Population 152,942 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Las Cruces
Household size in Las Cruces
| Period | Las Cruces | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.62 | 2.71 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.62 | 2.77 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.61 | 2.71 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.59 | 2.63 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.03 | −0.07 | −0.03 |
Households in Las Cruces average 2.59 people, about the same as the country as a whole (2.65). Since 2006–10, household size has edged down from 2.62, as it has nationally. Households are largest in the northeast and smallest in the southeast.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Las Cruces
| Period | Las Cruces | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.3 | 37.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 35.9 | 38.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 36.2 | 39.3 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 36.0 | 40.5 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.3 | +3.2 | +2.3 |
Las Cruces is young: half of its residents are under 36.0, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young adults and children. The youngest areas are in the south, the oldest in the east.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Las Cruces
| Period | Las Cruces | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.0% | 14.2% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.1% | 14.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.8% | 13.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.9% | 14.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.9 pts | +0.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in seven households in Las Cruces (14.9%), well above the national share of 11.6%. The picture is much the same across New Mexico. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has risen 1.9 points, even as the national share fell.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Las Cruces
Renters in Las Cruces
| Period | Las Cruces | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.5% | 30.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 37.3% | 31.8% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 40.1% | 32.3% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 38.3% | 30.0% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.7 pts | −0.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is a bit more common in Las Cruces than nationally: 38.3% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% for the U.S. Among homeowners, 46.3% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the south and least common in the northwest. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 1.7 points, mirroring the country.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Las Cruces
| Period | Las Cruces | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.1% | 13.6% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.1% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.1% | 15.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 10.0% | 11.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Las Cruces is close to the national rate: 10.0% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. The rate is lower than in New Mexico as a whole (11.9%). Vacancy is up 0.9 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Las Cruces
| Period | Las Cruces | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1987 | 1980 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1987 | 1981 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1988 | 1982 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1991 | 1985 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Las Cruces is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1991, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The median year built has moved up from 1987 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the north, the oldest in the south.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Las Cruces
| Period | Las Cruces | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $772 | $777 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $865 | $866 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $925 | $943 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,176 | $1,188 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$404 | +$411 | +$606 |
Rent in Las Cruces runs $1,176 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $404 a month since 2006–10, up 52%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 32.8% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the south; the highest are in the north.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Las Cruces
Bachelor's degrees in Las Cruces
| Period | Las Cruces | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.7% | 25.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 33.5% | 25.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.6% | 26.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 35.4% | 30.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.7 pts | +5.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
Just over a third of adults 25 and older in Las Cruces (35.4%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, close to the national share of 35.6%. The share is higher than in New Mexico as a whole (30.2%). The share with a degree is up 4.7 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Las Cruces
| Period | Las Cruces | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 82.3% | 82.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 84.6% | 83.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 85.6% | 85.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 87.9% | 87.5% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.6 pts | +5.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Las Cruces have finished high school as nationally: 87.9%, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 5.6 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Las Cruces
| Period | Las Cruces | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.0% | 7.3% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.2% | 9.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.1% | 6.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.0% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.0 pts | −1.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs high in Las Cruces: 7.0% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has edged down 1.0 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Las Cruces compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Las Cruces | 2.59 | 36.0 | 14.9% | 38.3% | 10.0% | 1991 | $1,176 | 35.4% | 87.9% | 7.0% |
| Dona Ana | 2.67 | 35.5 | 11.7% | 9.9% | 8.4% | 1999 | $1,210 | 34.9% | 90.1% | 3.8% |
| Mesilla | 2.46 | 46.8 | 19.6% | 29.4% | 11.8% | 1978 | $896 | 40.8% | 84.8% | 4.6% |
| Mesilla Park | 2.30 | 32.7 | 14.4% | 21.0% | 41.6% | 1983 | $751 | 60.1% | 86.9% | 9.3% |
| Spaceport City | 3.00 | 37.1 | 8.3% | 4.8% | 25.9% | 1995 | $1,022 | 22.5% | 74.7% | 3.6% |
| Santo Tomas | 3.04 | 40.3 | 7.9% | 11.9% | 19.6% | 1986 | $655 | 38.8% | 84.2% | 11.6% |
| Organ | 2.00 | 47.1 | 8.6% | 36.3% | 16.2% | 1990 | $809 | 22.7% | 78.4% | 5.9% |
| White Sands | 2.64 | 22.5 | 2.2% | 100.0% | 13.9% | 2004 | $1,385 | 45.3% | 95.4% | 0.0% |
| Fairacres | 2.74 | 39.8 | 23.6% | 18.1% | 10.7% | 1989 | $944 | 25.9% | 74.0% | 2.6% |
| Orogrande | 3.58 | 33.9 | 20.0% | 7.1% | 67.2% | 1977 | $873 | 27.8% | 86.4% | 6.0% |
| Ventura | 2.63 | 34.0 | 34.9% | 11.6% | 18.1% | 1978 | $769 | 3.5% | 76.0% | 0.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Duluth, GA · Douglasville, GA · Dublin, CA · Dublin, OH · Dayton, OH · Dothan, AL · Denton, TX · Denver, CO · Duluth, MN · Des Moines, IA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Las Cruces. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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