City profile · New Mexico · Census ACS 2023

Truth or Consequences, NM

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

6,026
Residents
$29,142
Median income
$107,500
Median home
$1,004
Median rent (state)

Truth or Consequences - the verdict

Nationally, Truth or Consequences sits in the 2nd percentile for household income and the 13th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

2nd
percentile, household income
12th
percentile, home value
20th
percentile, median rent
13th
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: Truth or Consequences, NM

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 6,026 residents in Truth or Consequences, a small town within New Mexico. Truth or Consequences households earn a median of $29,142 annually, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 29.0%. Truth or Consequences's housing stock carries a median value of $107,500, and the median resident age is 42.7 years. 19.3% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 42.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 0 residential building permits were authorized in Truth or Consequences (No Permits), per Census BPS data. Truth or Consequences's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: per-100,000 total crime stands at 3291.5 in FBI UCR data, above the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA puts Truth or Consequences's yearly average temperature at 62.6°F with 10.0 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. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,004 per month. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts New Mexico's average monthly utility costs around $167 (state average). FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 55.8 out of 100 (Moderate).

Population

6,026 residents

Census ACS 2023 - New Mexico

Median Household Income

$29,142 /yr

Poverty 29.0%

Cost of Living Index (state)

92.2 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, New Mexico average

How does Truth or Consequences compare to other US cities?

Truth or Consequences measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 2% higher than other cities
Home value 12% pricier than other cities
Median rent 20% pricier than other cities
Safety 13% safer than other cities

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

National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at New Mexico, Truth or Consequences ranks #30 of 42 New Mexico cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.

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 Truth or Consequences'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.

2ndIncome percentile
13thSafety percentile

2nd percentile nationally for median household income · 13th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Truth or Consequences's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Truth or Consequences'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 33 Avg. percentile National median
Truth or Consequences'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 Truth or Consequences's home value compares nationally

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

$107,500 Among the most affordable more affordable than 88% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Truth or Consequences $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 - Truth or Consequences, NM Truth or Consequences, NM's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Truth or Consequences, 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 Truth or Consequences, NM median $29,142/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%
Truth or Consequences, 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 Truth or Consequences, NM. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 19.3%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 29.0%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 42.4%

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

Population
6,026
Median Income
$29,142
Median Home Value
$107,500
Median Age
42.7
Poverty Rate
29.0%
Labor force participation
42.4%
Bachelor's Degree+
19.3%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
3291.5
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
818.7
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2472.8
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
62.6°F
Annual Precipitation
10.0"
Annual Snowfall
N/A

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
5,900 residents5,950 residents6,000 residents6,050 residents6,100 residents 202020212022202320242025 6,046 residents 5,949 residents ▼ -1.6%
Truth or Consequences's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

Total Permits (2024)
0
housing units authorized
Single-Family
0
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 0
2020 23
2021 0

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
75.8%
Carpool
7.3%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
4.5%
Work from Home
3.8%
Other
8.6%

Based on 1,907 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 Truth or Consequences sits in

Cost of Living Index
92.2
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,004/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
55.8 / 100
Moderate
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in New Mexico

Raton
6,013 people
Santa Teresa
5,973 people
North Hobbs
6,099 people
Edgewood
6,122 people
Zuni Pueblo
6,132 people
Aztec
6,177 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Truth or Consequences's 6,026 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Rochester, WA
6,025 people
Lewistown, MT
6,028 people
Massanetta Springs, VA
6,028 people
Elmwood, LA
6,022 people
Sharon, MA
6,022 people
Bellefonte, PA
6,022 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Truth or Consequences's $29,142 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Stanton, KY
$29,141 median income
O'Brien, OR
$29,141 median income
Big Wells, TX
$29,135 median income
South Wallins, KY
$29,153 median income
Enemy Swim, SD
$29,125 median income
Goodnews Bay, AK
$29,167 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Truth or Consequences, 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 Truth or Consequences, NM - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 71.4% 17.7% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 35.5% White 71.4% Black or African American 0.5% Asian 0.5% American Indian 5.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 5.0% Two or more races 17.7% 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 Truth or Consequences 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
Truth or Consequences (this city) 6,026 $29,142
Raton 6,013 $52,007
Santa Teresa 5,973 $60,759
North Hobbs 6,099 $89,279
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NM FBI UCR NOAA Normals Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Truth or Consequences, NM?

What is the population of Truth or Consequences, NM? +

Truth or Consequences, NM counts 6,026 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Truth or Consequences, NM? +

In Truth or Consequences, the typical household earns $29,142 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Truth or Consequences? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Truth or Consequences; 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 Truth or Consequences, NM safe? +

Truth or Consequences has a total crime rate of 3291.5 per 100,000 residents, which is above 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 Truth or Consequences, NM? +

Homes in Truth or Consequences carry a median value of $107,500, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Truth or Consequences? +

The average annual temperature in Truth or Consequences runs 62.6°F, 10.0 inches of precipitation. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, Census BPS 2024, 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.