City profile · New Mexico · Census ACS 2023

University Park, NM

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

2,699
Residents
$25,433
Median income
$1,042
Median rent (state)

University Park - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, University Park lands in the 2nd percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

2nd
percentile, household income
24th
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: University Park, NM

University Park is a small town in New Mexico, home to 2,699 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. University Park households earn a median of $25,433 annually, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 34.8%. The median resident age is 19.6 years. 60.2% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 42.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

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. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,042 monthly. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in New Mexico run around $167, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Natural-hazard exposure scores 96.1 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very High).

Population

2,699 residents

Census ACS 2023 - New Mexico

Median Household Income

$25,433 /yr

Poverty 34.8%

Cost of Living Index (state)

92.2 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, New Mexico average

How does University Park compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 2% higher than other cities
Median rent 24% 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 University Park'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

2nd percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - University Park, NM University Park, NM's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not University Park, 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 University Park, NM median $25,433/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%
University Park, 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 University Park, NM. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 60.2%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 34.8%

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
2,699
Median Income
$25,433
Median Home Value
N/A
Median Age
19.6
Poverty Rate
34.8%
Labor force participation
42.4%
Bachelor's Degree+
60.2%

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
33.0%
Carpool
2.7%
Public Transit
1.4%
Walk
50.3%
Work from Home
7.9%
Other
4.7%

Based on 1,056 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 University Park sits in

Cost of Living Index
92.2
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,042/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
96.1 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in New Mexico

Clayton
2,680 people
Chimayo
2,726 people
Ruidoso Downs
2,629 people
Dulce
2,782 people
Tularosa
2,584 people
Agua Fria
2,842 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to University Park's 2,699 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Fairview, OK
2,699 people
East Lansdowne, PA
2,699 people
Bay Pines, FL
2,700 people
Cohasset, MN
2,700 people
Edneyville, NC
2,698 people
La Luisa comunidad, PR
2,700 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to University Park's $25,433 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Añasco zona urbana, PR
$25,425 median income
Quinwood, WV
$25,417 median income
Sacramento, KY
$25,455 median income
Georgiana, AL
$25,469 median income
Florida Gulf Coast University, FL
$25,395 median income
Newellton, LA
$25,477 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - University Park, 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 University Park, NM - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 50.5% 37.5% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 51.6% White 50.5% Black or African American 3.2% Asian 2.5% American Indian 2.9% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 3.4% Two or more races 37.5% 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 University Park 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
University Park (this city) 2,699 $25,433
Clayton 2,680 $40,192
Chimayo 2,726 $52,305
Ruidoso Downs 2,629 $31,413
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NM OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about University Park, NM?

What is the population of University Park, NM? +

University Park, NM has a population of 2,699 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in University Park, NM? +

In University Park, the typical household earns $25,433 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in University Park? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for University Park; 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.

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

Verify with HUD →

Verify with FBI →

Verify with NOAA →

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →

Verify with EPA →

Verify with FEMA →

Verify with BEA →

Verify with EIA →

Verify with NCES →

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.