Population 3,118 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Ruidoso Downs
Household size in Ruidoso Downs
| Period | Ruidoso Downs | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.57 | 2.71 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.67 | 2.77 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.07 | 2.71 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.32 | 2.63 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.25 | −0.07 | −0.03 |
Ruidoso Downs is a place of small households, averaging 2.32 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.57, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Ruidoso Downs
| Period | Ruidoso Downs | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.8 | 37.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 35.7 | 38.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 47.1 | 39.3 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.2 | 40.5 | 40.1 |
| Change | −1.6 | +3.2 | +2.3 |
At 39.2, the median age in Ruidoso Downs is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's.
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 Ruidoso Downs
| Period | Ruidoso Downs | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.6% | 14.2% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 22.0% | 14.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.1% | 13.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 25.5% | 14.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +8.0 pts | +0.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Ruidoso Downs: 25.5% of all households, against 11.6% nationally.
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 Ruidoso Downs
Renters in Ruidoso Downs
| Period | Ruidoso Downs | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.2% | 30.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 29.3% | 31.8% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 41.3% | 32.3% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 32.1% | 30.0% | 34.8% |
| Change | +6.9 pts | −0.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Nearly a third of households in Ruidoso Downs rent their homes (32.1%), close to the national share of 34.8%. More than half of owners (55.6%) 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 Ruidoso Downs
| Period | Ruidoso Downs | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.6% | 13.6% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 31.4% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 38.6% | 15.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 24.7% | 11.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −6.9 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Ruidoso Downs: 24.7% of homes are empty, 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 Ruidoso Downs
| Period | Ruidoso Downs | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1982 | 1980 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1980 | 1981 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1981 | 1982 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1983 | 1985 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in Ruidoso Downs 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 Ruidoso Downs
| Period | Ruidoso Downs | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $624 | $777 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $547 | $866 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $618 | $943 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $876 | $1,188 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$252 | +$411 | +$606 |
The median renter in Ruidoso Downs pays $876 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 50.1% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 Ruidoso Downs
Bachelor's degrees in Ruidoso Downs
| Period | Ruidoso Downs | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.4% | 25.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.5% | 25.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 8.8% | 26.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 18.3% | 30.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | +5.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Ruidoso Downs have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 18.3%, against 35.6% nationally.
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 Ruidoso Downs
| Period | Ruidoso Downs | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 79.2% | 82.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 71.2% | 83.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 86.0% | 85.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 94.8% | 87.5% | 89.3% |
| Change | +15.6 pts | +5.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Ruidoso Downs: 94.8% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
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 Ruidoso Downs
| Period | Ruidoso Downs | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.2% | 7.3% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.9% | 9.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 16.5% | 6.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.0% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.2 pts | −1.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Ruidoso Downs has been strong: just 3.0% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. 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).
Ruidoso Downs 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ruidoso Downs | 2.32 | 39.2 | 25.5% | 32.1% | 24.7% | 1983 | $876 | 18.3% | 94.8% | 3.0% |
| Ruidoso | 2.03 | 47.1 | 12.4% | 30.4% | 52.9% | 1984 | $927 | 32.6% | 91.8% | 2.9% |
| Glencoe | 1.98 | 53.2 | 18.1% | 29.4% | 31.9% | 1984 | $1,091 | 16.0% | 90.0% | 0.7% |
| Alto | 2.21 | 58.9 | 10.4% | 6.9% | 47.7% | 1996 | $1,139 | 45.3% | 96.2% | 14.4% |
| Sierra Vista | 1.88 | 53.5 | 13.6% | 17.8% | 61.1% | 1985 | $1,007 | 39.8% | 85.0% | 0.0% |
| Ponderosa Heights | 4.24 | 36.5 | 23.9% | 30.9% | 27.1% | 1983 | $442 | 24.4% | 81.8% | 5.5% |
| Fort Stanton | 2.48 | 54.0 | 9.2% | 15.1% | 34.8% | 1998 | $1,004 | 27.7% | 89.8% | 11.7% |
| San Patricio | 1.88 | 58.4 | 14.0% | 24.9% | 32.8% | 1985 | $1,237 | 19.0% | 88.8% | 0.0% |
| 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% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Byrnes Mill, MO · Double Oak, TX · Spartansburg, PA · Hotchkiss, CO · Jasonville, IN · Johnson City, TX · Julian, CA · Mead, OK · Melba, ID · Ocean Grove, NJ
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 Ruidoso Downs. 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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