City profile · New Mexico · Census ACS 2023

Meadow Lake, NM

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

3,959
Residents
$38,872
Median income
$83,500
Median home
$1,464
Median rent (state)

Meadow Lake - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Meadow Lake lands in the 7th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

7th
percentile, household income
4th
percentile, home value
57th
percentile, median rent
📝 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: Meadow Lake, NM

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 3,959 residents in Meadow Lake, a small town within New Mexico. Median household income here is $38,872 per year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 20.0%. Typical homes in Meadow Lake are valued around $83,500, and the median resident age is 36.9 years. Educational attainment runs 15.8% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 53.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

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). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,464 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in New Mexico run around $167, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Workers in Meadow Lake report an average commute of 37.6 minutes, with 71.1% driving alone and 4.5% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 82.3 out of 100 (High).

Population

3,959 residents

Census ACS 2023 - New Mexico

Median Household Income

$38,872 /yr

Poverty 20.0%

Cost of Living Index (state)

92.2 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, New Mexico average

How does Meadow Lake compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 7% higher than other cities
Home value 4% pricier than other cities
Median rent 57% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Meadow Lake's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in New Mexico, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

7thIncome percentile

7th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Meadow Lake's home value compares nationally

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

$83,500 Among the most affordable more affordable than 96% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Above this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $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. Meadow Lake $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 - Meadow Lake, NM Meadow Lake, NM's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Meadow Lake, 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 Meadow Lake, NM median $38,872/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%
Meadow Lake, 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 Meadow Lake, NM. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 15.8%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 20.0%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 53.7%

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

Population
3,959
Median Income
$38,872
Median Home Value
$83,500
Median Age
36.9
Poverty Rate
20.0%
Labor force participation
53.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
15.8%

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
37.6 minutes
Drive Alone
71.1%
Carpool
24.5%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
4.5%

Based on 1,434 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 Meadow Lake sits in

Cost of Living Index
92.2
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,464/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
82.3 / 100
High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in New Mexico

Bosque Farms
4,042 people
Holloman AFB
4,052 people
La Cienega
3,780 people
Placitas CDP (Sandoval County)
4,375 people
Crouch Mesa
4,419 people
Lee Acres
4,463 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Meadow Lake's 3,959 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Grant, MN
3,959 people
Marlboro, NY
3,959 people
Brookville, PA
3,959 people
Lancaster, KY
3,960 people
Sagamore, MA
3,958 people
Pennsburg, PA
3,958 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Meadow Lake's $38,872 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Grafton, WV
$38,872 median income
Alpha, MI
$38,879 median income
Camden, AL
$38,864 median income
Tarrant, AL
$38,861 median income
Candelaria comunidad, PR
$38,884 median income
Yellville, AR
$38,889 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Meadow Lake, 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 Meadow Lake, NM - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 34.9% 6.7% 53.9% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 83.6% White 34.9% Black or African American 0.5% Asian 0.0% American Indian 4.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 6.7% Two or more races 53.9% 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 Meadow Lake 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
Meadow Lake (this city) 3,959 $38,872
Bosque Farms 4,042 $63,889
Holloman AFB 4,052 $51,205
La Cienega 3,780 $68,676
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NM OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Meadow Lake, NM?

What is the population of Meadow Lake, NM? +

3,959 people live in Meadow Lake, NM according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Meadow Lake, NM? +

Meadow Lake households earn a median of $38,872 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Meadow Lake? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Meadow Lake; 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.

What is the median home value in Meadow Lake, NM? +

A typical home in Meadow Lake is worth $83,500, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

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

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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.