87701 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
87701
88201
Opportunity
44 · Bottom 27%
vs23 · Bottom 3%
Growth
16 · Bottom 5%
vs27 · Bottom 14%
Climate
63 · Bottom 28%
vs59 · Bottom 11%
Physical resilience
12 · Bottom 9%
vs6 · Bottom 2%
Housing affordability
89 · Top 34%
vs90 · Top 32%
Access
96 · Top 36%
vs85 · Bottom 28%
Economic stability
21 · Bottom 3%
vs29 · Bottom 8%
Measured values
| Metric | 87701 | 88201 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 17,339 | 27,524 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $49,920 | $61,780 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $29,888 | $36,777 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 11/sq mi | 10/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $182,200 | $225,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $811 | $991 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 64.2% | 75.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 6.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.2% | -3.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.0% | 26.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 28.0% | 23.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 0 | 50 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.0 | 1.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 97°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 20°F | 28°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 15.7" | 11.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 14 mi | 26 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 19.5 min | 19.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 45.7 | 37.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 13 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.11 | 13.01 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 100.0% | 100.0% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
87701
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, inland flooding.
88201
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, drought, heat wave.
Full profiles: 87701 — Las Vegas, NM · 88201 — Roswell, NM · How this is calculated: methodology