88007 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
88240
88007
Opportunity
44 · Bottom 28%
vs48 · Bottom 35%
Growth
57 · Top 38%
vs66 · Top 21%
Climate
76 · Top 27%
vs66 · Bottom 39%
Physical resilience
8 · Bottom 4%
vs22 · Bottom 16%
Housing affordability
93 · Top 24%
vs91 · Top 30%
Access
95 · Top 39%
vs79 · Bottom 20%
Economic stability
40 · Bottom 19%
vs39 · Bottom 18%
Measured values
| Metric | 88240 | 88007 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 41,557 | 26,254 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $63,270 | $64,892 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $31,306 | $33,195 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 69/sq mi | 80/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $186,900 | $246,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,100 | $894 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 67.1% | 81.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 5.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.3% | -0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.2% | 30.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 19.4% | 15.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 133 | 617 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.3 | 5.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 14.7% | -12.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 92°F | 94°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 30°F | 24°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 14.8" | 10.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 13 mi | 39 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.4 min | 22.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 31.2 | 40.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 18 | 5 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.91 | 11.48 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 64.5% | 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
88240
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, hail, inland flooding.
88007
Elevated or high exposure: drought, inland flooding.
Full profiles: 88240 — Hobbs, NM · 88007 — Las Cruces, NM · How this is calculated: methodology