Portales, NM
Demographics And Statistics

We take you around Portales to find out what it's like to call it home.

Living in Portales, New Mexico

Life in Portales research summary. HomeSnacks has been using Saturday Night Science to research the quality of life in Portales over the past nine years using Census, FBI, Zillow, and other primary data sources. Here's a snapshot of Portales based on the most recently available data.

11,968 Population
$134,843 Median home value
$50,555 Median income
88 Cost of living -12% vs US
$903 Median rent
7.4% Unemployment
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Portales SnackAbility

6
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs 4/10
Housing 5/10
Affordability 7/10
Diversity 9/10
SafetyN/A
Amenities 8.5/10
Education 6/10
Commute 9.5/10

Crime in Portales summary. We use data from the FBI to determine the crime rates in Portales. Key points include:

  • There were 430 total crimes in Portales in the last reporting year.

  • The overall crime rate per 100,000 people in Portales is 3,652.7 / 100k people.

  • The violent crime rate per 100,000 people in Portales is 781.5 / 100k people.

  • The property crime rate per 100,000 people in Portales is 2,871.2 / 100k people.

  • Overall, crime in Portales is 72.36% above the national average.

430
Total Crimes
72.36%
Above National Average
Portales
US

Crime In Portales Comparison Table

Statistic Count
Raw
Portales
/ 100k People
New Mexico
/ 100k People
National
/ 100k People
Total Crimes Per 100K 430 3,652.7 3,468.2 2,119.2
Violent Crime 92 781.5 717.1 359.0
Murder 1 8.5 10.5 5.0
Robbery 5 42.5 65.3 61.0
Aggravated Assault 80 679.6 587.5 256.0
Property Crime 338 2,871.2 2,751.1 1,760.0
Burglary 176 1,495.1 500.3 229.0
Larceny 126 1,070.3 1,750.9 1,272.0
Car Theft 36 305.8 499.9 259.0
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Source: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2024)

Cost of living in Portales summary. We use data on the cost of living to determine how expensive it is to live in Portales. Real estate prices drive most of the variance in cost of living around New Mexico. Key points include:

  • The cost of living in Portales is 88 with 100 being average.

  • The cost of living in Portales is 0.9x lower than the national average.

  • The median home value in Portales is $134,843.

  • The median income in Portales is $50,555.

88
Portales's Overall Cost Of Living
0.9x
Lower Than The National Average
Portales
US

Cost Of Living In Portales Comparison Table

Living Expense Portales New Mexico National Average
Overall 88 93 100
Services 101 98 100
Groceries 101 96 100
Health 68 86 100
Housing 95 99 100
Transportation 93 95 100
Utilities 95 94 100
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Source: Cost of living index, normalized to US average = 100

Portales, NM Weather

  • The average high in Portales is 73.4° and the average low is 42.3°.

  • There are 34.9 days of precipitation each year.

  • Expect an average of 17.0 inches of precipitation each year with 7.7 inches of snow.

StatPortales
Average Annual High73.4
Average Annual Low42.3
Annual Precipitation Days34.9
Average Annual Precipitation17.0
Average Annual Snowfall7.7
73.4°
Average High
34.9
Days of Rain

Source: NOAA climate normals (30-year)

Portales, NM Photos

Roosevelt County Court House
Source: Wikipedia User Wordbuilder | CC BY 3.0
Portalesc New Mexico
Source: Wikipedia User Internet Archive Book Ima
Portales
Source: Wikipedia User Bozotexino | CC BY 3.0

Rankings & Articles For Portales

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Map Of Portales, NM

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Portales Demographics And Statistics

Population over time in Portales

The current population in Portales is 11,968. The population has decreased 0.4% from 2010.

Year Population % Change
2024 11,968 -0.5%
2023 12,023 -0.5%
2022 12,085 -0.5%
2021 12,151 3.7%
2020 11,713 -1.2%
2019 11,854 -1.0%
2018 11,974 -1.2%
2017 12,123 -1.2%
2016 12,275 -1.1%
2015 12,416 -0.5%
2014 12,481 0.3%
2013 12,441 0.9%
2012 12,327 1.4%
2011 12,161 1.2%
2010 12,017 -

Race / Ethnicity in Portales

White 41.4% (4,958)
African American 0.9% (108)
American Indian 0.8% (91)
Asian 0.7% (80)
Hawaiian 0.0% (0)
Other 0.2% (24)
Two Or More 6.2% (745)
Hispanic 49.8% (5,962)
See the full breakdown

Portales is:

  • 41.4% White with 4,958 White residents.

  • 0.9% African American with 108 African American residents.

  • 0.8% American Indian with 91 American Indian residents.

  • 0.7% Asian with 80 Asian residents.

  • 0.0% Hawaiian with 0 Hawaiian residents.

  • 0.2% Other with 24 Other residents.

  • 6.2% Two Or More with 745 Two Or More residents.

  • 49.8% Hispanic with 5,962 Hispanic residents.

Race Portales NM USA
White 41.4% 36.0% 57.4%
African American 0.9% 1.8% 11.9%
American Indian 0.8% 8.5% 0.5%
Asian 0.7% 1.6% 5.9%
Hawaiian 0.0% 0.1% 0.2%
Other 0.2% 0.5% 0.6%
Two Or More 6.2% 3.1% 4.3%
Hispanic 49.8% 48.4% 19.3%

Gender in Portales

Female 49.4% (5,911)
Male 50.6% (6,057)
See the full breakdown
  • Portales is 49.4% female with 5,911 female residents.

  • Portales is 50.6% male with 6,057 male residents.

Gender Portales NM USA
Female 49.4% 50.3% 50.5%
Male 50.6% 49.7% 49.5%

Highest level of educational attainment in Portales for adults over 25

< 9th Grade 6.0% (718)
9-12th Grade 7.0% (837)
High School / GED 24.0% (2,872)
Some College 29.0% (3,470)
Associate's Degree 8.0% (957)
Bachelor's Degree 14.0% (1,675)
Master's Degree 9.0% (1,077)
Professional Degree 1.0% (119)
Doctorate Degree 2.0% (239)
See the full breakdown
  • 6.0% of adults in Portales completed < 9th grade.

  • 7.0% of adults in Portales completed 9-12th grade.

  • 24.0% of adults in Portales completed high school / ged.

  • 29.0% of adults in Portales completed some college.

  • 8.0% of adults in Portales completed associate's degree.

  • 14.0% of adults in Portales completed bachelor's degree.

  • 9.0% of adults in Portales completed master's degree.

  • 1.0% of adults in Portales completed professional degree.

  • 2.0% of adults in Portales completed doctorate degree.

Education Portales NM USA
< 9th Grade 6.0% 5.0% 4.0%
9-12th Grade 7.0% 7.0% 6.0%
High School / GED 24.0% 26.0% 26.0%
Some College 29.0% 22.0% 19.0%
Associate's Degree 8.0% 9.0% 9.0%
Bachelor's Degree 14.0% 17.0% 22.0%
Master's Degree 9.0% 10.0% 10.0%
Professional Degree 1.0% 2.0% 2.0%
Doctorate Degree 2.0% 2.0% 2.0%

Household Income For Portales, New Mexico

Less than $10,000 9.6% (114,718)
$10,000 to $14,999 7.3% (87,679)
$15,000 to $24,999 14.5% (172,996)
$25,000 to $34,999 7.4% (88,467)
$35,000 to $49,999 10.2% (121,543)
$50,000 to $74,999 27.1% (324,466)
$75,000 to $99,999 9.5% (113,668)
$100,000 to $149,999 8.5% (101,592)
$150,000 to $199,999 5.6% (67,203)
$200,000 or more 0.4% (4,462)
See the full breakdown
  • 9.6% of households in Portales earn Less than $10,000.

  • 7.3% of households in Portales earn $10,000 to $14,999.

  • 14.5% of households in Portales earn $15,000 to $24,999.

  • 7.4% of households in Portales earn $25,000 to $34,999.

  • 10.2% of households in Portales earn $35,000 to $49,999.

  • 27.1% of households in Portales earn $50,000 to $74,999.

  • 9.5% of households in Portales earn $75,000 to $99,999.

  • 8.5% of households in Portales earn $100,000 to $149,999.

  • 5.6% of households in Portales earn $150,000 to $199,999.

  • 0.4% of households in Portales earn $200,000 or more.

Income Portales NM USA
Less than $10,000 9.6% 6.6% 5.0%
$10,000 to $14,999 7.3% 5.1% 3.4%
$15,000 to $24,999 14.5% 8.5% 6.3%
$25,000 to $34,999 7.4% 8.4% 6.6%
$35,000 to $49,999 10.2% 11.2% 10.1%
$50,000 to $74,999 27.1% 16.9% 15.5%
$75,000 to $99,999 9.5% 12.4% 12.6%
$100,000 to $149,999 8.5% 15.5% 17.5%
$150,000 to $199,999 5.6% 7.6% 9.6%
$200,000 or more 0.4% 7.8% 13.4%

Source: U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates (2024)