Lea County · New Mexico
ZIP code 88242
- Population
- 7,684
- Median income
- $88,654
- Median home
- $218,700
- Sales tax
- 4.875%
ZCTA residents
Household, past 12 months
Owner-occupied value
New Mexico state rate
Quick answer
ZIP 88242 sits in Lea County, New Mexico and is home to 7,684 people. Median household income is $88,654, the median home is worth $218,700 and median gross rent is $1,290. 85.1% of households own their home, and purchases are taxed at 4.875% (New Mexico state rate).
- County
- Lea County
- State
- New Mexico (NM)
- Area codes
- Not published
- Metro area
- Outside covered metros
FIPS 35025
372 ZIPs covered
No NANPA match for this ZIP
Rate jurisdiction used for tax
The numbers for 88242
American Community Survey 2019-2023 ACS 5-year estimates for this ZCTA.
- Population
- 7,684ZIP 88242 residents
- Median household income
- $88,654Past 12 months, inflation adjusted
- Median home value
- $218,700Owner-occupied units
- Median gross rent
- $1,290Rent plus utilities, monthly
- Median age
- 33.8 yrsAll residents
- Homeownership rate
- 85.1%Owner-occupied households
Sales tax in 88242
What a purchase inside this ZIP costs at checkout.
New Mexico levies 4.875% statewide, and counties, cities and special districts inside this ZIP can add their own local rate on top. Check the county page for the local component before you quote a price.
Affordability in this ZIP
Derived from the Census medians above — indicative, not an offer.
A rent burden above 30% is the federal threshold for cost-burdened households, and a price-to-income multiple above 4× is generally considered a stretched housing market. The mortgage figure is principal and interest only — taxes, insurance and HOA dues are extra.
How 88242 compares
ZIP 88242 against the median ZIP in Lea County and across New Mexico.
| Measure | ZIP 88242 | County median | State median | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $88,654 | $72,019 | $53,479 | +66% |
| Median home value | $218,700 | $174,200 | $177,700 | +23% |
| Median gross rent | $1,290 | $1,103 | $875 | +47% |
| Population | 7,684 | 1,437 | 903 | +751% |
Medians are computed across the 11 ZIP areas in Lea County and the 372 ZIP areas in New Mexico.
Statewide rank
Where this ZIP places among all 372 New Mexico ZIP areas.
- Income
- #33
- Home value
- #93
- Population
- #63
richer than 88% of 276 state ZIPs
above 64% of 261 state ZIPs
larger than 83% of 372 state ZIPs
Comparable ZIP codes
New Mexico ZIP areas with almost the same household income.
Nearby ZIP codes
Other ZIP codes filed under Lea County.
ZIP 88242 questions
Common questions about this ZIP code.
- Where is ZIP code 88242?
- ZIP 88242 lies mostly in Lea County, New Mexico. County assignment follows the largest share of land area, so a ZIP straddling a county line is filed under its dominant county.
- What sales tax do I pay in 88242?
- New Mexico charges 4.875% statewide, plus any county, city or district rate that applies locally.
- Is 88242 expensive to live in?
- Median rent runs $1,290 a month, about 17% of median household income, and the median home is worth $218,700 — +23% against the typical New Mexico ZIP.
- Is a ZCTA the same as a postal ZIP code?
- Not exactly. The Census builds ZIP Code Tabulation Areas from the ZIP codes of addresses inside each census block, so a ZCTA can differ slightly from the USPS delivery route of the same number, and PO-box-only ZIPs have no ZCTA at all.
Keep going
Related pages for this area.
Sources & transparency
- US Census Bureau, ACS 2019-2023 5-year estimates — 2019-2023 ACS 5-year — population, income, housing
- Census 2020 ZCTA-to-county relationship file — County assignment by largest land-area overlap
- New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department — Sales tax rates and local add-ons
Last reviewed December 2024. Figures are published for reference and can change; verify with the source agency before filing or contracting. How we build and check this data.