City profile · New Mexico · Census ACS 2023

Columbus, NM

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Columbus — drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

1,147
Residents
$24,554
Median income
$91,400
Median home
$1,129
Median rent

Data Snapshot: Columbus, NM

Columbus is a city in New Mexico with a population of 1,147 residents based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here reaches $24,554 per year, while the poverty rate sits at 37.5%. Typical homes in Columbus are valued around $91,400, and the median resident age is 38.4 years. About 14.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 39.0% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 64.8°F with 10.3 inches of precipitation per year and 0.2 inches of snowfall.

On a cost-of-living index where 100 equals the national average, New Mexico registers 92.2 (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,129 per month. Average monthly utility bills run around $167 based on EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 58.9 out of 100 (Moderate).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, PlainCities renders standardized city-level demographic, income, education, employment, and housing indicators across more than 19,000 incorporated places nationwide. Population counts and median household income figures are sourced directly from Census Table B01003 and B19013 respectively, with poverty rates from B17001 and cost-of-living adjustments from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities (RPP) 2024 release. Every value displayed in this snapshot links back to the official upstream tables and is refreshed on the ACS annual release cadence (typically December of the survey year + 1).

Methodology: city boundaries follow the Census Bureau's place-level geography (incorporated places, census-designated places, and consolidated city-county governments), with FIPS codes ensuring consistent identifiers across decennial and annual surveys. Cost-of-living comparisons use BEA's Regional Price Parities (RPP) indexed to the national average (100), enabling cross-city purchasing-power comparisons. See our methodology page for full source attribution, refresh cadence, and known data quality limitations including margin-of-error disclosure and sample-size thresholds.

Population

1,147 residents

Census ACS 2023 — New Mexico

Median Household Income

$24,554 /yr

Poverty 37.5%

Cost of Living Index

92.2 (US=100)

Near Average — BEA RPP 2024

How does Columbus compare to other US cities?

Where Columbus sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure — computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 1% higher than other cities
Home value 7% pricier than other cities
Median rent 39% pricier than other cities

Percentiles compare Columbus against every US city with at least 1,000 residents. "Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Income distribution context

Household income distribution — Columbus, NM Quintile shares of aggregate household income for Columbus, NM. The Lorenz curve traces cumulative income share against cumulative population share — perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Columbus, NM — median $24,554/yr — Census ACS quintile shares QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Household income distribution for Columbus, NM — Census ACS 5-year estimates. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 14.7%

Census ACS S1501 — educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 37.5%

Census ACS S1701 — poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 39.0%

Census ACS S2301 — share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
1,147
Median Income
$24,554
Median Home Value
$91,400
Median Age
38.4
Poverty Rate
37.5%
Labor force participation
39.0%
Bachelor's Degree+
14.7%

Climate

Avg Temperature
64.8°F
Annual Precipitation
10.3"
Annual Snowfall
0.2"

Schools

Total Schools
1
Public schools in this city

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work — Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
58.9%
Carpool
27.1%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
14.0%

Based on 299 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for New Mexico — EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$85
avg/month
Natural Gas
$40
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$42
avg/month
Total Utilities
$167
estimated/month

Estimates reflect New Mexico state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

New Mexico state-level data from PlainCost, PlainRent, and PlainHazard

Cost of Living Index
92.2
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,129/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
State-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
58.9 / 100
Moderate
FEMA NRI composite score

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity — Columbus, NM Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Columbus, NM — Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE — sums to 100% 59.5% 12.1% 6.1% 10.6% 10.3% ETHNICITY — Hispanic or Latino (any race) 18.7% White 59.5% Black or African American 12.1% Asian 6.1% American Indian 1.2% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 10.6% Two or more races 10.3% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

National-average reference values shown when city-level race/ethnicity table is not loaded. Source: Census ACS 5-year, OMB Directive 15 race-and-ethnicity categories.

How Columbus compares to nearby New Mexico cities

Census ACS 2023 — population and median income benchmarks

Side-by-side population + income comparison anchored on the current city (Columbus) plus the nearest peer cities in New Mexico, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Selected

NM

Columbus

24.55% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$24,554
Brackets
1
Selected

NM

Pecos

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$110
Brackets
1
Selected

NM

Dexter

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$110
Brackets
1
Selected

NM

Doña Ana

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$120
Brackets
1
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NM NOAA Normals NCES CCD OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Columbus, NM?

What is the population of Columbus, NM? +

Columbus, NM has a population of 1,147 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Columbus, NM? +

The median household income in Columbus is $24,554 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Columbus? +

Columbus has a cost of living index of 92.2 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data.

What is the median home value in Columbus, NM? +

The median home value in Columbus is $91,400, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Columbus? +

Columbus has an average annual temperature of 64.8°F, 10.3 inches of precipitation, and 0.2 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, 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.

Related

Data sourced from official U.S. government datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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