Census place 3559260

Portales

A Census profile of the people, homes, and daily patterns that shape this place.

Official Census name: Portales city

Relocation snapshot

What stands out in Portales.

According to the 2025 estimate, Portales has a population of 11,734 and 1,462 residents per square mile. Of the six relocation measures evaluated, the three largest relative differences from the median among 19 covered New Mexico places are: typical commute is 12.3 minutes, below the comparison median of 20.5 minutes; median home value is $133,400, below the comparison median of $200,000; and median household income is $50,555, below the comparison median of $62,330. These unweighted medians compare covered Census places and are not statewide estimates.

typical commute
12.3 minutes
Below the comparison median of 20.5 minutes
median home value
$133,400
Below the comparison median of $200,000
median household income
$50,555
Below the comparison median of $62,330

National context

Follow the metrics.

Compare Portales's values with other covered Census places. Rankings are descriptive, not recommendations.

At a glance

A city in numbers.

Population
11,734
2025 estimate
Annual change
-0.8%
Population estimate
Density
1,462/sq mi
8 sq mi land area
Median age
27.1 years
ACS 5-year estimate

Living here

The everyday equation.

Households, homes, education, and the time it takes to get around.

Median household income
$50,555
Median home value
$133,400
Median gross rent
$903
Bachelor’s degree or higher
25.4%
Typical commute
12.3 min
Drive-alone commute
81.5%
Public transit commute
0%
Walked to work
5.4%

Housing

Who rents, and what it takes.

Renter share and rent burden help describe the housing choices visible in this place.

Renter-occupied homes
52.4%
Renters paying 30%+ of income
44.5%

Work

How the workday lands.

Employment status and working-from-home share add context to income and commuting patterns.

Employed residents 16+
57.1%
Unemployed residents 16+
4.5%
Working from home
3.7%

Community

The everyday infrastructure.

Access, mobility, housing growth, and household composition add another layer to a place's day-to-day picture.

Households with broadband
88.2%
Homes built 2020+
0%
Households without a vehicle
10.8%
Households with children
36.2%
Residents with a disability
19.2%
Residents without insurance
10.8%

Environmental context

A record of declared events.

FEMA declarations for Roosevelt County provide historical context, not a forecast or a property-level risk assessment.

Environmental declarations since 2000
3
Fire declarations
2
Hurricane declarations
1

Climate normals

The long view of weather.

Thirty-year averages, not a forecast. Temperature and precipitation describe the typical conditions recorded from 1991 through 2020.

Representative station: MULESHOE 19 S (37 mi from place center)
Average high
74°F
Average low
41.6°F
Annual rainfall
17.9"
Annual snowfall
0"

Month by month

A year in Portales.

Typical high and low °F
20°F40°F60°F80°F100°F
JFMAMJJASOND
Typical precipitation inches

Data vintage

Population is from the 2025 Population Estimates Program. Household, housing, education, and commute data are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-year release. Disaster declarations are from FEMA's OpenFEMA dataset and are refreshed with this edition.

Similar places

More places to consider.

Selected by the closest mix of population, density, median home value, and average annual high.

Gaffney, SC

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
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Median home
$137,700

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Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
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Median home
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Roanoke Rapids, NC

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
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Median home
$142,700

Keep exploring

Compare Portales with Gaffney