Census-designated place · New Mexico
Meadow Lake, New Mexico
Meadow Lake, census-designated place, in Valencia County, New Mexico. Meadow Lake had 4,573 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 4,259 (±766). GEOID 3547220.
Residents, 2020 Census
4,573
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 4,259 ±766
Median household income
$43,649
±$11,299 (90% margin)
New Mexico: $64,059
Median home value
$77,900
±$21,321 (90% margin)
New Mexico: $248,100
Median gross rent
$908
±$701 (90% margin)
New Mexico: $1,067
Where is Meadow Lake and what county is it in?
Meadow Lake is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in Valencia County, New Mexico. It covers 11.6 square miles of land, 393 residents per square mile in 2020.
Meadow Lake is in the Albuquerque, NM metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 4 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Meadow Lake is the same area as Census Tract 9701.01 of Valencia County: the tract's figures are Meadow Lake's own.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Meadow Lake, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 4,573 residents in Meadow Lake, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 4,259 (±766).
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Meadow Lake is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Meadow Lake | Valencia County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 4,259 ±766 | 78,458 | no clear change |
| Households | 1,372 ±199 | 27,583 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 3.10 ±0.42 | 2.78 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 1,620 ±193 | 30,756 | no clear change |
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 Meadow Lake?
The median resident of Meadow Lake is 39.4 years old; 29.9% are under 18 and 11.1% are 65 or older. The largest group is Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 85.8%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 12.0%. 27.8% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Meadow Lake | Valencia County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39.4 ±7.2 | 39.4 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 29.9% ±6.1 pts | 22.7% | – |
| 65 years and over | 11.1% ±3.4 pts | 18.7% | – |
| Male | 39.3% ±7.3 pts | 50.1% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 85.8% ±5.6 pts | 60.8% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 12.0% ±4.4 pts | 30.5% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.9 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.0 pts | 0.7% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 1.2% ±1.7 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.0 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.7% ±1.1 pts | 2.6% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.0 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 27.8% ±8.0 pts | 8.7% | +10.9 pts |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 60.1% ±11.3 pts | 28.0% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 2.8% ±2.3 pts | 9.3% | – |
| With a disability | 11.1% ±4.4 pts | 20.2% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 19.2% ±6.1 pts | 8.3% | +7.4 pts |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 66.9% ±10.4 pts | 86.1% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 12.5% ±7.3 pts | 20.9% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 2.1% ±1.8 pts | 8.5% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 95.5% ±3.4 pts | 92.6% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±1.0 pts | 1.4% | – |
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 Meadow Lake earn?
Half of Meadow Lake's 1,372 households earn less than $43,649 a year (±$11,299), against $58,933 in Valencia County and $64,059 in New Mexico. In 2015-2019 it was $37,576 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 20.6% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Meadow Lake | Valencia County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $43,649 ±$11,299 | $58,933 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $51,480 ±$8,052 | $79,649 | – |
| Per capita income | $17,249 ±$2,349 | $30,718 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 20.6% ±8.6 pts | 18.1% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 25.3% ±14.5 pts | 25.0% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 37.1% ±10.3 pts | 24.0% | – |
| Households with a computer | 91.1% ±7.3 pts | 94.2% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 74.9% ±11.8 pts | 83.8% | – |
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 Meadow Lake?
Owners occupy 82.8% of Meadow Lake's occupied homes and renters 17.2%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $77,900 by its owner (±$21,321).
| Measure | Meadow Lake | Valencia County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $77,900 ±$21,321 | $223,000 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $908 ±$701 | $1,015 | – |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 84.2% ±23.4 pts | 43.1% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,182 ±$265 | $1,390 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 82.8% ±10.3 pts | 83.2% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 17.2% ±10.3 pts | 16.8% | – |
| Housing units | 1,620 ±193 | 30,756 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±3.7 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±16.4 pts | 2.7% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 18.6% ±7.9 pts | 63.0% | – |
| Mobile homes | 81.4% ±7.9 pts | 30.2% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±2.6 pts | 2.5% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 3.1% ±3.1 pts | 6.7% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 2.0% ±3.2 pts | 3.5% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 7.4% ±6.3 pts | 3.0% | – |
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 Meadow Lake work and get to work?
66.8% of Meadow Lake's workers drive alone and 11.2% work from home. The average trip to work takes 40.9 minutes.
| Measure | Meadow Lake | Valencia County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 57.9% ±6.4 pts | 52.4% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% ±4.7 pts | 7.0% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 66.8% ±10.1 pts | 74.6% | – |
| Carpooled | 22.0% ±9.8 pts | 11.4% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±2.5 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±2.5 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Worked from home | 11.2% ±7.2 pts | 11.1% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 40.9 min ±6.6 | 30.2 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 Meadow Lake?
1 census tract lies mostly in Meadow Lake (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9701.01Valencia County | 4,259 | $43,649 |
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 Meadow Lake) · Census block assignment files
How does Meadow Lake compare with other places in New Mexico?
Meadow Lake ranks 115th of 143 places in New Mexico with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population (ACS 2020-2024) | 53rd | 153 |
| Residents per square mile | 86th | 155 |
| Median household income | 115th | 143 |
| Per capita income | 146th | 154 |
| Median home value | 129th | 138 |
| Poverty rate | 62nd | 109 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 110th | 128 |
| Median age | 80th | 154 |
| Owner-occupied share | 61st | 150 |
| Work from home | 47th | 78 |
| Travel time to work | 5th | 150 |
Meadow Lake's figures with every place in New Mexico (CSV)
Every place in New Mexico, sortable · Compare Meadow Lake 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 Meadow Lake?
19 of the 57 figures for Meadow Lake 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 Meadow Lake 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' school search.