Carlsbad and Artesia 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
Carlsbad
Artesia
Opportunity
56 · Top 50%
vs58 · Top 46%
Growth
74 · Top 11%
vs67 · Top 22%
Climate
61 · Bottom 17%
vs59 · Bottom 11%
Physical resilience
9 · Bottom 4%
vs9 · Bottom 4%
Housing affordability
94 · Top 22%
vs93 · Top 24%
Access
61 · Bottom 7%
vs84 · Bottom 28%
Economic stability
44 · Bottom 23%
vs50 · Bottom 31%
Measured values
| Metric | Carlsbad | Artesia | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 31,746 | 12,576 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $72,306 | $74,915 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $38,402 | $33,397 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,003/sq mi | 1,105/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $200,000 | $229,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,236 | $1,288 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 70.2% | 64.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% | 3.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.2% | -2.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.2% | 19.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.8% | 15.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 315 | 55 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 9.9 | 4.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 131.6% | 205.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 95°F | 97°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 30°F | 28°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 12.0" | 11.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 63 mi | 32 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.7 min | 19.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.7 | 30.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 14 | 9 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.90 | 14.84 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 24.5% | 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
Carlsbad
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Artesia
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Full profiles: Carlsbad, NM · Artesia, NM · How this is calculated: methodology