Village · New Mexico
Capitan, New Mexico
Capitan, village, in Lincoln County, New Mexico. Capitan had 1,402 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 0.4% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 1,391 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,191 (±340). GEOID 3511800.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
1,402
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 1,391 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,191 ±340
Median household income
$52,864
±$3,934 (90% margin)
New Mexico: $64,059
Median home value
$111,700
±$37,606 (90% margin)
New Mexico: $248,100
Median gross rent
not published
New Mexico: $1,067
Where is Capitan and what county is it in?
Capitan is a village in Lincoln County, New Mexico. It covers 3.3 square miles of land, 427 residents per square mile in 2020.
Capitan is in the Ruidoso, NM micropolitan statistical area (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Capitan, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,402 people lived in Capitan on July 1, 2025, up 0.4% since 2020, in line with New Mexico (+0.4%). The 2020 Census counted 1,391 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,191 (±340).
| Measure | Capitan | Lincoln County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,191 ±340 | 20,224 | no clear change |
| Households | 586 ±158 | 10,000 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.02 ±0.41 | 2.01 | −0.65 |
| Housing units | 770 ±191 | 17,871 | no clear change |
Capitan's population since 2000
From 1,443 in 2000 to 1,402 in 2025: down 2.8%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Capitan as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Capitan?
The median resident of Capitan is 57.6 years old; 21.6% are under 18 and 31.8% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 59.4%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 37.8%.
| Measure | Capitan | Lincoln County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 57.6 ±14.9 | 52.4 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 21.6% ±10.1 pts | 16.7% | – |
| 65 years and over | 31.8% ±11.5 pts | 31.3% | – |
| Male | 46.1% ±7.5 pts | 49.4% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 37.8% ±14.9 pts | 33.0% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 59.4% ±14.7 pts | 60.2% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.5 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.5 pts | 0.5% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.5% ±0.8 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.4% ±2.2 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.5 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.6% ±2.7 pts | 3.8% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 23.0% ±11.3 pts | 17.9% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 8.7% ±5.8 pts | 10.2% | – |
| With a disability | 37.4% ±10.7 pts | 22.5% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 3.1% ±3.7 pts | 9.6% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 94.6% ±5.5 pts | 94.7% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 20.3% ±12.3 pts | 32.2% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 9.7% ±11.0 pts | 13.5% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 92.9% ±7.5 pts | 88.3% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.7% ±1.3 pts | 4.6% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Capitan earn?
Half of Capitan's 586 households earn less than $52,864 a year (±$3,934), against $53,303 in Lincoln County and $64,059 in New Mexico. In 2015-2019 it was $52,414 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Capitan | Lincoln County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $52,864 ±$3,934 | $53,303 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $84,724 ±$29,317 | $73,624 | – |
| Per capita income | $41,409 ±$13,751 | $37,148 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 14.4% ±12.5 pts | 19.3% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 14.0% ±16.7 pts | 32.6% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 18.8% ±12.6 pts | 14.7% | – |
| Households with a computer | 98.1% ±2.5 pts | 96.0% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 74.1% ±12.4 pts | 84.7% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Capitan?
Owners occupy 93.7% of Capitan's occupied homes and renters 6.3%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $111,700 by its owner (±$37,606).
| Measure | Capitan | Lincoln County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $111,700 ±$37,606 | $233,200 | −$76,473 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 51.4% ±51.4 pts | 45.4% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,611 ±$506 | $1,481 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 93.7% ±5.9 pts | 76.8% | +12.5 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 6.3% ±5.9 pts | 23.2% | – |
| Housing units | 770 ±191 | 17,871 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 1.6% ±2.7 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 39.3% ±36.1 pts | 15.5% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 30.5% ±12.2 pts | 63.7% | – |
| Mobile homes | 62.3% ±12.7 pts | 24.4% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±5.4 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 4.7% ±4.3 pts | 4.7% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 2.3% ±3.6 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 4.3% ±6.8 pts | 3.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Capitan work and get to work?
89.2% of Capitan's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 28.1 minutes.
| Measure | Capitan | Lincoln County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 51.3% ±15.4 pts | 51.8% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 6.5% ±7.2 pts | 5.1% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 89.2% ±8.1 pts | 71.0% | – |
| Carpooled | 5.9% ±7.2 pts | 13.0% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±9.1 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 1.4% ±1.8 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Worked from home | 3.6% ±4.8 pts | 11.1% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 28.1 min ±3.6 | 20.0 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Capitan?
No census tract lies mostly in Capitan; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9603Lincoln County | 3,104 | $53,193 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Capitan) · Census block assignment files
How does Capitan compare with other places in New Mexico?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Capitan is the 8,982nd-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 55th-most populous of 105 in New Mexico.
Capitan ranks 80th of 143 places in New Mexico with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 55th | 105 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 23rd | 61 |
| Residents per square mile | 79th | 155 |
| Median household income | 80th | 143 |
| Per capita income | 32nd | 154 |
| Median home value | 108th | 138 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 72nd | 128 |
| Median age | 22nd | 154 |
| Owner-occupied share | 20th | 150 |
| Travel time to work | 47th | 150 |
Capitan's figures with every place in New Mexico (CSV)
Every place in New Mexico, sortable · Compare Capitan with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Capitan?
27 of the 56 figures for Capitan on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Capitan are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Capitan.