Population 1,626 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in White Sands
Household size in White Sands
| Period | White Sands | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.12 | 2.71 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.99 | 2.77 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.59 | 2.71 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.64 | 2.63 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.48 | −0.07 | −0.03 |
At 2.64 people per household, White Sands sits close to the national average of 2.65. Household size has dropped from 3.12 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 White Sands
| Period | White Sands | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.3 | 37.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 22.6 | 38.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 23.9 | 39.3 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 22.5 | 40.5 | 40.1 |
| Change | −1.8 | +3.2 | +2.3 |
White Sands is young: half of its residents are under 22.5, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young adults in their twenties.
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 White Sands
| Period | White Sands | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.8% | 14.2% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.5% | 14.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.8% | 13.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.2% | 14.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −7.6 pts | +0.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in White Sands: 2.2% of 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 White Sands
Renters in White Sands
| Period | White Sands | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 97.8% | 30.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 100.0% | 31.8% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 97.1% | 32.3% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 100.0% | 30.0% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.2 pts | −0.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in White Sands: 100.0% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. About half of owners (48.8%) have paid off their mortgages, 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 White Sands
| Period | White Sands | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 44.4% | 13.6% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 28.5% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 40.8% | 15.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.9% | 11.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −30.5 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in White Sands: 13.9% 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 White Sands
| Period | White Sands | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1964 | 1980 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1962 | 1981 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1969 | 1982 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 2004 | 1985 | 1980 |
| Change | +40 | +4 | +6 |
White Sands has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 2004, 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 White Sands
| Period | White Sands | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $874 | $777 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $996 | $866 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,069 | $943 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,385 | $1,188 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$511 | +$411 | +$606 |
Rent in White Sands runs $1,385 a month at the median, utilities included, below the U.S. median of $1,571. Even so, rents here are higher than in New Mexico overall ($1,188). Rent takes 17.7% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 White Sands
Bachelor's degrees in White Sands
| Period | White Sands | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.6% | 25.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 26.5% | 25.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 34.6% | 26.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 45.3% | 30.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +16.7 pts | +5.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
More than four in ten adults 25 and older in White Sands (45.3%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, above 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 White Sands
| Period | White Sands | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 93.3% | 82.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 97.7% | 83.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 97.4% | 85.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.4% | 87.5% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.0 pts | +5.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in White Sands: 95.4% 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 White Sands
| Period | White Sands | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.2% | 7.3% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 19.2% | 9.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 1.8% | 6.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 0.0% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −6.2 pts | −1.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
The survey found almost no one in White Sands out of work and looking, against 5.4% of the labor force nationally. 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).
White Sands 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White Sands | 2.64 | 22.5 | 2.2% | 100.0% | 13.9% | 2004 | $1,385 | 45.3% | 95.4% | 0.0% |
| Spaceport City | 3.00 | 37.1 | 8.3% | 4.8% | 25.9% | 1995 | $1,022 | 22.5% | 74.7% | 3.6% |
| Organ | 2.00 | 47.1 | 8.6% | 36.3% | 16.2% | 1990 | $809 | 22.7% | 78.4% | 5.9% |
| Las Cruces | 2.59 | 36.0 | 14.9% | 38.3% | 10.0% | 1991 | $1,176 | 35.4% | 87.9% | 7.0% |
| Mesilla Park | 2.30 | 32.7 | 14.4% | 21.0% | 41.6% | 1983 | $751 | 60.1% | 86.9% | 9.3% |
| 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% |
| Santo Tomas | 3.04 | 40.3 | 7.9% | 11.9% | 19.6% | 1986 | $655 | 38.8% | 84.2% | 11.6% |
| Orogrande | 3.58 | 33.9 | 20.0% | 7.1% | 67.2% | 1977 | $873 | 27.8% | 86.4% | 6.0% |
| Fairacres | 2.74 | 39.8 | 23.6% | 18.1% | 10.7% | 1989 | $944 | 25.9% | 74.0% | 2.6% |
| 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: Easton, TX · Straughn, IN · St. Landry, LA · St. Anthony, IN · Spurlockville, WV · Spring Valley, AR · Fort Garland, CO · Fallsburg, KY · Escalante, UT · Escabosa, NM
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 White Sands. 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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