City profile · New Mexico · Census ACS 2023

South Valley, NM

South Valley's Census ACS profile: residents, income, housing, and the joined public-record layers available for this place.

36,605
Residents
$51,062
Median income
$205,200
Median home
$1,129
Median rent (state)
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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.

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Starting with South Valley, NM - add up to three more cities on the compare page.

See how it ranks

State rank, size-class rank, and four peer cities for South Valley.

Place dossier plate

Sheet NM-SOUTH-VALLEY-NM · South Valley, NM 36,605 pop · income 21st pct

POP-SMALL · INC-MID · COL-BELOW · SAFE-UNK · RANK-LOWER · PHOTO-FINISH · HOME-MID · BOOK-UNK

  • POP-SMALL 36,605
  • INC-MID $51,062
  • COL-BELOW 92.2
  • SAFE-UNK Safety pending
  • RANK-LOWER 21st
  • PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Lakeview
  • HOME-MID $205,200
  • BOOK-UNK Tracts pending

Nearest income peer: Lakeview, OH (+ $3 income $)

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 South Valley

Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest South Valley on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.

median HH income

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.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2026-08-08

Compare beyond this state

Nationwide peers by population, income

Out-of-state nearest neighbors for South Valley on ACS population and median household income . 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: 36,605.

4 peers

Similar household income

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS median household income. This city: $51,062. Population peers are excluded.

4 peers

South Valley - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, South Valley lands in the 21st percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

21st
percentile, household income
44th
percentile, home value
39th
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: South Valley, NM

South Valley is a small city in New Mexico, home to 36,605 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. South Valley households earn a median of $51,062 annually, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 15.8%. Home values in South Valley run a median of $205,200, and the median resident age is 40.5 years. Educational attainment runs 14.7% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 51.8% 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 $1,129 per month. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts New Mexico's average monthly utility costs around $167 (state average). Commute times here average 24.3 minutes, with 77.9% driving alone and 7.0% 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 South Valley'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 comparison shortlist to housing and income to work and mobility; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.

For South Valley, city-specific coverage includes commute-mode shares. No matched row is reported here for matched public-school count, local building permits, FBI reported-crime rates, annual population history, within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.

1. Comparison shortlist

Which cities make useful reference points for South Valley?

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.

Within New Mexico, the closest population matches are Clovis (38,153 residents, $54,029 income); Hobbs (39,887 residents, $65,691 income); Carlsbad (31,813 residents, $78,277 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Brighton, NY (36,633 residents); Kiryas Joel, NY (36,572 residents); Manchester, CT (36,561 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.

Open a side-by-side comparison →

2. Housing and income

How far does income reach against housing in South Valley?

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. Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median. That flags a question for comparison, not a verdict: tenure, household composition, financing costs, and the age of the ACS estimate can all change what a resident actually pays.

The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 4.0 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 15.8%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.

Compare the housing trade-off →

Question 3

What does the journey to work look like in South Valley?

Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 77.9%. The reported mean trip to work is 24.3 minutes.

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.

Compare commute patterns →

Population

36,605 residents

Small city (10k–49k)

Median Household Income

$51,062 /yr

Low income · poverty 15.8% (High poverty)

Cost of Living Index (state)

92.2 (US=100)

Affordable · BEA RPP 2024, New Mexico average

City profile score · South Valley, NM

35/100

4 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 F
$51,062

Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.

Poverty rate F
15.8%

Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.

Bachelor's+ share F
14.7%

Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.

Violent crime N/A
N/A

No FBI UCR violent-crime rate for this place (coverage is incomplete).

South Valley profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions) 4-axis radar comparing 1 series across Cost of living, Household income, Poverty rate, Bachelor's+ share. Cost of livingHousehold incomePoverty rateBachelor's+ share 35 F
South Valley profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)
Read the chart values
  • Cost of living: 77/100 (B+) · 92.2 index
  • Household income: 22/100 (F) · $51,062
  • Poverty rate: 21/100 (F) · 15.8%
  • Bachelor's+ share: 19/100 (F) · 14.7%

How does South Valley compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 21% higher than other cities
Home value 44% pricier than other cities
Median rent 39% 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

Each percentile compares South Valley 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 South Valley near the bottom of New Mexico's cities

Among the 409 New Mexico cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, South Valley ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares South Valley only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#187 of 324
42nd percentile in New Mexico
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 409
0th percentile in New Mexico
Median Home Value
#142 of 324
56th percentile in New Mexico
Poverty Rate
#171 of 408
58th percentile in New Mexico
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#227 of 409
44th 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.

21stIncome percentile
Gauge source note

21st percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How South Valley's home value compares nationally

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

$205,200 Among the most affordable more affordable than 56% of 15,600 US cities

Show national distribution $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%). This entry sits in this band. $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. South Valley $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

South Valley's home-value-to-income ratio: 4.0×

ACS median home value divided by median household income.

Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#10,758 of 15,516
More affordable than 31% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#2,004 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)

At 4.0×, South Valley sits in the moderate band: national rank #10,758 of 15,516 and #2,004 of 3,317small cities (10,000–49,999). Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.

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

$51,062 South Valley, NM median household income (Census ACS)

Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Household income distribution - South Valley, NM South Valley, NM's median household income ($51,062) against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern. The Lorenz curve and quintile bars are national context, not South Valley, NM-specific shares. $ Household Income Distribution South Valley, NM median $51,062/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%
South Valley, 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 South Valley, NM.

Key socioeconomic indicators

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

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 15.8%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 51.8%

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

Population
36,605
Median Income
$51,062
Median Home Value
$205,200
Median Age
40.5
Poverty Rate
15.8%
Labor force participation
51.8%
Bachelor's Degree+
14.7%

Commute Patterns

Commute source

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
24.3 minutes
Drive Alone
77.9%
Carpool
12.7%
Public Transit
0.3%
Walk
0.9%
Work from Home
7.0%
Other
1.2%

Based on 15,083 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 South Valley. 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 South Valley 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 South Valley sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.

How South Valley 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.

City Population Median Household Income
South Valley (this city) 36,605 $51,062
Clovis 38,153 $54,029
Hobbs 39,887 $65,691
Carlsbad 31,813 $78,277
Primary sources on this page

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.

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

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES. Joins use OMB Bulletin 23-01 / FIPS keys.

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Estimate caveats

ACS and UCR figures are citywide estimates with vintage lags; they do not replace a local visit, school visit, or insurance quote.

Editorial standards, provenance, and how to cite this page

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.

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