ZipCodeLook
88340

Zip code 88340: Mescalero, New Mexico

Residential delivery areaOtero CountyMountain Time
Population
3,590
Median household income
$37K
U.S. $81K
Median home value
$49K
U.S. $333K
Median rent
$330/mo
U.S. $1,413
Median age
33.2
U.S. 38.9
Land area
718 sq mi
5 people/sq mi

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

About 88340

88340 is a rural zip code in Mescalero, New Mexico (Otero County), covering 718 sq mi of land. About 3,590 people live here, or 5 per square mile. The median resident is 33.2 years old, compared with 38.9 nationally.

The median household earns $36,927 a year, about 46% of the national median of $80,734. 28.7% of residents live below the poverty line (U.S.: 12.5%). A typical home is valued at $48,600, or 1.3 years of median household income (U.S.: 4.1 years), which makes homes relatively affordable for local earners. 72% of occupied homes are lived in by their owners, and renters pay a median of $330 a month.

14% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S.: 36%). Commuters average 22.5 minutes each way, and 3% of workers work from home. The most common jobs among working residents are in food service; construction and repair; and cleaning and personal care. 64% of households speak a language other than English at home, most often another language, such as Arabic or a Native American language.

How 88340 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
33.2
Under 18
26.2%
65 and over
14.2%

Race and ethnicity

  • White6%
  • Black0%
  • Hispanic8%
  • Asian0%
  • Native American85%
  • Pacific Islander0%
  • Other0%
  • Multiracial0.5%
Diversity index
26.6
U.S. 61.4
Foreign-born
0.4%
U.S. 14.1%
Born in state
85.4%

Language spoken at home (households)

English only
36%
Spanish
3%
Other Indo-European
0%
Asian / Pacific
0%
Other
60%

Households

Households
890
Average household size
4
Family households
58.7%
Married couples
26.6%
Living alone
38.2%
Veterans (of adults)
3.8%
Male / female
49% / 51%

Income and poverty

Household income distribution

<$25k
33%
$25–50k
28%
$50–75k
15%
$75–100k
10%
$100–150k
6%
$150–200k
5%
$200k+
3%

Median household income

88340
$36,927
Otero Co.
$55,876
New Mexico
$64,059
United States
$80,734
Per capita income
$20,754
U.S. $44,673
Poverty rate
28.7%
U.S. 12.5%
Households earning $150K+
7.8%
U.S. 23%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.471
U.S. 0.483

Housing

Median home value

88340
$48,600
Otero Co.
$162,700
New Mexico
$248,100
United States
$332,700

Median gross rent

88340
$330
Otero Co.
$962
New Mexico
$1,067
United States
$1,413

Types of housing

Single-family
66%
2–4 units
0.9%
5–19 units
0.6%
20+ units
0%
Mobile home
33%
Boat, RV, van
0.2%
Housing units
1,100
Owner-occupied
71.6%
Vacant
19.1%
Median year built
1984
Median rooms
5.5
Renters paying 30%+ of income
29.4%
Renters paying 50%+ of income
8.4%
Home value to income
1.3× (U.S. 4.1×)

Work and commute

How people get to work

Drove alone
84%
Carpooled
11%
Transit
0.6%
Walked
0.5%
Bicycle
0%
Worked from home
3%
Other
1%

Commute time (one way)

<10 min
17%
10–19
38%
20–29
19%
30–44
17%
45–59
5%
60+
4%
Average commute
22.5 min
U.S. 26.4 min
Unemployment
10.1%
U.S. 5.2%
In labor force
53.2%
U.S. 63.5%

Jobs and careers

What employed residents do, wherever they work

Occupations

Food service
15%
Construction and repair
14%
Cleaning and personal care
13%
Police and fire
10%
Management
9%
Office and admin
9%
Healthcare
7%
Business and finance
6%
Education
5%
Sales
3%
Legal and social services
3%
Farming, fishing and forestry
3%
Transportation and moving
1%
Production
0.5%
Engineering and science
0.4%
Computer and math
0.2%
Arts, media and sports
0%

Industries

Restaurants and hotels
21%
Arts and recreation
15%
Admin, support and management
11%
Public administration
10%
Health care and social assistance
9%
Construction
7%
Education
5%
Other services
5%
Finance, insurance and real estate
5%
Agriculture and mining
4%
Retail
3%
Information
2%
Transportation, warehousing and utilities
1%
Professional and technical services
1%
Manufacturing
0%
Wholesale
0%
Median earnings per worker
$31,322
U.S. $49,666
Self-employed
2.2%
U.S. 10%
Government workers
53.8%
U.S. 14.5%
Nonprofit workers
4.5%
U.S. 8.8%

Median earnings by type of work

Type of work88340U.S.
Management, business, science and arts$56,912$74,888
Service$21,433$26,804
Sales and office$19,500$40,476
Construction and maintenance$34,189$49,199
Production and transportation$6,458$39,989

Education, internet and health coverage

Highest education (adults 25+)

No diploma
20%
High school
38%
Some college
22%
Associate's
7%
Bachelor's
12%
Graduate
2%
High school graduate or higher
80%
Bachelor's degree or higher
13.6%
Graduate or professional degree
1.7%
Households with broadband
71.9%
Cable, fiber or DSL
59%
No internet access
23.4%
Without health insurance
17%
Limited-English households
2.6%

Geography

City (USPS)
Mescalero
Center point
33.1761° N, 105.5832° W
Land area
718 sq mi
Water area
0.6 sq mi
Time zone
Mountain Time (UTC-7, UTC-6 in summer)
Zip type
Residential delivery area

Cities and towns within this zip

  • Mescalero (unincorporated)3% of zip

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

Zip codes near 88340

ZipCityDistanceIncome
88346Ruidoso Downs12 mi$33,594
88345Ruidoso13 mi$53,971
88355Ruidoso14 mi—
88314Bent17 mi—
88324Glencoe17 mi—
88312Alto18 mi$80,345
88348San Patricio20 mi$86,985
88336Hondo21 mi—
88339Mayhill21 mi$57,375
88337La Luz21 mi$60,597
88323Fort Stanton21 mi—
88317Cloudcroft23 mi$136,250

Zip codes like 88340 elsewhere

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

Questions about 88340

What city is zip code 88340?

88340 is assigned to Mescalero, New Mexico. The city name is the one the Postal Service prefers for mail addressed to this zip code.

What county is 88340 in?

88340 is in Otero County, New Mexico.

What is the population of 88340?

About 3,590 people live in 88340, according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey.

What time zone is 88340 in?

88340 is in Mountain Time.

What is the median household income in 88340?

The median household income in 88340 is $36,927.

What zip codes are near 88340?

The closest zip codes to 88340 are 88346, 88345, 88355, 88314, 88324.

Demographic figures are 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Area 88340, from the U.S. Census Bureau. Small areas have wide margins of error. How we build these numbers.