Population 16,644 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Portales
Household size in Portales
| Period | Portales | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.79 | 2.71 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.67 | 2.77 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.59 | 2.71 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.39 | 2.63 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.41 | −0.07 | −0.03 |
Portales is a place of small households, averaging 2.39 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has dropped from 2.79 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Households are largest in the northeast and smallest in the northwest.
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 Portales
| Period | Portales | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.1 | 37.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 30.1 | 38.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 32.5 | 39.3 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 33.3 | 40.5 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.2 | +3.2 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 33.3, Portales is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 30.1, as it has nationally. Residents skew youngest in the center and oldest in the northwest.
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 Portales
| Period | Portales | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.0% | 14.2% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.8% | 14.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.0% | 13.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 17.6% | 14.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.6 pts | +0.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Portales: 17.6% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share is up 0.6 points from 2006–10, 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 Portales
Renters in Portales
| Period | Portales | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.3% | 30.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 42.6% | 31.8% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 44.2% | 32.3% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 42.3% | 30.0% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.1 pts | −0.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over four in ten households in Portales rent their homes (42.3%), above the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 51.2% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is up 2.1 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. Only two of the 52 New Mexico cities with 5,000+ people have a higher share of renters.
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 Portales
| Period | Portales | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.6% | 13.6% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.9% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 19.4% | 15.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.2% | 11.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.5 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs high in Portales: 13.2% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Vacancy has fallen 3.5 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Portales
| Period | Portales | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1972 | 1980 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1975 | 1981 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1977 | 1982 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1978 | 1985 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +4 | +6 |
The typical home in Portales was built around 1978, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are older than in New Mexico overall, where the median home dates to 1985. The median year built has moved up from 1972 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the east, while the northwest has the oldest housing.
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 Portales
| Period | Portales | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $609 | $777 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $763 | $866 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $807 | $943 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $986 | $1,188 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$376 | +$411 | +$606 |
Rent in Portales runs $986 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $376 a month from 2006–10, a 62% jump, roughly in step with the nation. Rent takes 31.4% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the northeast; the most affordable are in the south.
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 Portales
Bachelor's degrees in Portales
| Period | Portales | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.9% | 25.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 24.3% | 25.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.5% | 26.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 23.1% | 30.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +1.2 pts | +5.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Portales: 23.1% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has edged up 1.2 points, a smaller shift than nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the east and least in the northwest.
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 Portales
| Period | Portales | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 79.2% | 82.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 81.4% | 83.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 80.4% | 85.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 86.6% | 87.5% | 89.3% |
| Change | +7.4 pts | +5.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly one in seven adults in Portales never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 86.6% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. That is in line with the rest of New Mexico. The share with a diploma is up 7.4 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Portales
| Period | Portales | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.2% | 7.3% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.0% | 9.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.2% | 6.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.8% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.3 pts | −1.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.8%, unemployment in Portales is close to the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment is down 5.3 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. 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).
Portales 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portales | 2.39 | 33.3 | 17.6% | 42.3% | 13.2% | 1978 | $986 | 23.1% | 86.6% | 5.8% |
| Floyd | 2.41 | 45.7 | 1.7% | 16.5% | 9.7% | 1972 | $1,232 | 17.5% | 87.2% | 1.5% |
| Muleshoe | 3.05 | 39.9 | 15.0% | 19.5% | 14.1% | 1969 | $893 | 11.1% | 64.0% | 0.0% |
| Progress | 3.51 | 33.8 | 14.2% | 26.8% | 13.2% | 1978 | $974 | 26.6% | 57.4% | 0.0% |
| Tolar | 1.97 | 32.1 | 20.0% | 27.9% | 27.7% | 1983 | $576 | 13.8% | 86.3% | 4.0% |
| Sudan | 2.88 | 28.1 | 20.1% | 25.0% | 18.7% | 1969 | $703 | 15.5% | 83.0% | 0.5% |
| Earth | 2.46 | 45.8 | 10.4% | 25.1% | 25.2% | 1963 | $749 | 9.5% | 71.3% | 0.4% |
| Amherst | 3.15 | 39.4 | 7.4% | 24.8% | 18.2% | 1965 | $784 | 10.5% | 79.9% | 0.0% |
| Springlake | 2.70 | 41.9 | 12.8% | 23.6% | 33.6% | 1960 | $758 | 5.6% | 63.0% | 0.1% |
| Fieldton | 2.64 | 43.8 | 15.6% | 24.7% | 21.1% | 1963 | $1,114 | 13.5% | 83.8% | 1.6% |
| Olton | 2.92 | 40.5 | 18.0% | 30.2% | 20.9% | 1962 | $992 | 12.6% | 77.3% | 0.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Seymour, CT · Five Forks, SC · Fletcher, NC · Fort Atkinson, WI · Fort Carson, CO · Fort Riley, KS · Four Corners, OR · Russellville, AL · Sauk Rapids, MN · Sayville, NY
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 Portales. 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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