Population 505 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Ponderosa Heights
Household size in Ponderosa Heights
| Period | Ponderosa Heights | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.58 | 2.71 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 4.02 | 2.77 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.30 | 2.71 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 4.24 | 2.63 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.66 | −0.07 | −0.03 |
Ponderosa Heights is a place of big households: 4.24 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Household size has climbed from 3.58 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Ponderosa Heights
| Period | Ponderosa Heights | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.4 | 37.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 28.0 | 38.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 28.4 | 39.3 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 36.5 | 40.5 | 40.1 |
| Change | +11.0 | +3.2 | +2.3 |
Ponderosa Heights is younger than the country as a whole: its median age is 36.5, against 40.1 nationally.
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 Ponderosa Heights
| Period | Ponderosa Heights | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.9% | 14.2% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 33.5% | 14.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 27.0% | 13.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 23.9% | 14.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −3.0 pts | +0.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly a quarter of households in Ponderosa Heights (23.9%), well above the national share of 11.6%.
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 Ponderosa Heights
Renters in Ponderosa Heights
| Period | Ponderosa Heights | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 48.1% | 30.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 42.0% | 31.8% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 47.8% | 32.3% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 30.9% | 30.0% | 34.8% |
| Change | −17.3 pts | −0.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Ponderosa Heights own their homes; 30.9% rent, a little below the national share of 34.8%. The picture is much the same across New Mexico. About seven in ten owners (71.4%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%.
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 Ponderosa Heights
| Period | Ponderosa Heights | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.3% | 13.6% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 26.4% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 24.3% | 15.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 27.1% | 11.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | +6.8 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 27.1% of the housing in Ponderosa Heights, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
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 Ponderosa Heights
| Period | Ponderosa Heights | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1984 | 1980 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1982 | 1981 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1983 | 1982 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1983 | 1985 | 1980 |
| Change | −1 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in Ponderosa Heights are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1983, versus 1980 nationally.
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 Ponderosa Heights
| Period | Ponderosa Heights | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $405 | $777 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $361 | $866 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $300 | $943 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $442 | $1,188 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$37 | +$411 | +$606 |
The median renter in Ponderosa Heights pays $442 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 17.0% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
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 Ponderosa Heights
Bachelor's degrees in Ponderosa Heights
| Period | Ponderosa Heights | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.0% | 25.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.7% | 25.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.3% | 26.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 24.4% | 30.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +14.4 pts | +5.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Ponderosa Heights: 24.4% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%.
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 Ponderosa Heights
| Period | Ponderosa Heights | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 83.1% | 82.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 79.4% | 83.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 82.3% | 85.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 81.8% | 87.5% | 89.3% |
| Change | −1.2 pts | +5.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in six adults in Ponderosa Heights never finished high school, well above the national share: only 81.8% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% 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 Ponderosa Heights
| Period | Ponderosa Heights | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.0% | 7.3% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 24.8% | 9.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 19.3% | 6.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.5% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −15.5 pts | −1.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Ponderosa Heights is close to the national rate: 5.5% of the labor force, against 5.4%. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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).
Ponderosa Heights 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ponderosa Heights | 4.24 | 36.5 | 23.9% | 30.9% | 27.1% | 1983 | $442 | 24.4% | 81.8% | 5.5% |
| Ruidoso | 2.03 | 47.1 | 12.4% | 30.4% | 52.9% | 1984 | $927 | 32.6% | 91.8% | 2.9% |
| Mescalero | 3.75 | 32.8 | 24.0% | 28.1% | 18.7% | 1983 | $350 | 9.4% | 81.2% | 11.5% |
| Ruidoso Downs | 2.32 | 39.2 | 25.5% | 32.1% | 24.7% | 1983 | $876 | 18.3% | 94.8% | 3.0% |
| Bent | 2.67 | 39.2 | 10.9% | 4.6% | 24.8% | 1982 | $974 | 16.0% | 91.0% | 24.5% |
| Glencoe | 1.98 | 53.2 | 18.1% | 29.4% | 31.9% | 1984 | $1,091 | 16.0% | 90.0% | 0.7% |
| Hondo | 1.87 | 58.8 | 13.7% | 24.9% | 31.9% | 1985 | $1,224 | 18.7% | 88.9% | 0.7% |
| Picacho | 1.94 | 54.7 | 15.6% | 24.3% | 29.3% | 1986 | $1,144 | 17.3% | 88.0% | 1.3% |
| Roswell | 2.70 | 38.0 | 17.0% | 29.7% | 12.7% | 1970 | $1,010 | 19.7% | 81.9% | 5.0% |
| Dexter | 2.59 | 37.3 | 10.2% | 23.3% | 9.8% | 1984 | $952 | 9.8% | 71.2% | 6.3% |
| Hot Springs Landing | 1.75 | 72.5 | 3.8% | 15.4% | 52.9% | 1991 | $1,168 | 11.7% | 92.0% | 1.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Cairo, WV · Washingtonville, PA · Wadena, IA · Vernon, ID · Clarksburg, KY · Claremont, VA · Clare, IL · Christine, ND · Cayce, KY · Casanova, VA
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 Ponderosa Heights. 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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