COUNTY
Otero County
New Mexico · 70,368 residents (2025 est.) · 6,613 sq mi
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Part of the Alamogordo micropolitan area
The short version
With 68,816 people, Otero County is a county in New Mexico. 23% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. Density works out to 10 people per square mile. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $162,700. The poverty rate is 19.3%, above the 12.5% national rate. The median household earns $55,876, about 32% below the national median.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 36.4
US median: 38.9
Less educated
23% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 30%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth
68,816
+10%since 2000
from 62,298 in 2000
70,368 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
6,613 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
202469K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.7%(3,942)
5 to 96%(4,151)
10 to 146.3%(4,359)
15 to 196.5%(4,443)
20 to 248.8%(6,082)
25 to 3415.1%(10,363)
35 to 4412.3%(8,472)
45 to 5410%(6,888)
55 to 6411.7%(8,039)
65 to 7410.3%(7,116)
75 to 845.2%(3,588)
85 and over2%(1,373)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$55,876
−1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $30,861 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
38.1%
+22.1 ptssince 2009
from 16.0% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information12.6%
Wholesale trade11%
Other services5.8%
Finance & insurance5.1%
Public administration4%
Professional, scientific, technical3.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing3%
Arts, entertainment, food1.7%
Retail trade1.6%
Construction1.6%
Manufacturing1.4%
Transportation & warehousing1.3%
Education & health services1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$162,700
+30%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $68,700 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
2.9
+14%since 2009
from 2.5 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
30
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic55.7%(34,728)
Black3.7%(2,285)
Hispanic / Latino32.2%(20,033)
Asian1.1%(685)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic45.5%(31,299)
Black3.5%(2,419)
Hispanic / Latino39.6%(27,267)
Asian1.5%(1,005)
Other9.9%(6,826)
78
+5%since 2009
from 75 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
39
Unchangedsince 2020
from 39 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Hispanic origin
Mexican30.5%(20,984)
Spaniard3.4%(2,366)
Dominican0.5%(353)
Puerto Rican0.5%(322)
South American0.3%(210)
Cuban0.3%(207)
Central American0.2%(130)
Venezuelan0.1%(90)
Colombian0.1%(81)
Salvadoran0.1%(73)
Peruvian0%(22)
Honduran0%(21)
+ 5 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Filipino0.8%(573)
Chinese0.2%(113)
Korean0.2%(105)
Japanese0.1%(43)
Thai0.1%(40)
Vietnamese0.1%(40)
Hmong0.1%(38)
Asian Indian0%(18)
Nepalese0%(13)
Taiwanese0%(10)
Ancestry
English11.6%(7,950)
German9.4%(6,449)
Irish8.6%(5,928)
American3.5%(2,423)
Scottish2.6%(1,812)
Italian2.2%(1,544)
French1.2%(839)
Scotch-Irish0.8%(583)
Norwegian0.7%(494)
Dutch0.6%(447)
Polish0.6%(416)
Swedish0.6%(397)
+ 35 more ancestry groups with data
Welsh0.4%(306)
Arab0.4%(254)
Lebanese0.3%(228)
Finnish0.3%(211)
Austrian0.3%(208)
Hungarian0.2%(164)
British0.2%(160)
Czech0.2%(143)
Russian0.2%(140)
Portuguese0.2%(117)
Subsaharan African0.2%(113)
French Canadian0.2%(109)
Ukrainian0.1%(98)
Swiss0.1%(94)
Danish0.1%(65)
Slovak0.1%(53)
Turkish0.1%(49)
Canadian0.1%(38)
Belgian0.1%(37)
West Indian0%(33)
Ghanaian0%(31)
Nigerian0%(26)
Slovene0%(21)
Croatian0%(19)
Brazilian0%(17)
Syrian0%(13)
Greek0%(11)
Romanian0%(11)
Trinidadian & Tobagonian0%(11)
Iraqi0%(8)
Moroccan0%(5)
Haitian0%(5)
Latvian0%(4)
Lithuanian0%(4)
Kenyan0%(1)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
87.8%
+6.8 ptssince 2000
from 81.0% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
65.0%
−0.4 ptssince 2020
from 65.4% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
95.3%
+5.2 ptssince 2020
from 90.1% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married41.4%(12,329)
Married43%(12,827)
Widowed2.5%(754)
Divorced13.1%(3,901)
Women 15+
Never married30.2%(8,009)
Married46.7%(12,393)
Widowed8.6%(2,289)
Divorced14.5%(3,862)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
10.1%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 9.7% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
4.9%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 5.1% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
54.1%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 54.1% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
53.6%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 53.5% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
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)37.9%(2,725)
Gulf War (1990s)30%(2,158)
Vietnam era32.1%(2,304)
Korean War5.9%(424)
World War II0.8%(55)
Share of the 7,184 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
Drill deeper
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Compare Otero County to nearby counties
OTERO COUNTY VS
El Paso County
Income$59,806+7%
Home value$180,400+11%
Population877,858+1148%
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OTERO COUNTY VS
Doña Ana County
Income$56,848+2%
Home value$220,800+36%
Population229,091+226%
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OTERO COUNTY VS
Lincoln County
Income$53,303−5%
Home value$233,200+43%
Population19,844−72%
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OTERO COUNTY VS
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Income$48,600−13%
Home value$64,000−61%
Population3,433−95%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Otero County, New Mexico?
Otero County, New Mexico has about 68,816 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Otero County, New Mexico?
The typical household in Otero County, New Mexico earns about $55,876 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Otero County, New Mexico expensive?
In Otero County, New Mexico, the median home is worth about $162,700, and the typical rent is about $962 a month.
How educated are people in Otero County, New Mexico?
About 22.7% of adults age 25 and over in Otero County, New Mexico hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Otero County, New Mexico?
About 19.3% of people in Otero County, New Mexico live below the federal poverty line.
Has Otero County, New Mexico grown since 1990?
Yes, Otero County, New Mexico has grown since 1990. The population has added about 16,888 residents, a change of about 33 percent over that period.
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21 census tracts (top 20 by population)
Census Tract 9.03Census Tract 9.04Census Tract 4.01Census Tract 4.04Census Tract 6.04Census Tract 3.04Census Tract 9.01Census Tract 3.05Census Tract 9400Census Tract 7.01Census Tract 4.03Census Tract 3.06Census Tract 5.01Census Tract 3.03Census Tract 6.02Census Tract 6.03Census Tract 2Census Tract 1Census Tract 5.02Census Tract 7.0217 ZIP codes
ZIP 88310ZIP 88081ZIP 88330ZIP 88352ZIP 88340ZIP 88317ZIP 88337ZIP 88325ZIP 88311ZIP 88350ZIP 88347ZIP 79837ZIP 88344ZIP 88354ZIP 88314ZIP 88342ZIP 88349Up the hierarchy
All counties in New MexicoDATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024