ZipCodeLook
88253

Zip code 88253: Lake Arthur, New Mexico

Residential delivery areaChaves CountyMountain Time
Population
901
Median household income
$86K
U.S. $81K
Median home value
$168K
U.S. $333K
Median rent
$1,079/mo
U.S. $1,413
Median age
34
U.S. 38.9
Land area
218 sq mi
4 people/sq mi

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

About 88253

88253 is a rural zip code in Lake Arthur, New Mexico (Chaves County), covering 218 sq mi of land. About 901 people live here, or 4 per square mile. The median resident is 34 years old, compared with 38.9 nationally.

The median household earns $85,813 a year, close to the national median of $80,734. 8% of residents live below the poverty line (U.S.: 12.5%). A typical home is valued at $168,300, or 2.0 years of median household income (U.S.: 4.1 years), which makes homes relatively affordable for local earners. 68% of occupied homes are lived in by their owners, and renters pay a median of $1,079 a month.

29% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S.: 36%). Commuters average 22.1 minutes each way, and 5% of workers work from home. The most common jobs among working residents are in construction and repair; management; and cleaning and personal care. 20% of them are self-employed (U.S.: 10%). 33% of households speak a language other than English at home, most often Spanish.

How 88253 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
34
Under 18
24.9%
65 and over
14.5%

Race and ethnicity

  • White42%
  • Black0.9%
  • Hispanic45%
  • Asian0%
  • Native American8%
  • Pacific Islander0%
  • Other0%
  • Multiracial3%
Diversity index
60.6
U.S. 61.4
Foreign-born
7.4%
U.S. 14.1%
Born in state
55.3%

Language spoken at home (households)

English only
67%
Spanish
27%
Other Indo-European
1%
Asian / Pacific
0%
Other
4%

Households

Households
315
Average household size
2.9
Family households
75.6%
Married couples
49.5%
Living alone
21.3%
Veterans (of adults)
9.7%
Male / female
48% / 52%

Income and poverty

Household income distribution

<$25k
16%
$25–50k
9%
$50–75k
10%
$75–100k
25%
$100–150k
12%
$150–200k
17%
$200k+
11%

Median household income

88253
$85,813
Chaves Co.
$52,938
New Mexico
$64,059
United States
$80,734
Per capita income
$39,053
U.S. $44,673
Poverty rate
8%
U.S. 12.5%
Households earning $150K+
28.3%
U.S. 23%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.389
U.S. 0.483

Housing

Median home value

88253
$168,300
Chaves Co.
$156,400
New Mexico
$248,100
United States
$332,700

Median gross rent

88253
$1,079
Chaves Co.
$867
New Mexico
$1,067
United States
$1,413

Types of housing

Single-family
59%
2–4 units
1%
5–19 units
0%
20+ units
0%
Mobile home
34%
Boat, RV, van
5%
Housing units
360
Owner-occupied
67.9%
Vacant
12.5%
Median year built
1993
Median rooms
5.2
Renters paying 30%+ of income
0%
Renters paying 50%+ of income
0%
Home value to income
2.0× (U.S. 4.1×)

Work and commute

How people get to work

Drove alone
87%
Carpooled
8%
Transit
0%
Walked
0%
Bicycle
0%
Worked from home
5%
Other
0%

Commute time (one way)

<10 min
8%
10–19
55%
20–29
20%
30–44
9%
45–59
3%
60+
6%
Average commute
22.1 min
U.S. 26.4 min
Unemployment
8%
U.S. 5.2%
In labor force
69.9%
U.S. 63.5%

Jobs and careers

What employed residents do, wherever they work

Occupations

Construction and repair
16%
Management
14%
Cleaning and personal care
14%
Business and finance
12%
Sales
10%
Legal and social services
8%
Office and admin
7%
Healthcare
6%
Arts, media and sports
3%
Food service
3%
Production
3%
Transportation and moving
2%
Farming, fishing and forestry
1%
Education
1%
Computer and math
0%
Engineering and science
0%
Police and fire
0%

Industries

Agriculture and mining
25%
Retail
13%
Manufacturing
10%
Education
9%
Health care and social assistance
8%
Other services
8%
Construction
7%
Finance, insurance and real estate
7%
Public administration
4%
Admin, support and management
3%
Restaurants and hotels
3%
Professional and technical services
2%
Transportation, warehousing and utilities
1%
Wholesale
0.9%
Information
0%
Arts and recreation
0%
Median earnings per worker
$59,438
U.S. $49,666
Self-employed
20.1%
U.S. 10%
Government workers
17.6%
U.S. 14.5%
Nonprofit workers
0.9%
U.S. 8.8%

Median earnings by type of work

Type of work88253U.S.
Management, business, science and arts$67,292$74,888
Service$23,958$26,804
Sales and office$42,031$40,476
Construction and maintenance$59,813$49,199
Production and transportation$16,875$39,989

Education, internet and health coverage

Highest education (adults 25+)

No diploma
10%
High school
33%
Some college
16%
Associate's
12%
Bachelor's
17%
Graduate
12%
High school graduate or higher
90%
Bachelor's degree or higher
29.3%
Graduate or professional degree
12.1%
Households with broadband
92.1%
Cable, fiber or DSL
58.7%
No internet access
7.3%
Without health insurance
9.1%
Limited-English households
5.1%

Geography

City (USPS)
Lake Arthur
Center point
32.9838° N, 104.5506° W
Land area
218 sq mi
Water area
0.3 sq mi
Time zone
Mountain Time (UTC-7, UTC-6 in summer)
Zip type
Residential delivery area

88253 spans 2 counties

Zip codes near 88253

ZipCityDistanceIncome
88230Dexter19 mi$43,469
88211Artesia · PO box21 mi—
88202Roswell · PO box23 mi—
88210Artesia24 mi$79,632
88232Hagerman24 mi$65,000
88254Lakewood26 mi—
88250Hope31 mi$83,250
88343Picacho35 mi—
88203Roswell35 mi$42,207
88339Mayhill45 mi$57,375
88351Tinnie46 mi—
88220Carlsbad47 mi$78,162

Questions about 88253

What city is zip code 88253?

88253 is assigned to Lake Arthur, New Mexico. The city name is the one the Postal Service prefers for mail addressed to this zip code.

What county is 88253 in?

88253 is mostly in Chaves County, but it extends into 1 other county.

What is the population of 88253?

About 901 people live in 88253, according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey.

What time zone is 88253 in?

88253 is in Mountain Time.

What is the median household income in 88253?

The median household income in 88253 is $85,813.

What zip codes are near 88253?

The closest zip codes to 88253 are 88230, 88211, 88202, 88210, 88232.

Demographic figures are 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Area 88253, from the U.S. Census Bureau. Small areas have wide margins of error. How we build these numbers.