Las Cruces, NM

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

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2024 Population
224,266
US Senator
Martin Heinrich
Democratic Party
US Senator
Ben Ray Luján
Democratic Party
2024 Median Age
34.3
0.882% 1-year increase
2024 Poverty Rate
21.3%
4% 1-year decrease
2024 Median Household Income
$56,848
2.13% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$220,800
7.5% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
95,700
2.18% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Las Cruces, 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.

92.1% of the residents in Las Cruces, NM are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Las Cruces, NM are New Mexico State University-Main Campus (3,357 degrees awarded in 2023), New Mexico State University-Dona Ana (1,297 degrees), and Olympian Academy of Cosmetology-LAS CRUCES Campus (440 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Las Cruces, NM was $220,800, and the homeownership rate was 65.5%.

Most people in Las Cruces, NM drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 22.8 minutes. The average car ownership in Las Cruces, NM was 2 cars per household.

Las Cruces, NM borders Alamogordo, NM, Deming, NM, and El Paso, TX.

About the photo: Moon-rise over the Organ Mountains just outside Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Photo by James Hill
United StatesNew Mexico

Population & Diversity

Las Cruces, NM is home to a population of 224k people, from which 92.1% are citizens. As of 2024, 14.7% of Las Cruces, NM residents were born outside of the country (33k people).

In 2024, there were 1.08 times more Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents (64.8k people) in Las Cruces, NM than any other race or ethnicity. There were 59.9k White (Non-Hispanic) and 49.7k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

92.1%
2024 Citizenship
92.5%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 92.1% of Las Cruces, NM residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Las Cruces, NM was 92.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Las Cruces, NM
  1. Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
    64.8k ± 2.95k
  2. White (Non-Hispanic)
    59.9k ± 282
  3. Other (Hispanic)
    49.7k ± 3k
67.9%
Hispanic Population
152k people

In 2024, there were 1.08 times more Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents (64.8k people) in Las Cruces, NM than any other race or ethnicity. There were 59.9k White (Non-Hispanic) and 49.7k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

67.9% of the people in Las Cruces, NM are hispanic (152k people).

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

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the MSA level, so we are showing data for New Mexico.
Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    124,411 ± 8,401 people
  2. Philippines
    6,498 ± 1,976 people
  3. 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.

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Foreign-Born Population

14.7%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
33k people
14.9%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
33k people

As of 2024, 14.7% of Las Cruces, NM residents (33k 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 Las Cruces, NM was 14.9%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    3,771 ± 437
  2. Gulf War (2001-)
    3,515 ± 608
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    2,029 ± 355

Las Cruces, NM has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.07 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Las Cruces, NM.

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Economy

The economy of Las Cruces, NM employs 95.7k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Las Cruces, NM were Health Care & Social Assistance (14,467 people), Educational Services (13,171 people), and Retail Trade (9,861 people), and the highest paying industries were Public Administration ($67,586), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($58,827), and Transportation & Warehousing ($50,573).

Employment

Occupations

95.7k
2024 Value
± 3,195
2.18%
1 Year growth
± 4.55%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Las Cruces, NM grew at a rate of 2.18%, from 93.7k employees to 95.7k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Las Cruces, NM, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (10,296 people), Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (8,992 people), and Management Occupations (8,380 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Las Cruces, NM.

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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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

95.7k
2024 Value
± 3,195
2.18%
1 Year growth
± 4.55%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Las Cruces, NM grew at a rate of 2.18%, from 93.7k employees to 95.7k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Las Cruces, NM, are Health Care & Social Assistance (14,467 people), Educational Services (13,171 people), and Retail Trade (9,861 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Las Cruces, NM, though some of these residents may live in Las Cruces, NM and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$37,095
Median earning men ± $1,495
$30,789
Median earning women ± $1,620

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($84,369), Information ($65,662), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($60,163).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($54,044), Wholesale Trade ($43,033), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($39,836).

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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.

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Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments
  1. 286
    Construction
  2. 249
    Health Care and Social Assistance
  3. 210
    Other Services (except Public Administration)

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.

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Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll
  1. $643k
    Health Care and Social Assistance
  2. $274k
    Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
  3. $266k
    Retail Trade

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

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Education

In 2023, universities in Las Cruces, NM awarded 5,349 degrees. The student population of Las Cruces, NM in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 9,228 male students and 13,658 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Las Cruces, NM are Hispanic or Latino (3,139 and 61.8%), White (1,326 and 26.1%), Black or African American (178 and 3.51%), and Two or More Races (132 and 2.6%).

The largest universities in Las Cruces, NM by number of degrees awarded are New Mexico State University-Main Campus (3,357 and 62.8%), New Mexico State University-Dona Ana (1,297 and 24.2%), and Olympian Academy of Cosmetology-LAS CRUCES Campus (440 and 8.23%).

The most popular majors in Las Cruces, NM are General Studies (450 and 8.41%), Criminal Justice - Safety Studies (231 and 4.32%), and General Cosmetology (230 and 4.3%).

The median tuition cost in Las Cruces, NM for a public four year colleges is $6,283 for in-state students and $23,407 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University
Measure

In 2023 in Las Cruces, NM, the percentage of applicants admitted was 75.7%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 20.8%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 22,886 (40.3% men and 59.7% women).

The line chart  shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

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Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 22,886 students enrolled in Las Cruces, NM, 40.3% men and 59.7% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Hispanic or Latino with 13,744 records, of which 61.7% were women and 38.3% men.

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Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. Liberal Arts & Sciences
    141 degrees awarded
  2. Registered Nursing
    182 degrees awarded
  3. Criminal Justice - Safety Studies
    152 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Las Cruces, NM was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 141 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Las Cruces, NM according to their major.

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Universities

Gender
Race
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
  1. New Mexico State University-Main Campus
    3,357 degrees awarded
  2. New Mexico State University-Dona Ana
    1,297 degrees awarded
  3. Olympian Academy of Cosmetology-LAS CRUCES Campus
    440 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was New Mexico State University-Main Campus with 3,357 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 2,006 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Las Cruces, NM, which is 0.6 times less than the 3,343 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 3,139 degrees mean that there were 2.37 times more degrees awarded to Hispanic or Latino students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 1,326 degrees awarded.

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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.

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Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Public, 4-year or above ($6,283) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,864) 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.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Las Cruces, NM was $220,800 in 2024, which is 0.664 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $205,400 to $220,800, a 7.5% increase. The homeownership rate in Las Cruces, NM is 65.5%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Las Cruces, NM have an average commute time of 22.8 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Las Cruces, NM is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$220,800
Median Property Value 2024
±$5,556
$55,574
Median Property Taxes
±$2,161

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 Las Cruces, NM the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

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

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Rent vs Own

65.5%
Homeownership
2024
69.6%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 65.5% of the housing units in Las Cruces, NM were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 65.3%.

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

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$56,848
Median Household Income
± $2,642
84.9k
Number of Households
± 2,873

In 2024, the median household income of the 84.9k households in Las Cruces, NM grew to $56,848 from the previous year's value of $55,663.

The following chart displays the households in Las Cruces, 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.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Las Cruces, 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.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (75%)
  2. Carpooled (10.9%)
  3. Worked At Home (9.54%)

In 2024, 75% of workers in Las Cruces, NM drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (10.9%) and those who worked at home (9.54%).

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.

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Commute Time

22.8 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Las Cruces, NM have a shorter commute time (22.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.89% of the workforce in Las Cruces, NM have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

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Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

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

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

21.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Las Cruces, NM (46.6k out of 218k 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 Females 18 - 24, followed by Males 18 - 24 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Las Cruces, 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.

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Health

88.7% of the population of Las Cruces, NM has health coverage, with 29% on employee plans, 33% on Medicaid, 11.7% on Medicare, 12.9% on non-group plans, and 2.08% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in New Mexico see 1,344 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,344 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1436 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 215 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.8% were men and 51.2% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for New Mexico.
1,344 to 1
Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in New Mexico

Primary care physicians in New Mexico see an average of 1,344 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,344 patients).

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

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Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 25.4% under 18 years, 25.4% between 18 and 34 years, 32.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 17.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.8% were men and 51.2% were women.

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

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Uninsured People

11.3%
Uninsured
29%
Employer Coverage
33%
Medicaid
11.7%
Medicare
12.9%
Non-Group
2.08%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Las Cruces, NM grew by 3.04% from 11% to 11.3%.

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

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