Otero County, NM

County

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2024 Population

68,816

US Senator

Martin Heinrich

Democratic Party

US Senator

Ben Ray Luján

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

36.4

0.275% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

19.3%

3.44% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$55,876

5.99% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$162,700

8.83% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

24,213

0.736% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Otero County, NM reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

94.4% of the residents in Otero County, NM are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Otero County, NM are New Mexico State University-Alamogordo (86 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Otero County, NM was $162,700, and the homeownership rate was 67%.

Most people in Otero County, NM drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 22.1 minutes. The average car ownership in Otero County, NM was 2 cars per household.

Otero County, NM borders Chaves County, NM, Doña Ana County, NM, Eddy County, NM, Lincoln County, NM, Sierra County, NM, Culberson County, TX, El Paso County, TX, and Hudspeth County, TX.

United States New Mexico Alamogordo, NM

Population & Diversity

Otero County, NM is home to a population of 68.8k people, from which 94.4% are citizens. As of 2024, 9.51% of Otero County, NM residents were born outside of the country (6.54k people).

In 2024, there were 2.56 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (31.3k people) in Otero County, NM than any other race or ethnicity. There were 12.2k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 7.12k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

94.4%

2024 Citizenship

94%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 94.4% of Otero County, NM residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Otero County, NM was 94%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Otero County, NM compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Otero County, NM

White (Non-Hispanic)
31.3k ± 391
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
12.2k ± 1.44k
Other (Hispanic)
7.12k ± 1.19k

39.6%

Hispanic Population

27.3k people

39.6% of the people in Otero County, NM are hispanic (27.3k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Otero County, NM as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for New Mexico.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
124,411 ± 8,401 people
Philippines
6,498 ± 1,976 people
Germany
4,186 ± 1,587 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of New Mexico was Mexico, the natal country of 124,411 New Mexico residents, followed by Philippines with 6,498 and Germany with 4,186.

Foreign-Born Population

9.51%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

6.54k people

9.99%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

6.82k people

As of 2024, 9.51% of Otero County, NM residents (6.54k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Otero County, NM was 9.99%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Otero County, NM compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
2,725 ± 438
Vietnam
1,973 ± 295
Gulf War (1990s)
1,113 ± 238

Otero County, NM has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.38 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Otero County, NM.

Economy

The economy of Otero County, NM employs 24.2k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Otero County, NM were Health Care & Social Assistance (3,753 people), Retail Trade (3,047 people), and Construction (2,670 people), and the highest paying industries were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($82,500), Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($60,972), and Information ($58,424).

Employment

Occupations

24.2k

2024 Value

± 1,374

0.736%

1 Year growth

± 8.05%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Otero County, NM grew at a rate of 0.736%, from 24k employees to 24.2k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Otero County, NM, are Sales & Related Occupations (2,608 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (2,505 people), and Construction & Extraction Occupations (2,233 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Otero County, NM.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for New Mexico.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in New Mexico (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

24.2k

2024 Value

± 1,374

0.736%

1 Year growth

± 8.05%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Otero County, NM grew at a rate of 0.736%, from 24k employees to 24.2k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Otero County, NM, are Health Care & Social Assistance (3,753 people), Retail Trade (3,047 people), and Construction (2,670 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Otero County, NM, though some of these residents may live in Otero County, NM and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$41,250

Median earning men ± $2,816

$32,593

Median earning women ± $2,320

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($61,589), Information ($60,944), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($60,092).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($55,510), Public Administration ($49,091), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($38,542).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for New Mexico.

Y-Axis

2.72%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 860k people employed in New Mexico. This represents a 2.72% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.8%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in New Mexico.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

75
Other Services (except Public Administration)
67
Construction
56
Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$164k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$75.5k
Retail Trade
$55.1k
Accommodation and Food Services

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Education

In 2023, universities in Otero County, NM awarded 86 degrees. The student population of Otero County, NM in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 373 male students and 715 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Otero County, NM are Hispanic or Latino (39 and 45.3%), White (33 and 38.4%), Asian (5 and 5.81%), and American Indian or Alaska Native (4 and 4.65%).

The largest universities in Otero County, NM by number of degrees awarded are New Mexico State University-Alamogordo (86 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Otero County, NM are General Studies (12 and 14%), General Health Services (11 and 12.8%), and Paralegal (10 and 11.6%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 1,088 students enrolled in Otero County, NM, 34.3% men and 65.7% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Hispanic or Latino with 543 records, of which 66.9% were women and 33.1% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Education
6 degrees awarded
General Studies
12 degrees awarded
General Health Services
11 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Otero County, NM was General Education with 6 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Otero County, NM according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

New Mexico State University-Alamogordo

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

86 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was New Mexico State University-Alamogordo with 86 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 32 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Otero County, NM, which is 0.593 times less than the 54 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Hispanic or Latino students. These 39 degrees mean that there were 1.18 times more degrees awarded to Hispanic or Latino students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 33 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Public, 2-year ($2,328) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($672) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,240) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Otero County, NM was $162,700 in 2024, which is 0.489 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $149,500 to $162,700, a 8.83% increase. The homeownership rate in Otero County, NM is 67%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Otero County, NM have an average commute time of 22.1 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Otero County, NM is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 12.8% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Otero County, NM. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.998%.

Housing

Property

$162,700

Median Property Value 2024

±$7,486

$16,400

Median Property Taxes

±$968

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Otero County, NM the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Otero County, NM compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

67%

Homeownership

2024

69.7%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 67% of the housing units in Otero County, NM were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 65%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Otero County, NM compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$55,876

Median Household Income

± $2,502

24.5k

Number of Households

± 1,267

In 2024, the median household income of the 24.5k households in Otero County, NM grew to $55,876 from the previous year's value of $52,717.

The following chart displays the households in Otero County, NM distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Otero County, NM is from New Mexico.

0.462

2023 Wage GINI in New Mexico

0.462

2022 Wage GINI in New Mexico

In 2023, the income inequality in New Mexico was 0.462 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0654% growth from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for New Mexico was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in New Mexico in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in New Mexico across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (78.2%)
Carpooled (11.2%)
Worked At Home (6.67%)

In 2024, 78.2% of workers in Otero County, NM drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (11.2%) and those who worked at home (6.67%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

22.1 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Otero County, NM have a shorter commute time (22.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 3.29% of the workforce in Otero County, NM have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Otero County, NM compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Otero County, NM distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Otero County, NM have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 12.8% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Otero County, NM. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.998%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

19.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Otero County, NM (12.6k out of 65.5k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 55 - 64, followed by Females 6 - 11 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Otero County, NM is Hispanic, followed by White and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 30.8% of the children was living in poverty in Otero County, NM. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 5.6%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 355 in Otero County, NM. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 23.1 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

89.9% of the population of Otero County, NM has health coverage, with 22.4% on employee plans, 29.3% on Medicaid, 11.3% on Medicare, 17.2% on non-group plans, and 9.74% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Otero County, NM see 2,211 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,211 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1966 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 341 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49% were men and 51% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,211 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Otero County, NM

Primary care physicians in Otero County, NM see an average of 2,211 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,211 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Otero County, NM in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 25.5% under 18 years, 20.3% between 18 and 34 years, 35% between 35 and 64 years, and 19.1% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49% were men and 51% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

10.1%

Uninsured

22.4%

Employer Coverage

29.3%

Medicaid

11.3%

Medicare

17.2%

Non-Group

9.74%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Otero County, NM grew by 12.2% from 8.98% to 10.1%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Otero County, NM changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 72.1 in Otero County, NM.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Otero County, NM.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 38.8% in Otero County, NM.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Otero County, NM.