HomeNew MexicoOtero County
Otero County, New Mexico: commercial real estate data.
Otero County, New Mexico has a population of 68,816 across 6,613 square miles, up 2.8 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $3.79 bn in 2024, 988 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 38 7(a) approvals worth $13.5 m.
122 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Otero County
How many people live in Otero County
- Population68,816
- Households24,480
- Average household size2.81
- Median household income$55,876
- Median age36.4
- Median gross rent$962 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$162,700
- Home value to household income2.9 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income20.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher22.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over45,839
- Population under 1815,054
- Share under 1821.9 percent
- Population 65 and over12,077
- Share 65 and over17.5 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6441,685
- Civilian labor force26,481
- Unemployment rate8.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over49.3 percent
- Rank by population among New Mexico counties9th of 33
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents797th
Otero County is the 9th largest of 33 New Mexico counties by population. A median home costs 2.9 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.9 percent against 17.5 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Otero County
Is Otero County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.76 percent
- Census 2020 base population67,836
- Births, 2024741
- Deaths, 2024696
- Natural change, 202445
- Net domestic migration, 2024-233
- Net international migration, 2024546
- Total net migration, 2024313
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024287
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents934th
The county has grown 2.76 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Otero County
Where people moving to Otero County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving2,459
- People arriving, from those returns4,768
- Adjusted gross income arriving$116.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$47,340
- Largest single originOtero County Non-migrants (22,460 households)
- Largest single destination (22,460 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Otero County Non-migrants | 22,460 | 45,320 | $1.15 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 1,206 | 2,237 | $61.5 m |
| Other flows - South | 525 | 1,000 | $29.0 m |
| Other flows - West | 382 | 725 | $18.9 m |
| Foreign - APO/FPO ZIPs | 239 | 483 | $11.6 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 207 | 361 | $10.4 m |
| El Paso County | 203 | 464 | $6.7 m |
| Do�a Ana County | 202 | 419 | $7.2 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Otero County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Otero County
What the Otero County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$3.79 bn
- County GDP, 2023$3.68 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.1 percent
- GDP change over five years26.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among New Mexico counties10th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents848th
- GDP per resident$55,145
Output grew 3.1 percent in the latest year and 26.4 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Otero County
Who employs people in Otero County
- Covered employment, annual average17,528
- Establishments reporting1,328
- Average annual pay$50,017
- Average weekly wage$962
- Sector 62, employment3,054
- Sector 62, average annual pay$52,344
- Sector 44-45, employment2,339
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$31,603
- Sector 72, employment1,463
- Sector 72, average annual pay$23,924
- Sector 23, employment956
- Sector 23, average annual pay$52,949
- Sector 56, employment944
- Sector 54, employment572
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 3,054 | 196 | $52,344 |
| Sector 44-45 | 2,339 | 152 | $31,603 |
| Sector 72 | 1,463 | 108 | $23,924 |
| Sector 23 | 956 | 118 | $52,949 |
| Sector 56 | 944 | 97 | $50,912 |
| Sector 54 | 572 | 126 | $73,356 |
| Sector 81 | 356 | 83 | $39,963 |
| Sector 52 | 335 | 62 | $55,130 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 3,054 jobs, 17.4 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Otero County
What businesses operate in Otero County
- Establishments, all industries988
- Employment at those establishments12,847
- Annual payroll$534.4 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents14.4
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Otero County
What is being built in Otero County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20246
- Declared construction value permitted$2.2 m
- Single family units authorised6
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$374,508
- Units authorised per 1,000 households0.2
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Otero County
How much SBA lending happens in Otero County
- 7(a) approvals recorded38
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$13.5 m
- Average 7(a) approval$356,505
- Median 7(a) approval$131,000
- 10th percentile approval$15,000
- 90th percentile approval$904,700
- Largest single approval$4,160,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)229
- Jobs per approval6.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active13
- Distinct industries receiving approvals30
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer36.8 percent
- Loans on real estate terms14
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter24
- Franchise loans3
- Franchise share of approvals7.9 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (3)
- Most active lenderFirst Savings Bank (9)
- 504 approvals recorded7
- 504 gross approval dollars$2.1 m
- Average 504 approval$306,143
- Median 504 approval$194,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval5.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved16.3
- Most active CDCEnchantment Land Certified Development Company (4)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals84.4 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$15.7 m
The average approval of $356,505 sits well above the median of $131,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. 36.8 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Otero County
Do SBA loans in Otero County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded13
- Paid in full13
- Charged off0
- Charge off rate on resolved loans0.0 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure16
- Status: Paid in full13
- Status: Cancelled6
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed3
Of the 13 loans that have reached a final outcome, 0.0 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Otero County
Which parts of Otero County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending7
- ALAMOGORDO, approvals25
- CLOUDCROFT, approvals4
- HIGH ROLLS MOUNTAIN PARK, approvals3
- TULAROSA, approvals3
- Weed, approvals1
- MAYHILL, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| ALAMOGORDO | 25 | $12,033,800 |
| CLOUDCROFT | 4 | $489,500 |
| HIGH ROLLS MOUNTAIN PARK | 3 | $152,500 |
| TULAROSA | 3 | $349,900 |
| Weed | 1 | $397,600 |
| MAYHILL | 1 | $9,400 |
| LA LUZ | 1 | $114,500 |
ALAMOGORDO accounts for 25 approvals against 4 in CLOUDCROFT. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Otero County
How big is Otero County
- Land area6,613 sq mi
- Rank by land area among New Mexico counties3rd of 33
- Width, east to west89.4 mi
- Height, north to south96 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land10
- Establishments per square mile0.15
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Otero County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Otero County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population68,816
- Households24,480
- Average household size2.81
- Median household income$55,876
- Median age36.4
Common questions
Otero County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Otero County, New Mexico?
68,816, in 24,480 households, ranking 9th of 33 New Mexico counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Otero County growing?
The population has grown 2.76 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 741 births against 696 deaths, with net migration of 313. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Otero County?
$55,876. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $162,700, which is 2.9 times income, and median gross rent is $962 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Otero County?
988 establishments, employing 12,847 people with an annual payroll of $534.4 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Otero County?
Average annual pay is $50,017, or $962 a week, across 17,528 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Otero County?
38 7(a) approvals totalling $13.5 m since FY2020, across 13 lenders, with a median approval of $131,000, plus 7 504 approvals worth $2.1 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Otero County get paid back?
Of the 13 loans that have reached a final outcome, 13 were paid in full and 0 charged off, a charge off rate of 0.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Otero County?
6 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $2.2 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Otero County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Otero County come from?
The largest single origin is Otero County Non-migrants, with 22,460 households. Arriving households report an average income of $47,340 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Otero County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Otero County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.