Clark County, NV — 84 households
- Bernalillo County, NM — 75 households
- Maricopa County, AZ — 55 households
Incoming households reported an average AGI of $48,803 versus departing households' $56,230.
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 88340. 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 88340: At this ZIP's median AGI of $34,007, the estimated state income tax (before deductions) runs about $1,204 per year. Applied to this ZIP's typical home value of $43,800, that works out to roughly $289/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 88340
Nearby ZIPs by distance
88346 (Ruidoso Downs, 12.1 mi) · 88345 (Ruidoso, 13.2 mi) · 88355 (Ruidoso, 13.8 mi) · 88314 (Bent, 17 mi) · 88324 (17.3 mi) · 88312 (Ruidoso, 18 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
43.9%
10.9pp above the 33.0% national rate.
High Blood Pressure
35.3%
3.3pp above the 32.0% national rate.
Depression
28.4%
6.4pp above the 22.0% national rate.
Annual Checkup
67.3%
8.7pp below the 76.0% national rate.
Health Insurance
14.2%
Tracks close to the 13.0% national rate.
Diabetes
15.7%
4.7pp above the 11.0% national rate.
Colleges & universities nearby
Colleges in this area
2
Median in-state tuition
$1,994
Median earnings (10 yr)
$38,809
- 2-Year
New Mexico State University-Alamogordo
Alamogordo, NM · 88310
- In-state tuition
- $2,616
- Out-of-state tuition
- $6,072
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- 16.4%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $39,067
- Median student debt
- $17,095
- 2-Year
Eastern New Mexico University Ruidoso Branch Community College
Ruidoso, NM · 88345
- In-state tuition
- $1,372
- Out-of-state tuition
- $3,268
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- 21.6%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $38,550
- Median student debt
- $16,500
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (collegescorecard.ed.gov). Public domain data. Earnings figures reflect median earnings 10 years after entry for federally-aided students.
What these numbers say together
Mescalero, NM (ZIP 88340) sits in Otero County. The page draws on 1 federal data feed retrieved Apr 24. Top health signal: Obesity comes in above the national average at 43.9%. No NCES schools are mapped to this ZIP in the current dataset. 2 colleges and universities serve the area, with median in-state tuition of $1,994. 40% of returns claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (IRS), a higher share than most ZIPs. BLS QCEW reports average annual pay of $50,017 per worker, roughly 24% below the US average. CDC's Social Vulnerability Index places this ZIP in the 96th percentile nationally — a highly vulnerable community profile. FEMA has issued 24 federal disaster declarations affecting this ZIP since 1984 — a high-frequency exposure profile. County Health Rankings reports 11,128 years of potential life lost per 100,000 (2025) — well above the national county median. New Mexico levies a graduated state income tax (top rate 5.90%); a household at the local median AGI of $34,007 would pay roughly $1,204/year before deductions. New residents arriving here predominantly come from El Paso County, TX (IRS SOI Migration, 2022-2023). 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 $38,209, fair market rent of $970 for a two-bedroom, and a 29.9% poverty rate (well above the ~12% US average). 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 ($970/month, HUD SAFMR) represents 30% of median household income ($38,209, Census ACS) — above the 30% affordability threshold commonly used by housing experts.
- Lower median household income ($38,209, Census ACS) sits alongside an above-average 43.9% obesity rate (CDC PLACES) — a pattern that correlates with reduced healthcare access in lower-income areas.
One concrete reading worth keeping: Depression prevalence sits higher the national rate at 28.4%. 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 88340
What is the obesity rate in ZIP 88340?
43.9%, which is 10.9 percentage points above the national average of 33.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the depression rate in ZIP 88340?
28.4%, which is 6.4 percentage points above the national average of 22.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the high blood pressure rate in ZIP 88340?
35.3%, which is 3.3 percentage points above the national average of 32.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the population of ZIP 88340?
3,969 people live in ZIP 88340, with a median age of 32.5 (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What is the median household income in ZIP 88340?
$38,209 per year (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
Is ZIP 88340 mostly renters or homeowners?
In ZIP 88340, 63.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 36.5% are renter-occupied (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
How do people commute in ZIP 88340?
In ZIP 88340, 2.8% of workers work from home. Public transit is used by 2.7% of commuters (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What is the poverty rate in ZIP 88340?
29.9% of the population in ZIP 88340 lives below the federal poverty line (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What percentage of households in ZIP 88340 have broadband internet?
72.9% of households in ZIP 88340 have broadband internet access (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What is the average household income in ZIP 88340?
The average Adjusted Gross Income reported on tax returns from ZIP 88340 (Mescalero, NM) is $34,007 per return (IRS SOI Tax Year 2022, retrieved May 2, 2026).
How much do homeowners pay in property tax in ZIP 88340?
Tax returns from ZIP 88340 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 88340 earn over $200,000?
0.0% of tax returns from ZIP 88340 (Mescalero, 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 88340?
As of 2022, 9 business establishments operated in ZIP 88340 employing 824 workers (Census ZIP Business Patterns, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What is the average salary in ZIP 88340?
The average annual pay across all local establishments in ZIP 88340 is $46,368, based on Census ZIP Business Patterns 2022 data (retrieved May 3, 2026).
How vulnerable is ZIP 88340 to disasters and public health emergencies?
According to the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (2022), ZIP 88340 ranks in the 96th percentile nationally for social vulnerability — a very high vulnerability profile (retrieved May 3, 2026).
What is the biggest vulnerability factor in ZIP 88340?
Housing Type & Transportation is the highest-scoring CDC SVI theme for ZIP 88340, ranking in the 96th percentile nationally (CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022, retrieved May 3, 2026).
How many federally declared disasters has ZIP 88340 experienced?
FEMA has recorded 24 federal disaster declarations affecting ZIP 88340 between 1984–2025 (FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What kinds of disasters most often hit ZIP 88340?
Fire is the most common federally declared disaster type affecting ZIP 88340, accounting for 12 of 24 declarations (50%, FEMA OpenFEMA, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What was the most recent disaster declared for ZIP 88340?
The most recent FEMA disaster declaration affecting ZIP 88340 was "SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND LANDSLIDES" — a flood declared in 2025 (DR-4886) (FEMA OpenFEMA, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What colleges are near ZIP 88340?
2 colleges and universities are listed near ZIP 88340 by the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, including New Mexico State University-Alamogordo and Eastern New Mexico University Ruidoso Branch Community College (retrieved May 2, 2026).
What is the average tuition at colleges near ZIP 88340?
Median in-state tuition across 2 nearby institutions is $1,994 (College Scorecard, retrieved May 2, 2026).
What do graduates earn from colleges near ZIP 88340?
Graduates of nearby colleges earn a median of $38,809 ten years after entry (College Scorecard, retrieved May 2, 2026).
What is the climate like in ZIP 88340?
ZIP 88340 has an average annual temperature of 50.1°F and 22.0" of annual precipitation based on the RUIDOSO, NM US weather station 14.0 miles from the ZIP centroid (NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, retrieved May 8, 2026).
What taxes apply in ZIP 88340?
New Mexico has a graduated income tax with a top rate of 5.90%. Households at the local median AGI of $34,007 would pay roughly $1,204 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 88340?
This page covers health outcomes from CDC PLACES (40 metrics), demographics from the Census ACS 5-Year (2022), colleges from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2 institutions), 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 (24 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). College data retrieved May 2, 2026 from U.S. Dept of Education College Scorecard. 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 (24 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 88340
Nearby ZIPs by distance
88346 (Ruidoso Downs, 12.1 mi) · 88345 (Ruidoso, 13.2 mi) · 88355 (Ruidoso, 13.8 mi) · 88314 (Bent, 17 mi) · 88324 (17.3 mi) · 88312 (Ruidoso, 18 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 88340?
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
96th percentile
Very High Vulnerability
Based on 1 census tract, population 3,966
Vulnerability Themes
Households Without Vehicle
177
Limited English Speakers
46
Persons with Disability
903
Without HS Diploma
554
Without Health Insurance
774
Adults Age 65+
504
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.