Carlsbad is a city of 31,746 people in New Mexico. 19% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. Home values have roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $200,000. 6,121 more people live here than in 2000. The foreign-born share is 9%. Density works out to 1,003 people per square mile.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $72,306, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 36.7
US median: 38.9
Less educated
19% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 85%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Carlsbad
What changed most since 1990
Hispanic share33.2% → 53.5%(+20.3 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
Adults with a bachelor's degree11.5% → 19.2%(+7.7 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
Poverty rate20.7% → 13.8%(−6.9 pts)US over the same years: −0.8 pts
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)11.6%(183)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)13.1%(207)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era37.7%(597)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War1%(16)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 1,582 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Carlsbad, decade by decade
Carlsbad population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
24,896
$54,254
$105,603
11.5%
60.9
2000
25,625
$55,848
$108,024
14.5%
64.8
2010
26,138
$63,232
$125,587
16.0%
67.1
2020
32,238
$84,583
$182,169
19.4%
70.5
2024
31,746
$72,306
$200,000
19.2%
69.4
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
