What is the largest city in Otero County, NM?

Alamogordo is the largest city or town in Otero County, with about 31,307 residents.

How many ZIP codes are in Otero County?

Otero County includes 17 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, including 79837, 88081, 88310, 88311, 88314.

What is the population of Otero County, NM?

About 68,816 people live in Otero County, based on American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

What counties border Otero County?

Otero County borders El Paso County, TX, Doñan Ana County, Chaves County, Eddy County, Lincoln County, Sierra County, Hudspeth County, TX, Culberson County, TX.

Otero County, NM: Cities, ZIP Codes & Local Data

Population

68,816

Land area

6,613sq mi

People per sq mi

10

ZIP codes

17

Otero County at a glance

Otero County is 40% less dense than New Mexico as a whole.
By population, it ranks 9th among 33 counties in New Mexico.
The median household income is $55,876, 13% below the New Mexico median of $64,059.
A typical owner-occupied home is valued at $162,700 (34% below New Mexico) and median rent is $962 a month.
Its largest cities are Alamogordo (31,307), Holloman AFB (4,433) and Tularosa (2,597).

Local data for Otero County, NM

Counts from official public data

Housing and community stats

Otero County, NM, American Community Survey 2020-2024

Full profile

Median household income

$55,876

Poverty rate

19.3%

Median home value

$162,700

Prices +7.9% in a year

Median rent

$962/mo

Homeownership

67.0%

Bachelor's or higher

22.7%

Median age

36.4

Average commute

22.1 min

Largest reported origins and ancestries: Mexican Americans (20,984), German Americans (6,449), Irish Americans (5,928).

Home values and rents Income, education and commute

Economy and federal money

Jobs, income, federal spending and pandemic loans

Details

Unemployment rate

4.9%

Aug 2026, +0.4 pts in a year

Average annual pay

$51,656

17,539 jobs, 2025

Income per person

$44,665

BEA, 2024

Federal spending

$698M

FY 2026, $10,286 per person

PPP loans

$46.4M

937 loans, 6,855 jobs reported

Campaign donations

$217K

Itemized, 2026 cycle

Economy Federal spending PPP loans

How people get to work

Otero County, NM, workers 16 and older. American Community Survey 5-year estimates

Drove alone78.2%
Carpooled11.2%
Public transit0.2%
Walked2.8%
Bicycle0.4%
Taxi, ride-hailing, motorcycle or other0.4%
Worked from home6.7%

Average one-way commute: 22.1 minutes for people who do not work from home.

Environment and hazard risk

Otero County, NM, from FEMA, NOAA and EPA

Full report

Natural hazard risk

Relatively Moderate

Top: wildfire

Storm events since 1996

830

Most often drought

Flood insurance policies

757

2.7% of homes, county

July high / Jan low

93° / 33°F

10.6 inches of rain a year

Hazards, floods and storm history Check a flood zone 19 historic places

Health statistics

Share of adults in Otero County, NM, CDC PLACES estimates

All 40 measures

Obesity

37.1%

U.S. 33.3% +3.8 pts

Diabetes

12.7%

U.S. 12.1% +0.6 pts

Smoking

14.9%

U.S. 12.8% +2.1 pts

Uninsured (18-64)

15.7%

U.S. 11.1% +4.6 pts

Cities, towns and ZIP codes in Otero County

Population shown

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Frequently asked questions

What is the largest city in Otero County, NM?: Alamogordo is the largest city or town in Otero County, with about 31,307 residents.
How many ZIP codes are in Otero County?: Otero County includes 17 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, including 79837, 88081, 88310, 88311, 88314.
What is the population of Otero County, NM?: About 68,816 people live in Otero County, based on American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
What counties border Otero County?: Otero County borders El Paso County, TX, Doñan Ana County, Chaves County, Eddy County, Lincoln County, Sierra County, Hudspeth County, TX, Culberson County, TX.