Las Cruces, New Mexico Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Las Cruces, NM Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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D
Income Well below average
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C
Education Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Las Cruces | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 96,255 | 2,118,085 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1249.6 | 17.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 2.56% | 0.20% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 31.5 | 38.1 | 37.3 |
| Households | 40,546 | 836,644 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Las Cruces grew by 73.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 96,255 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Las Cruces is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 28.7% of residents. That is 7.2 points above New Mexico as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 27,667 28.7% +7.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 19,287 20.0% -1.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 15,618 16.2% -2.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 14,540 15.1% -3.3 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below New Mexico, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.1% of the people living in Las Cruces and men 49.9%.
- Women 50.1% New Mexico 50.5%
- Men 49.9% New Mexico 49.5%
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Economy
Las Cruces has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Las Cruces | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $51,998 | $64,523 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.56% | 4.42% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.2% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Las Cruces is about 19% lower than in New Mexico.
Housing
| Metric | Las Cruces | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $330,005 | $204,122 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $969 | $1,067 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 52.0% | 70.0% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Las Cruces is about 28.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $969 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Las Cruces spend about 32 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 135 hours, about 5.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Las Cruces | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 16.2 | 18.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 32.3 | 37.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 135 | 157 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,176 | $4,866 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.3% | 12.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 9,041 | 4,931 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,085 | 619 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Las Cruces is 16 minutes, shorter than the 19 minutes in New Mexico.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Las Cruces has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Las Cruces | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30.3% | 26.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.34 | 2.49 | 2.53 |
Health
Las Cruces has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Las Cruces | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.4 | 78.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.3% | 17.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.0% | 18.0% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Las Cruces, New Mexico.
How big is Las Cruces, New Mexico by population?
About 96,255 people live in Las Cruces, New Mexico, in 40,546 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 31.5, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
How densely populated is Las Cruces, New Mexico?
Averaged over its land area, Las Cruces, New Mexico has 1,250 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 14 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Las Cruces, New Mexico an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 6.3 times the median household income ($330,005 against $51,998), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $969 a month takes about 22% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Las Cruces, New Mexico?
Unemployment in Las Cruces, New Mexico is 7.2%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
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