Artesia and Carlsbad receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Artesia
Carlsbad
Opportunity
58 · Top 46%
vs56 · Top 50%
Growth
67 · Top 22%
vs74 · Top 11%
Climate
59 · Bottom 11%
vs61 · Bottom 17%
Physical resilience
9 · Bottom 4%
vs9 · Bottom 4%
Housing affordability
93 · Top 24%
vs94 · Top 22%
Access
84 · Bottom 28%
vs61 · Bottom 7%
Economic stability
50 · Bottom 31%
vs44 · Bottom 23%
Measured values
| Metric | Artesia | Carlsbad | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,576 | 31,746 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $74,915 | $72,306 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $33,397 | $38,402 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,105/sq mi | 1,003/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $229,400 | $200,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,288 | $1,236 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 64.6% | 70.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 3.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.2% | -2.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.9% | 19.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 15.7% | 13.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 55 | 315 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.4 | 9.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 205.6% | 131.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 97°F | 95°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 28°F | 30°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 11.6" | 12.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 32 mi | 63 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 19.9 min | 23.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 30.7 | 36.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 14 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.84 | 16.90 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 100.0% | 24.5% | 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
Artesia
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Carlsbad
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Full profiles: Artesia, NM · Carlsbad, NM · How this is calculated: methodology