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 (3,388 degrees awarded in 2024), New Mexico State University-Dona Ana (1,267 degrees), and Olympian Academy of Cosmetology (362 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.

    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.

    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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    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
      126,568 ± 8,470 people
    2. Philippines
      6,950 ± 2,043 people
    3. Germany
      4,158 ± 1,582 people

    In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of New Mexico was Mexico, the natal country of 126,568 New Mexico residents, followed by Philippines with 6,950 and Germany with 4,158.

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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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    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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    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.

    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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    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).

    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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    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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    Civics

    In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in New Mexico went to Kamala Harris with 51.9% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (45.9%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.03%).

    Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján are the senators currently representing the state of New Mexico. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

    New Mexico is currently represented by 3 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

    US Senators from New Mexico

    Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for New Mexico.
    Martin Heinrich
    Senator from New Mexico1
    Assumed office on January 3, 2013
    Ben Ray Luján
    Senator from New Mexico2
    Assumed office on January 3, 2021

    Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján are the senators currently representing New Mexico.

    In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

    The following chart shows elected senators in New Mexico over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

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    Education

    In 2024, universities in Las Cruces, NM awarded 5,306 degrees. The student population of Las Cruces, NM in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 9,678 male students and 14,233 female students.

    Most students graduating from Universities in Las Cruces, NM are Hispanic or Latino (3,160 and 62.5%), White (1,336 and 26.4%), Black or African American (205 and 4.05%), and Two or More Races (129 and 2.55%).

    The largest universities in Las Cruces, NM by number of degrees awarded are New Mexico State University-Main Campus (3,388 and 63.9%), New Mexico State University-Dona Ana (1,267 and 23.9%), and Olympian Academy of Cosmetology (362 and 6.82%).

    The most popular majors in Las Cruces, NM are General Studies (423 and 7.97%), Criminal Justice - Safety Studies (199 and 3.75%), and General Cosmetology (198 and 3.73%).

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

    Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

    University
    Measure

    In 2024 in Las Cruces, NM, the percentage of applicants admitted was 89%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 20.6%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 23,911 (40.5% men and 59.5% 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 2024 there were 23,911 students enrolled in Las Cruces, NM, 40.5% men and 59.5% women.

    By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Hispanic or Latino with 14,911 records, of which 62.1% were women and 37.9% men.

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    Concentrations

    Most Common
    1. 159 degrees awarded
    2. 140 degrees awarded
    3. 137 degrees awarded

    In 2024, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Las Cruces, NM was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 159 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. 3,388 degrees awarded
    2. 1,267 degrees awarded
    3. 362 degrees awarded

    In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was New Mexico State University-Main Campus with 3,388 degrees awarded.

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    Student Diversity

    University

    In 2024, 1,981 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Las Cruces, NM, which is 0.596 times less than the 3,325 female students who received degrees in the same year.

    In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Hispanic or Latino students. These 3,160 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 1,336 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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    Average Net Price by Sector

    Universities

    Public, 4-year or above ($6,283) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

    Public, 4-year or above ($1,900) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

    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.

    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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    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.
    0.46
    2024 Wage GINI in New Mexico
    0.462
    2023 Wage GINI in New Mexico

    In 2024, the income inequality in New Mexico was 0.46 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.506% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for New Mexico was lower than than the national average of 0.474. 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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    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 & 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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