City profile · New Mexico · Census ACS 2023

Los Alamos, NM

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

13,471
Residents
$136,502
Median income
$458,200
Median home
$1,740
Median rent (state)

Los Alamos - the verdict

Los Alamos ranks in the 92nd percentile for household income and the 87th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

92nd
percentile, household income
82nd
percentile, home value
70th
percentile, median rent
87th
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: Los Alamos, NM

New Mexico's Los Alamos is a small town, with 13,471 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Median household income here is $136,502 per year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 3.9%. Typical homes in Los Alamos are valued around $458,200, and the median resident age is 41.0 years. 68.0% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 66.2% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Los Alamos reports a comparatively low crime rate: per-100,000 total crime stands at 453.9 in FBI UCR data, below the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 40.3°F with 25.5 inches of precipitation per year.

Living costs in New Mexico run below the national norm: the state registers 92.2 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,740 per month statewide. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts New Mexico's average monthly utility costs around $167 (state average). Natural-hazard exposure scores 3.6 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very Low).

Population

13,471 residents

Census ACS 2023 - New Mexico

Median Household Income

$136,502 /yr

Poverty 3.9%

Cost of Living Index (state)

92.2 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, New Mexico average

How does Los Alamos compare to other US cities?

Here's how Los Alamos stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 92% higher than other cities
Home value 82% pricier than other cities
Median rent 70% pricier than other cities
Safety 87% 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, Los Alamos ranks #4 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 Los Alamos 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

Bachelor's Degree or Higher is Los Alamos's strongest outlier among New Mexico cities

Among the 409 New Mexico cities PlainCities tracks with reported bachelor's degree or higher data, Los Alamos ranks #23 - the 94th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Los Alamos only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#21 of 324
94th percentile in New Mexico
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 409
90th percentile in New Mexico
Median Home Value
#26 of 324
92nd percentile in New Mexico
Poverty Rate
#288 of 408
29th percentile in New Mexico
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#23 of 409
94th percentile in New Mexico

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.

92ndIncome percentile
87thSafety percentile

92nd percentile nationally for median household income · 87th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Los Alamos's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Los Alamos'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. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 68 Avg. percentile National median
Los Alamos'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 Los Alamos's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$458,200 18th percentile more affordable than 18% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). This entry sits in this band. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Los Alamos $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

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

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Los Alamos, NM Los Alamos, NM's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Los Alamos, NM-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Los Alamos, NM median $136,502/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern 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%
Los Alamos, NM's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Los Alamos, NM. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 68.0%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 3.9%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 66.2%

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

Population
13,471
Median Income
$136,502
Median Home Value
$458,200
Median Age
41.0
Poverty Rate
3.9%
Labor force participation
66.2%
Bachelor's Degree+
68.0%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
453.9
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
56.1
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
397.8
per 100,000 residents

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
40.3°F
Annual Precipitation
25.5"
Annual Snowfall
N/A

Schools

Total Schools
6
Public schools in this city

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
71.4%
Carpool
4.8%
Public Transit
2.0%
Walk
2.9%
Work from Home
16.2%
Other
2.7%

Based on 7,427 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

Cost of living is a New Mexico state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Los Alamos sits in

Cost of Living Index
92.2
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,740/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
3.6 / 100
Very Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in New Mexico

Las Vegas
13,120 people
Artesia
12,555 people
Deming
14,735 people
Portales
12,023 people
North Valley
11,474 people
Lovington
11,444 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Los Alamos's 13,471 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Weddington, NC
13,468 people
Troy, MO
13,467 people
Asbury Lake, FL
13,465 people
Auburn, IN
13,464 people
Lake Los Angeles, CA
13,479 people
Irondale, AL
13,462 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Los Alamos's $136,502 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Friendly, MD
$136,485 median income
Callender, CA
$136,458 median income
Dayton, IL
$136,458 median income
Tehaleh, WA
$136,454 median income
Pittsford, NY
$136,429 median income
Pinehurst, MA
$136,406 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Los Alamos, 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 Los Alamos, NM - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 74.7% 6.7% 11.0% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 17.8% White 74.7% Black or African American 0.9% Asian 6.7% American Indian 0.9% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 5.8% Two or more races 11.0% 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.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Los Alamos compares to nearby New Mexico cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Los Alamos (this city) 13,471 $136,502
Las Vegas 13,120 $42,732
Artesia 12,555 $77,647
Deming 14,735 $35,920
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NM FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Los Alamos, NM?

What is the population of Los Alamos, NM? +

The population of Los Alamos, NM stands at 13,471 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Los Alamos, NM? +

In Los Alamos, the typical household earns $136,502 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Los Alamos? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Los Alamos; the closest available measure is the New Mexico state average, a cost of living index of 92.2 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within New Mexico vary by metro area.

Is Los Alamos, NM safe? +

Los Alamos has a total crime rate of 453.9 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Los Alamos, NM? +

A typical home in Los Alamos is worth $458,200, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Los Alamos? +

The average annual temperature in Los Alamos runs 40.3°F, 25.5 inches of precipitation. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, 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.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.