Best Places88002, NM Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood inside ZIP code 88002, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. Several measures below read low, and the ranked lists name which ones. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
88002 ranks 6,013th of 33,110 U.S. zip codes on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on short commutes by a wide margin, and civic engagement ranks lowest.
The best neighborhoods in 88002
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
88002's strengths and weaknesses
Where 88002 ranks high
- Short commute10.5 minutes each way, better than 99% of zip codes
- Health outlookBetter than 98% of zip codes
- QuietBetter than 97% of zip codes
- Nice weatherabout 165 pleasant days a year, better than 93% of zip codes
- Educational attainmentBetter than 89% of zip codes
Where 88002 ranks low
- Voter turnoutBetter than only 1% of zip codes
- Tree shadeBetter than only 4% of zip codes
- Crime safetyBetter than only 7% of zip codes
- Air qualityBetter than only 12% of zip codes
- Healthcare accessBetter than only 16% of zip codes
What it costs to buy a home in 88002
A household needs to earn about $23,000 a year to comfortably buy the median 88002 home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is below the area's own median income of $89,528, so a typical household can afford the median home outright.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses 88002's effective rate of 0.63%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices, buying tends to cost more than renting for about the first 2 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in 88002
88002 runs younger than the country.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for 88002.
Who works in 88002, and how
Work in 88002 centers on public administration and education. Unemployment is low, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 76%
- Work from home 3%
- Transit, walk, or bike 21%
Life in 88002
The map and measures below break down dining, culture, and green space by neighborhood across 88002.
What the weather is like in 88002, month by month
88002 sees roughly 165 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 97 degrees. January highs sit near 58, with lows near 24. The comfortable stretch runs April, May, September, and October.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 58° | 39° | 24° |
| April | 80° | 62° | 42° |
| July | 97° | 82° | 67° |
| October | 80° | 62° | 46° |
Flying in and out of 88002
The nearest airport, El Paso International, is about 40 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Albuquerque International Sunport, about 184 miles away.
The best schools in and around 88002
Schools across 88002 average a C+, better than 63% of zip codes.
Top high schools
- Centennial High SchoolB+ · 55% proficient
- Organ Mountain High SchoolB− · 45% proficient
- Alta Vista Early College High SchoolB− · 41% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every 88002 school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
88002 measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare 88002 against the other 33,109 zip codes.
Common questions about living in 88002
Is 88002 a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, 88002 ranks 6,013th of 33,110 zip codes. It scores highest on short commutes, population health, and quiet, and lowest on civic engagement and tree cover. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is 88002 expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $88,700. The overall cost of living runs about 17% below the national average. Set against a $89,528 median income, cost of living beats 80% of zip codes.
Is 88002 safe?
88002 is safer than 7% of zip codes. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $905 per resident a year.
Compare 88002 with other zip codes
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to 88002. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in 88002 represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
88002 detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for 88002: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in 88002: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of 88002: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in 88002: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
88002 detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.