Portales, NM

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

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    2022 Population
    19,142
    US Senator
    Martin Heinrich
    Democratic Party
    US Senator
    Ben Ray Luján
    Democratic Party
    2022 Median Age
    31.3
    2.29% 1-year increase
    2022 Poverty Rate
    20.6%
    9.66% 1-year decrease
    2022 Median Household Income
    $52,644
    9.91% 1-year growth
    2022 Median Property Value
    $128,100
    8.93% 1-year growth
    2022 Employed Population
    8,526
    2.93% 1-year growth

    About

    None of the households in Portales, NM reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

    94.1% of the residents in Portales, NM are U.S. citizens.

    In 2022, the median property value in Portales, NM was $128,100, and the homeownership rate was 60.1%.

    Most people in Portales, NM drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 17.2 minutes. The average car ownership in Portales, NM was 2 cars per household.

    Portales, NM borders Clovis, NM, Hobbs, NM, and Roswell, NM.

    About the photo: Lesser prairie chicken survey site near Milnesand, NM
    Photo by J. N. Stuart
    United StatesNew Mexico

    Population & Diversity

    Portales, NM is home to a population of 19.1k people, from which 94.1% are citizens. As of 2022, 8.5% of Portales, NM residents were born outside of the country (1.63k people).

    In 2022, there were 2.27 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (9.43k people) in Portales, NM than any other race or ethnicity. There were 4.15k White (Hispanic) and 2.38k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

    Population & Diversity

    Citizenship

    94.1%
    2022 Citizenship
    92.3%
    2021 Citizenship

    As of 2022, 94.1% of Portales, NM residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2021, the percentage of US citizens in Portales, NM was 92.3%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

    The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Portales, NM compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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    Diversity

    Race and Ethnicity

    The 3 largest ethnic groups in Portales, NM
    1. White (Non-Hispanic)
      9.43k ± 102
    2. White (Hispanic)
      4.15k ± 520
    3. Other (Hispanic)
      2.38k ± 532
    44%
    Hispanic Population
    8.43k people

    In 2022, there were 2.27 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (9.43k people) in Portales, NM than any other race or ethnicity. There were 4.15k White (Hispanic) and 2.38k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

    44% of the people in Portales, NM are hispanic (8.43k people).

    The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Portales, NM as a share of the total population.

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    Global Diversity

    The PUMS dataset is not available at the MSA level, so we are showing data for New Mexico.
    Most Common Origin
    1. Mexico
      126,568 ± 8,470 people
    2. Philippines
      6,950 ± 2,043 people
    3. Germany
      4,158 ± 1,582 people

    In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of New Mexico was Mexico, the natal country of 126,568 New Mexico residents, followed by Philippines with 6,950 and Germany with 4,158.

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    Foreign-Born Population

    8.5%
    2022 Foreign-Born Population
    1.63k people
    10.6%
    2021 Foreign-Born Population
    2.04k people

    As of 2022, 8.5% of Portales, NM residents (1.63k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2021, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Portales, NM was 10.6%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

    The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Portales, NM compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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    Military

    Veterans

    Most Common Service Period
    1. Gulf War (2001-)
      542 ± 195
    2. Vietnam
      146 ± 75
    3. Gulf War (1990s)
      113 ± 69

    Portales, NM has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 3.71 times greater than any other conflict.

    The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Portales, NM.

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    Health

    88.5% of the population of Portales, NM has health coverage, with 30% on employee plans, 32.6% on Medicaid, 9.92% on Medicare, 12.1% on non-group plans, and 3.9% on military or VA plans.

    Primary care physicians in New Mexico see 1,344 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,344 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1436 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 215 patients per year.

    By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.5% were men and 50.5% were women.

    Coverage

    Patient to Clinician Ratios

    Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for New Mexico.
    1,344 to 1
    Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in New Mexico

    Primary care physicians in New Mexico see an average of 1,344 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,344 patients).

    The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in New Mexico in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

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    Health Care Diversity

    In 2022, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 26% under 18 years, 27.1% between 18 and 34 years, 32% between 35 and 64 years, and 14.9% over 64 years.

    By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.5% were men and 50.5% were women.

    The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

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    Uninsured People

    11.5%
    Uninsured
    30%
    Employer Coverage
    32.6%
    Medicaid
    9.92%
    Medicare
    12.1%
    Non-Group
    3.9%
    Military or VA

    Between 2021 and 2022, the percent of uninsured citizens in Portales, NM declined by 20.8% from 14.5% to 11.5%.

    The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Portales, NM changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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    Economy

    The economy of Portales, NM employs 8.53k people. In 2022, the largest industries in Portales, NM were Educational Services (1,181 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (915 people), and Retail Trade (804 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($91,685), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($59,271), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($51,157).

    Employment

    Occupations

    8.53k
    2022 Value
    ± 838
    2.93%
    1 Year growth
    ± 13.1%

    From 2021 to 2022, employment in Portales, NM grew at a rate of 2.93%, from 8.28k employees to 8.53k employees.

    The most common job groups, by number of people living in Portales, NM, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (892 people), Transportation Occupations (819 people), and Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (621 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Portales, NM.

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    Unemployment Insurance Claims

    Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for New Mexico.

    This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in New Mexico (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

    The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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    Industries

    Employment by Industries

    8.53k
    2022 Value
    ± 838
    2.93%
    1 Year growth
    ± 13.1%

    From 2021 to 2022, employment in Portales, NM grew at a rate of 2.93%, from 8.28k employees to 8.53k employees.

    The most common employment sectors for those who live in Portales, NM, are Educational Services (1,181 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (915 people), and Retail Trade (804 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Portales, NM, though some of these residents may live in Portales, NM and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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    Median Earnings by Industry

    $36,537
    Median earning men ± $4,311
    $22,917
    Median earning women ± $7,939

    The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2022 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($59,306), Information ($55,854), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($51,875).

    The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2022 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($120,069), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($59,167), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($45,833).

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    Employment by Industry Sector

    Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for New Mexico.
    Y-Axis
    2.72%
    Year-over-year growth
    Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

    As of February 2023, there are 860k people employed in New Mexico. This represents a 2.72% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

    Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.8%.

    The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in New Mexico.

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    Establishments by Size

    The industries with the most establishments
    1. 33
      Construction
    2. 27
      Other Services (except Public Administration)
    3. 22
      Retail Trade

    The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

    The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

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    Payroll by Industry Sector

    The industries with the highest total annual payroll
    1. $30.8k
      Health Care and Social Assistance
    2. $27.3k
      Transportation and Warehousing
    3. $15.5k
      Retail Trade

    The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

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    Civics

    In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in New Mexico went to Kamala Harris with 51.9% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (45.9%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.03%).

    Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján are the senators currently representing the state of New Mexico. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

    New Mexico is currently represented by 3 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

    Presidential Elections

    Voting results are not available for Portales, NM. Showing the available data for New Mexico.
    2024 Election Results
    1. Kamala Harris (51.9%)
      Democratic Party
    2. Donald J. Trump (45.9%)
      Republican Party
    3. Robert Kennedy (1.03%)
      Independent Party

    In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in New Mexico went to Kamala Harris with 51.9% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (45.9%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.03%).

    The following chart shows the popular vote results in New Mexico for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

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    Senator Elections

    US Senators from New Mexico

    Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for New Mexico.
    Martin Heinrich
    Senator from New Mexico1
    Assumed office on January 3, 2013
    Ben Ray Luján
    Senator from New Mexico2
    Assumed office on January 3, 2021

    Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján are the senators currently representing New Mexico.

    In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

    The following chart shows elected senators in New Mexico over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

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    Housing & Living

    The median property value in Portales, NM was $128,100 in 2022, which is 0.385 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2021 and 2022 the median property value increased from $117,600 to $128,100, a 8.93% increase. The homeownership rate in Portales, NM is 60.1%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

    People in Portales, NM have an average commute time of 17.2 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Portales, NM is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

    Housing

    Property

    $128,100
    Median Property Value 2022
    ±$19,348
    $4,183
    Median Property Taxes
    ±$447

    The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Portales, NM the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

    The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Portales, NM compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

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    Rent vs Own

    60.1%
    Homeownership
    2022
    69.7%
    Homeowners with Mortgage
    2022

    In 2022, 60.1% of the housing units in Portales, NM were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 59.1%.

    This chart shows the percentage of owner in Portales, NM compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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    Equity

    Household Income

    Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
    $52,644
    Median Household Income
    ± $6,336
    6.96k
    Number of Households
    ± 687

    In 2022, the median household income of the 6.96k households in Portales, NM grew to $52,644 from the previous year's value of $47,897.

    The following chart displays the households in Portales, NM distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

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    Wage Distribution

    The closest comparable wage GINI for Portales, NM is from New Mexico.
    0.46
    2024 Wage GINI in New Mexico
    0.462
    2023 Wage GINI in New Mexico

    In 2024, the income inequality in New Mexico was 0.46 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.506% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for New Mexico was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in New Mexico in comparison to the national average.

    This chart shows the number of workers in New Mexico across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

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    Transportation

    Commuter Transportation

    Most Common Commute in 2022
    1. Drove Alone (77.5%)
    2. Carpooled (14.5%)
    3. Worked At Home (3.81%)

    In 2022, 77.5% of workers in Portales, NM drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (14.5%) and those who worked at home (3.81%).

    The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

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    Commute Time

    17.2 minutes
    Average Travel Time

    Using averages, employees in Portales, NM have a shorter commute time (17.2 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.17% of the workforce in Portales, NM have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

    The chart below shows how the median household income in Portales, NM compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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    Car Ownership

    2 cars
    Average Number

    The following chart displays the households in Portales, NM distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Portales, NM have 2 cars.

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    Poverty

    Poverty & Diversity

    20.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Portales, NM (3.7k out of 18k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Males < 5 and then Males 18 - 24.

    The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Portales, NM is White, followed by Hispanic and Other.

    The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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