ZipCodeLook
87521

Zip code 87521: Chamisal, New Mexico

Residential delivery areaRio Arriba CountyMountain Time
Population
1,261
Median household income
$40K
U.S. $81K
Median home value
$219K
U.S. $333K
Median rent
$945/mo
U.S. $1,413
Median age
46.5
U.S. 38.9
Land area
101 sq mi
13 people/sq mi

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

About 87521

87521 is a rural zip code in Chamisal, New Mexico (Rio Arriba County), covering 101 sq mi of land. About 1,261 people live here, or 13 per square mile. The median resident is 46.5 years old, compared with 38.9 nationally.

The median household earns $39,718 a year, about 49% of the national median of $80,734. 12.3% of residents live below the poverty line (U.S.: 12.5%). A typical home is valued at $218,600, or 5.5 years of median household income (U.S.: 4.1 years), which makes homes relatively expensive for local earners. 87% of occupied homes are lived in by their owners, and renters pay a median of $945 a month.

13% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S.: 36%). Commuters average 47.3 minutes each way, and 6% of workers work from home. The most common jobs among working residents are in construction and repair; office and administrative support; and cleaning and personal care. 84% of households speak a language other than English at home, most often Spanish.

How 87521 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
46.5
Under 18
12.4%
65 and over
32%

Race and ethnicity

  • White10%
  • Black0%
  • Hispanic87%
  • Asian2%
  • Native American1%
  • Pacific Islander0%
  • Other0%
  • Multiracial0.2%
Diversity index
23.4
U.S. 61.4
Foreign-born
2%
U.S. 14.1%
Born in state
83.3%

Language spoken at home (households)

English only
16%
Spanish
75%
Other Indo-European
0%
Asian / Pacific
6%
Other
2%

Households

Households
375
Average household size
3.4
Family households
59.2%
Married couples
34.1%
Living alone
31.5%
Veterans (of adults)
4.1%
Male / female
37% / 63%

Income and poverty

Household income distribution

<$25k
37%
$25–50k
17%
$50–75k
14%
$75–100k
5%
$100–150k
7%
$150–200k
3%
$200k+
18%

Median household income

87521
$39,718
Rio Arriba Co.
$57,155
New Mexico
$64,059
United States
$80,734
Per capita income
$37,228
U.S. $44,673
Poverty rate
12.3%
U.S. 12.5%
Households earning $150K+
21.6%
U.S. 23%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.518
U.S. 0.483

Housing

Median home value

87521
$218,600
Rio Arriba Co.
$243,700
New Mexico
$248,100
United States
$332,700

Median gross rent

87521
$945
Rio Arriba Co.
$740
New Mexico
$1,067
United States
$1,413

Types of housing

Single-family
76%
2–4 units
0%
5–19 units
4%
20+ units
0%
Mobile home
20%
Boat, RV, van
0%
Housing units
497
Owner-occupied
86.9%
Vacant
24.5%
Median year built
1972
Median rooms
4.5
Renters paying 30%+ of income
23.5%
Renters paying 50%+ of income
20.6%
Home value to income
5.5× (U.S. 4.1×)

Work and commute

How people get to work

Drove alone
93%
Carpooled
0.8%
Transit
0%
Walked
0%
Bicycle
0%
Worked from home
6%
Other
0%

Commute time (one way)

<10 min
3%
10–19
3%
20–29
0%
30–44
4%
45–59
61%
60+
28%
Average commute
47.3 min
U.S. 26.4 min
Unemployment
0.3%
U.S. 5.2%
In labor force
53.4%
U.S. 63.5%

Jobs and careers

What employed residents do, wherever they work

Occupations

Construction and repair
37%
Office and admin
21%
Cleaning and personal care
21%
Healthcare
8%
Food service
3%
Management
2%
Engineering and science
2%
Sales
2%
Education
1%
Production
1%
Business and finance
1%
Police and fire
0.6%
Arts, media and sports
0.3%
Computer and math
0%
Legal and social services
0%
Farming, fishing and forestry
0%
Transportation and moving
0%

Industries

Manufacturing
35%
Transportation, warehousing and utilities
21%
Arts and recreation
20%
Health care and social assistance
8%
Restaurants and hotels
4%
Public administration
3%
Professional and technical services
2%
Other services
2%
Education
2%
Admin, support and management
1%
Retail
0.6%
Construction
0.6%
Information
0.5%
Finance, insurance and real estate
0.3%
Agriculture and mining
0.2%
Wholesale
0%
Median earnings per worker
$61,113
U.S. $49,666
Self-employed
0.8%
U.S. 10%
Government workers
26.3%
U.S. 14.5%
Nonprofit workers
26.9%
U.S. 8.8%

Median earnings by type of work

Type of work87521U.S.
Management, business, science and arts$61,442$74,888
Service$70,793$26,804
Sales and office$46,178$40,476
Construction and maintenance$61,239$49,199
Production and transportation$46,875$39,989

Education, internet and health coverage

Highest education (adults 25+)

No diploma
17%
High school
53%
Some college
12%
Associate's
4%
Bachelor's
10%
Graduate
3%
High school graduate or higher
82.7%
Bachelor's degree or higher
12.8%
Graduate or professional degree
3.2%
Households with broadband
82.1%
Cable, fiber or DSL
58.1%
No internet access
17.9%
Without health insurance
3.6%
Limited-English households
4.8%

Geography

City (USPS)
Chamisal
Center point
36.0180° N, 105.6124° W
Land area
101 sq mi
Water area
under 0.1 sq mi
Time zone
Mountain Time (UTC-7, UTC-6 in summer)
Zip type
Residential delivery area

87521 spans 2 counties

Cities and towns within this zip

  • Ojo Sarco (unincorporated)3% of zip
  • Chamisal (unincorporated)2% of zip

Census places overlapping the zip's area. Mail may use a different city name than the municipality.

Zip codes near 87521

ZipCityDistanceIncome
87543Llano6.5 mi—
87579Vadito6.5 mi$66,244
87732Mora8.7 mi$69,421
87578Truchas9 mi—
87715Cleveland11 mi—
87576Trampas · PO box11 mi—
87522Chimayo13 mi$58,620
87723Holman14 mi—
87742Rociada14 mi$59,505
87523Cordova14 mi$23,395
87527Dixon16 mi$65,461
87553Penasco16 mi$48,906

Zip codes like 87521 elsewhere

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

Questions about 87521

What city is zip code 87521?

87521 is assigned to Chamisal, New Mexico. The city name is the one the Postal Service prefers for mail addressed to this zip code.

What county is 87521 in?

87521 is mostly in Rio Arriba County, but it extends into 1 other county.

What is the population of 87521?

About 1,261 people live in 87521, according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey.

What time zone is 87521 in?

87521 is in Mountain Time.

What is the median household income in 87521?

The median household income in 87521 is $39,718.

What zip codes are near 87521?

The closest zip codes to 87521 are 87543, 87579, 87732, 87578, 87715.

Demographic figures are 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Area 87521, from the U.S. Census Bureau. Small areas have wide margins of error. How we build these numbers.