Las Cruces, NM

This city of 118,726 residents needs 6,861 more housing units over the next five years. Las Cruces is a CDBG-entitlement community, see how the ROAD to Housing Act could change that funding. Las Cruces is part of the Las Cruces MPO.

Housing snapshot

Population
118,726 (2026)
Households
48,831
Median household income
$62,102 (2026)
Typical home value
$276,595
Owner-occupied
53%
Five-year housing need
6,861 units

Comparison to other New Mexico municipalities

Las Cruces: $62,102 Median income (2026 estimate)
<$22K >$118K
Las Cruces: 1.08 jobs to household ratio
<0.13 >2.12
Las Cruces: Permits since 2021 represent 7.0% of housing
<0.1% >12.6%
On this page

How affordable is this community?

A typical home in Las Cruces, NM costs $276,595, somewhat above the New Mexico average of $221,231. With a median household income of $62,102 in Las Cruces, NM, housing costs are a modest stretch for the typical household.

This chart tracks whether housing prices are keeping pace with local incomes. The gap between what homes cost and what households can afford reveals affordability trends over time.

How is the population changing?

Las Cruces, NM has a population of roughly 114,197, growing modestly at 1.2% per year.

Population growth patterns reveal how communities are evolving. This chart shows historical population changes by age group and projects future trends based on demographic patterns.

How has employment changed over time?

Jobs by industry sector since 2012. Switch between local jobs — counted where the jobs are located — and resident jobs, counted where the workers live. On the local view the most recent year is a nowcast: it grows the latest local LODES job mix forward using recent county employment growth from QCEW and the BLS local employment series, so the newest point tracks today's economy instead of data that is roughly two years old.

How are households changing by income?

With roughly 48,831 households, Las Cruces, NM is growing modestly at 1.2% per year.

Understanding how households at different income levels are growing or declining helps identify which groups face the greatest housing pressure and where new housing is most needed.

Who lives here today?

In Las Cruces, NM, detached single-family accounts for 60% of the housing stock. Las Cruces, NM is roughly split between owners and renters, at 53% owner-occupied.

Households may have different structure type preferences depending on characteristics such as household size, income, employment, presence of children, age of individuals, and lifestyle choices. Understanding the housing stock in corresponding terms helps assess how well existing units align with existing households' ideals.

What does the housing stock look like?

The mix of housing types and ownership patterns shapes a community's character. This chart breaks down housing units by structure type and whether they're owner-occupied or rented.

How much new housing supply is needed?

To keep up with growth and fill current housing shortages, Las Cruces, NM needs 6,861 new units over the next 5 years.

5,272
Units needed to keep up with expected growth
Projected total household growth from 2026 to 2031.
10.8%
Projected household growth rate
Expected increase in total households from 48,831 in 2026 to 54,103 in 2031.
1,589
Units to address shortages in existing housing stock
Production needs to address vacancy rates and other factors.
176
Replacement housing
Effective annual loss rate is 0.7 per 1,000 units.
174
Ownership vacancy adjustment
Owner-occupied vacancy is 0.9%. This is below the minimum stable target of 1.5%.
904
Rental vacancy adjustment
Rental vacancy is 3.6%. This is below the minimum stable target of 7.4%.
78
Overcrowding adjustment
Overcrowding rate is 3.6%. This is above National avg. of 3.4%.
257
Substandard housing adjustment
Substandard housing rate is 1.52%. This is above National avg. of 0.98%.
6,861
Total 5-year housing production need (2026-2031)
1,372
Annual production pace
Average units needed per year to meet 5-year need
13.6%
Total housing unit growth
Percent increase in housing stock over 5 years
2.7%
Annual housing unit growth
Average percent increase in housing stock per year

Build Now Act: how could CDBG funding change?

The Build Now Act (Section 213 of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act) ties a CDBG entitlement community's grant to how much housing it is building. This is a CommunityScale estimate from public ACS data, not HUD's official determination — HUD calculates from Census Master Address File block counts.

How does this place compare to similar communities?