Side-by-side metrics and state or size-class ranks use the same Census and FBI fields shown on this profile. Results stay in the URL so you can bookmark or share them.
Place dossier plate
SheetNM-CARLSBAD-NM · Carlsbad, NM 31,813 pop · income 60th pct · 13 tracts
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Carlsbad
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Carlsbad on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Ithaca · lowest
48,617
Ithaca · lowest
48,617 median HH income
62.1% of the leader · rank #1
Carlsbad · this city
78,277
Carlsbad · this city
78,277 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #2
Rigby · near
78,278
Rigby · near
78,278 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #3
Locust · near
78,280
Locust · near
78,280 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #4
Cuyuna · highest
78,281
Cuyuna · highest
78,281 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #5
San Jacinto · near
78,281
San Jacinto · near
78,281 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #6
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Carlsbad on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 31,813.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Carlsbad - the verdict
Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Carlsbad lands in the 60th percentile for household income and the 13th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
60th
percentile, household income
39th
percentile, home value
39th
percentile, median rent
13th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Carlsbad, NM
Census ACS 2023 estimates count 31,813 residents in Carlsbad, a small city within New Mexico. Carlsbad households earn a median of $78,277 annually, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 8.0%. Home values in Carlsbad run a median of $187,900, and the median resident age is 37.4 years. About 20.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 57.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 127 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 40% from five years earlier. Carlsbad's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 3315.9 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, above the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 64.4°F with 12.6 inches of precipitation per year and 2.7 inches of snowfall.
Living costs in New Mexico run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts New Mexico at 92.2 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Below Average). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,129 per month statewide. Monthly utility costs average around $167 across New Mexico, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Commute times here average 18.9 minutes, with 80.8% driving alone and 6.0% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. Natural-hazard exposure scores 58.9 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Moderate).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Carlsbad's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from climate and hazard context to schools and households to population change to comparison shortlist to within-city variation to reported crime to work and mobility to housing and income; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Carlsbad, city-specific coverage includes FBI reported-crime rates, commute-mode shares, within-city Census tract profiles, local building permits, annual population history, matched public-school count.
All six city-specific enrichment layers used by this profile are present.
Question 1
What physical conditions frame life in Carlsbad?
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 64.4°F, with 12.6 inches of precipitation and 2.7 inches of annual snowfall. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for New Mexico is 58.9 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
The NCES join finds 13 public schools within the city match. 20.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
Which cities make useful reference points for Carlsbad?
Within New Mexico, the closest population matches are Alamogordo (31,063 residents, $52,515 income); South Valley (36,605 residents, $51,062 income); Clovis (38,153 residents, $54,029 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Pekin, IL (31,812 residents); Sun City Center, FL (31,801 residents); Rome, NY (31,795 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
PlainCities matches 13 Census tracts to this city.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Population change
Is Carlsbad growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
The recent population line is broadly flat. That makes the composition of change more important than the headline count: housing turnover, household size, and age structure can shift even when the total barely moves.
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +295 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +0.9% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 127 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Period change
+0.9%
2025 estimate
32,524
2020 estimate
32,229
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Carlsbad?
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 3315.9 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 45% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Property rate
2791.0
Violent rate
524.9
Total reported rate
3315.9
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
What does the journey to work look like in Carlsbad?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 80.8%. The reported mean trip to work is 18.9 minutes.
Public transit
0.5%
Work from home
6.0%
Drive alone
80.8%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 14,391 workers age 16+.
How far does income reach against housing in Carlsbad?
The home-value-to-income reference is relatively compact: the ACS median home value is 2.4 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 8.0%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. The ratio makes housing the clearest place to start this profile, but a low multiple can coexist with slow demand, older stock, or household-level hardship. Compare the home-value distribution and same-state peer table before treating it as an advantage.
Household income
$78,277
Home value
$187,900
Value / income
2.4×
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
Above median income · poverty 8.0% (Above-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
92.2 (US=100)
Affordable · BEA RPP 2024, New Mexico average
D
City profile score · Carlsbad, NM
48/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Cost of living B+
92.2 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Household income C
$78,277
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate D
8.0%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Bachelor's+ share F
20.3%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Violent crime F
525 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Carlsbad profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 77/100 (B+) · 92.2 index
Household income: 58/100 (C) · $78,277
Poverty rate: 48/100 (D) · 8.0%
Bachelor's+ share: 35/100 (F) · 20.3%
Violent crime: 14/100 (F) · 525 /100k
Where Carlsbad sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Carlsbad's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Carlsbad highlighted among 9 peers.Read the chart values
Carlsbad, NM (this city): home $187,900, crime 3,316/100k
Rome, NY : home $137,200, crime 2,293/100k
Ithaca, NY : home $330,100, crime 3,412/100k
Seguin, TX : home $227,000, crime 1,927/100k
Poughkeepsie, NY : home $259,200, crime 2,280/100k
Alamogordo, NM : home $163,600, crime 3,181/100k
Hobbs, NM : home $180,700, crime 4,542/100k
Gallup, NM : home $134,600, crime 5,400/100k
Los Lunas, NM : home $232,700, crime 3,496/100k
How does Carlsbad compare to other US cities?
Carlsbad measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Household income60% higher than other cities
Home value39% pricier than other cities
Median rent39% pricier than other cities
Safety13% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to New Mexico alone, Carlsbad ranks #31 of 42 New Mexico cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Carlsbad against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to New Mexico only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
New Mexico-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Carlsbad near the bottom of New Mexico's cities
Among the 409 New Mexico cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Carlsbad ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Carlsbad only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#85 of 324
74th percentile in New Mexico
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 409
0th percentile in New Mexico
Median Home Value
#161 of 324
50th percentile in New Mexico
Poverty Rate
#244 of 408
40th percentile in New Mexico
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#172 of 409
58th percentile in New Mexico
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within New Mexico only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
60th percentile nationally for median household income · 13th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Carlsbad's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Carlsbad's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Carlsbad's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$187,900Among the most affordablemore affordable than 61% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Carlsbad's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.4×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#3,487 of 15,516
More affordable than 78% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#282 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 2.4×, Carlsbad sits in the affordable band:
national rank #3,487 of 15,516 and #282 of 3,317small cities (10,000–49,999).
The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$78,277Carlsbad, NM median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Carlsbad, NM median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Carlsbad, NM.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)20.3%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)8.0%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)57.3%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
31,813
Median Income
$78,277
Median Home Value
$187,900
Median Age
37.4
Poverty Rate
8.0%
Labor force participation
57.3%
Bachelor's Degree+
20.3%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
3315.9
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
524.9
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2791.0
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Climate
Avg Temperature
64.4°F
Annual Precipitation
12.6"
Annual Snowfall
2.7"
Schools
Total Schools
13
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Carlsbad's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
32,229 residents
2021
31,601 residents
2022
31,283 residents
2023
31,498 residents
2024
32,152 residents
2025
32,524 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
127
housing units authorized
Single-Family
127
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
4
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
213
192
21
$55.7M
2020
398
138
260
$60.3M
2021
86
83
3
$18.8M
2022
101
97
4
$21.6M
2023
237
143
94
$51.8M
2024
127
127
0
$46.1M
Permit volume decreased 40% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
18.9 minutes
Drive Alone
80.8%
Carpool
10.1%
Public Transit
0.5%
Walk
1.2%
Work from Home
6.0%
Other
1.4%
Based on 14,391 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
New Mexico statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $167
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across New Mexico at $167 (electricity about $85 , water and sewer about $42 ).
These are New Mexico statewide averages, not a meter reading for Carlsbad. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
New Mexico's BEA cost-of-living index is 92.2 (Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Carlsbad is $1,129/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to New Mexico statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 58.9 / 100 (Moderate).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a New Mexico statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Carlsbad sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Carlsbad compares to similar-size New Mexico cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.