ZipCodeLook
87520

Zip code 87520: Chama, New Mexico

Residential delivery areaRio Arriba CountyMountain Time
Population
1,148
Median household income
$39K
U.S. $81K
Median home value
$218K
U.S. $333K
Median rent
$570/mo
U.S. $1,413
Median age
65.4
U.S. 38.9
Land area
259 sq mi
4 people/sq mi

Boundary is the Census Bureau's ZIP Code Tabulation Area, which closely tracks the postal delivery area.

About 87520

87520 is a rural zip code in Chama, New Mexico (Rio Arriba County), covering 259 sq mi of land. About 1,148 people live here, or 4 per square mile. The median resident is 65.4 years old, compared with 38.9 nationally.

The median household earns $38,889 a year, about 48% of the national median of $80,734. 14% of residents live below the poverty line (U.S.: 12.5%). A typical home is valued at $217,600, or 5.6 years of median household income (U.S.: 4.1 years), which makes homes relatively expensive for local earners. 86% of occupied homes are lived in by their owners, and renters pay a median of $570 a month.

22% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S.: 36%). Commuters average 9.5 minutes each way, and 11% of workers work from home. The most common jobs among working residents are in management; cleaning and personal care; and transportation and moving goods. 22% of them are self-employed (U.S.: 10%).

How 87520 compares

Sorted from highest to lowest national percentile

The percentile is the share of Americans who live in a zip code with a lower value, so the 50th percentile is typical. Rank 1 is the highest value in the state. Both include zip codes with at least 100 residents. Strengths and weaknesses mark measures in the best or worst fifth nationally, where higher or lower is clearly better (income, poverty, education, commute, broadband, insurance and similar). Measures like age or density are left unmarked.

People

Age

Median age
65.4
Under 18
5.1%
65 and over
56%

Race and ethnicity

  • White38%
  • Black0%
  • Hispanic50%
  • Asian0%
  • Native American0%
  • Pacific Islander0%
  • Other9%
  • Multiracial3%
Diversity index
59.7
U.S. 61.4
Foreign-born
0%
U.S. 14.1%
Born in state
65.6%

Language spoken at home (households)

English only
81%
Spanish
19%
Other Indo-European
0%
Asian / Pacific
0%
Other
0%

Households

Households
650
Average household size
1.8
Family households
43.7%
Married couples
38.8%
Living alone
46%
Veterans (of adults)
10.2%
Male / female
50% / 50%

Income and poverty

Household income distribution

<$25k
29%
$25–50k
29%
$50–75k
16%
$75–100k
4%
$100–150k
12%
$150–200k
5%
$200k+
5%

Median household income

87520
$38,889
Rio Arriba Co.
$57,155
New Mexico
$64,059
United States
$80,734
Per capita income
$39,354
U.S. $44,673
Poverty rate
14%
U.S. 12.5%
Households earning $150K+
10.6%
U.S. 23%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.475
U.S. 0.483

Housing

Median home value

87520
$217,600
Rio Arriba Co.
$243,700
New Mexico
$248,100
United States
$332,700

Median gross rent

87520
$570
Rio Arriba Co.
$740
New Mexico
$1,067
United States
$1,413

Types of housing

Single-family
78%
2–4 units
1%
5–19 units
0.8%
20+ units
0%
Mobile home
20%
Boat, RV, van
0%
Housing units
1,436
Owner-occupied
86.2%
Vacant
54.7%
Median year built
1993
Median rooms
4.7
Renters paying 30%+ of income
53.8%
Renters paying 50%+ of income
0%
Home value to income
5.6× (U.S. 4.1×)

Work and commute

How people get to work

Drove alone
78%
Carpooled
4%
Transit
0%
Walked
7%
Bicycle
0%
Worked from home
11%
Other
0%

Commute time (one way)

<10 min
69%
10–19
14%
20–29
11%
30–44
7%
45–59
0%
60+
0%
Average commute
9.5 min
U.S. 26.4 min
Unemployment
5.6%
U.S. 5.2%
In labor force
47.3%
U.S. 63.5%

Jobs and careers

What employed residents do, wherever they work

Occupations

Management
29%
Cleaning and personal care
17%
Transportation and moving
9%
Food service
9%
Education
8%
Office and admin
6%
Construction and repair
6%
Arts, media and sports
5%
Healthcare
4%
Business and finance
3%
Sales
3%
Engineering and science
2%
Computer and math
0%
Legal and social services
0%
Police and fire
0%
Farming, fishing and forestry
0%
Production
0%

Industries

Construction
18%
Transportation, warehousing and utilities
13%
Retail
11%
Agriculture and mining
10%
Public administration
9%
Restaurants and hotels
8%
Finance, insurance and real estate
7%
Admin, support and management
7%
Other services
6%
Education
5%
Health care and social assistance
4%
Arts and recreation
1%
Manufacturing
0%
Professional and technical services
0%
Wholesale
0%
Information
0%
Median earnings per worker
$27,708
U.S. $49,666
Self-employed
21.8%
U.S. 10%
Government workers
22.2%
U.S. 14.5%
Nonprofit workers
0.4%
U.S. 8.8%

Median earnings by type of work

Type of work87520U.S.
Management, business, science and arts$88,542$74,888
Service$20,768$26,804
Sales and office$17,946$40,476
Construction and maintenance—$49,199
Production and transportation—$39,989

Education, internet and health coverage

Highest education (adults 25+)

No diploma
16%
High school
26%
Some college
30%
Associate's
6%
Bachelor's
9%
Graduate
13%
High school graduate or higher
83.9%
Bachelor's degree or higher
21.8%
Graduate or professional degree
12.7%
Households with broadband
71.5%
Cable, fiber or DSL
45.2%
No internet access
18.2%
Without health insurance
1.8%
Limited-English households
0%

Geography

City (USPS)
Chama
Center point
36.8750° N, 106.6273° W
Land area
259 sq mi
Water area
0.6 sq mi
Time zone
Mountain Time (UTC-7, UTC-6 in summer)
Zip type
Residential delivery area

Zip codes near 87520

ZipCityDistanceIncome
87551Los Ojos12 mi$35,896
81128Chromo14 mi$250,000+
87528Dulce15 mi$41,679
87575Tierra Amarilla16 mi$98,329
87518Cebolla25 mi—
87515Canjilon26 mi$93,676
81120Antonito27 mi$47,546
81157Pagosa Springs · PO box35 mi—
87510Abiquiu36 mi$85,453
87581Vallecitos37 mi—
81129Conejos37 mi—
81147Pagosa Springs38 mi$84,270

Zip codes like 87520 elsewhere

Matched on income, home values, age, density, education, housing and commuting

Questions about 87520

What city is zip code 87520?

87520 is assigned to Chama, New Mexico. The city name is the one the Postal Service prefers for mail addressed to this zip code.

What county is 87520 in?

87520 is in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico.

What is the population of 87520?

About 1,148 people live in 87520, according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey.

What time zone is 87520 in?

87520 is in Mountain Time.

What is the median household income in 87520?

The median household income in 87520 is $38,889.

What zip codes are near 87520?

The closest zip codes to 87520 are 87551, 81128, 87528, 87575, 87518.

Demographic figures are 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Area 87520, from the U.S. Census Bureau. Small areas have wide margins of error. How we build these numbers.