ZipCodeLook
88312

Zip code 88312: Alto, New Mexico

Residential delivery areaLincoln CountyMountain Time
Population
3,287
Median household income
$80K
U.S. $81K
Median home value
$304K
U.S. $333K
Median rent
$1,328/mo
U.S. $1,413
Median age
59.7
U.S. 38.9
Land area
71 sq mi
46 people/sq mi

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

About 88312

88312 is a rural zip code in Alto, New Mexico (Lincoln County), covering 71 sq mi of land. About 3,287 people live here, or 46 per square mile. The median resident is 59.7 years old, compared with 38.9 nationally.

The median household earns $80,345 a year, close to the national median of $80,734. 8.1% of residents live below the poverty line (U.S.: 12.5%). A typical home is valued at $304,100, or 3.8 years of median household income (U.S.: 4.1 years), which makes homes about as affordable as the national average for local earners. 95% of occupied homes are lived in by their owners, and renters pay a median of $1,328 a month.

44% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S.: 36%). Commuters average 30.6 minutes each way, and 13% of workers work from home. The most common jobs among working residents are in food service; construction and repair; and healthcare. 30% of them are self-employed (U.S.: 10%).

How 88312 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
59.7
Under 18
14.9%
65 and over
37%

Race and ethnicity

  • White68%
  • Black0.5%
  • Hispanic25%
  • Asian1%
  • Native American4%
  • Pacific Islander0%
  • Other0%
  • Multiracial0.8%
Diversity index
47.6
U.S. 61.4
Foreign-born
4.4%
U.S. 14.1%
Born in state
29.3%

Language spoken at home (households)

English only
81%
Spanish
11%
Other Indo-European
0%
Asian / Pacific
3%
Other
5%

Households

Households
1,502
Average household size
2.2
Family households
69.6%
Married couples
57.9%
Living alone
23.1%
Veterans (of adults)
9.4%
Male / female
49% / 51%

Income and poverty

Household income distribution

<$25k
12%
$25–50k
18%
$50–75k
20%
$75–100k
7%
$100–150k
18%
$150–200k
13%
$200k+
12%

Median household income

88312
$80,345
Lincoln Co.
$53,303
New Mexico
$64,059
United States
$80,734
Per capita income
$54,099
U.S. $44,673
Poverty rate
8.1%
U.S. 12.5%
Households earning $150K+
25.1%
U.S. 23%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.474
U.S. 0.483

Housing

Median home value

88312
$304,100
Lincoln Co.
$233,200
New Mexico
$248,100
United States
$332,700

Median gross rent

88312
$1,328
Lincoln Co.
$956
New Mexico
$1,067
United States
$1,413

Types of housing

Single-family
73%
2–4 units
4%
5–19 units
4%
20+ units
1%
Mobile home
18%
Boat, RV, van
0%
Housing units
3,180
Owner-occupied
94.9%
Vacant
52.8%
Median year built
1998
Median rooms
5.7
Renters paying 30%+ of income
0%
Renters paying 50%+ of income
0%
Home value to income
3.8× (U.S. 4.1×)

Work and commute

How people get to work

Drove alone
56%
Carpooled
30%
Transit
0%
Walked
0%
Bicycle
0%
Worked from home
13%
Other
1%

Commute time (one way)

<10 min
13%
10–19
28%
20–29
30%
30–44
13%
45–59
8%
60+
9%
Average commute
30.6 min
U.S. 26.4 min
Unemployment
10.3%
U.S. 5.2%
In labor force
50.4%
U.S. 63.5%

Jobs and careers

What employed residents do, wherever they work

Occupations

Food service
18%
Construction and repair
15%
Healthcare
12%
Education
11%
Management
10%
Cleaning and personal care
8%
Business and finance
7%
Sales
6%
Office and admin
5%
Production
4%
Legal and social services
2%
Police and fire
1%
Transportation and moving
1%
Arts, media and sports
0.9%
Computer and math
0%
Engineering and science
0%
Farming, fishing and forestry
0%

Industries

Health care and social assistance
18%
Restaurants and hotels
13%
Education
12%
Manufacturing
12%
Transportation, warehousing and utilities
10%
Retail
8%
Agriculture and mining
6%
Admin, support and management
5%
Other services
5%
Construction
3%
Finance, insurance and real estate
3%
Arts and recreation
2%
Public administration
1%
Wholesale
0.9%
Professional and technical services
0.8%
Information
0%
Median earnings per worker
$43,634
U.S. $49,666
Self-employed
30.1%
U.S. 10%
Government workers
18.7%
U.S. 14.5%
Nonprofit workers
6.3%
U.S. 8.8%

Median earnings by type of work

Type of work88312U.S.
Management, business, science and arts$58,621$74,888
Service$30,428$26,804
Sales and office$32,893$40,476
Construction and maintenance$52,313$49,199
Production and transportation$28,984$39,989

Education, internet and health coverage

Highest education (adults 25+)

No diploma
4%
High school
21%
Some college
20%
Associate's
10%
Bachelor's
21%
Graduate
23%
High school graduate or higher
95.9%
Bachelor's degree or higher
44.3%
Graduate or professional degree
22.8%
Households with broadband
97.3%
Cable, fiber or DSL
70.1%
No internet access
2.1%
Without health insurance
7.5%
Limited-English households
0.7%

Geography

City (USPS)
Alto
Center point
33.4319° N, 105.6440° W
Land area
71 sq mi
Water area
under 0.1 sq mi
Time zone
Mountain Time (UTC-7, UTC-6 in summer)
Zip type
Residential delivery area

Cities and towns within this zip

  • Ruidoso4% of zip

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

Zip codes near 88312

ZipCityDistanceIncome
88355Ruidoso5 mi—
88345Ruidoso5.7 mi$53,971
88323Fort Stanton5.9 mi—
88324Glencoe6.8 mi—
88346Ruidoso Downs8.3 mi$33,594
88341Nogal12 mi$48,393
88348San Patricio14 mi$86,985
88338Lincoln17 mi$59,276
88340Mescalero18 mi$36,927
88336Hondo22 mi—
88301Carrizozo25 mi$43,900
88314Bent26 mi—

Zip codes like 88312 elsewhere

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

Questions about 88312

What city is zip code 88312?

88312 is assigned to Alto, New Mexico. The city name is the one the Postal Service prefers for mail addressed to this zip code.

What county is 88312 in?

88312 is in Lincoln County, New Mexico.

What is the population of 88312?

About 3,287 people live in 88312, according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey.

What time zone is 88312 in?

88312 is in Mountain Time.

What is the median household income in 88312?

The median household income in 88312 is $80,345.

What zip codes are near 88312?

The closest zip codes to 88312 are 88355, 88345, 88323, 88324, 88346.

Demographic figures are 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Area 88312, from the U.S. Census Bureau. Small areas have wide margins of error. How we build these numbers.