RANK #302 / 996 · POP 67,850 · NM
PROJECTED GROWTH: +1.5%
Otero County, New Mexico, is perhaps best known for White Sands National Park, a striking landscape of gypsum dunes that draws visitors for hiking, sand sledding, and stargazing. Located in southern New Mexico, the county seat, Alamogordo, is approximately 85 miles from El Paso, Texas. The area offers a blend of desert and mountain environments, with the Sacramento Mountains and Lincoln National Forest providing opportunities for hiking, camping, and skiing at Ski Cloudcroft, the southernmost ski resort in the country. Life in Otero County is shaped by its natural amenities and military presence. Holloman Air Force Base and White Sands Missile Range are significant employers, contributing to a community with a notable number of military retirees. The economy is driven by government employment, tourism, retail trade, and construction. Alamogordo Public Schools serve over 5,000 students across multiple campuses, including those from Holloman Air Force Base. The county has recently explored regional economic development initiatives with neighboring Lincoln County to attract businesses and boost tourism.
Contracting economy
Prices declining
Housing looks undervalued at 3.2x — home prices are low relative to local economic output. Climate and geography support a structural premium. The typical U.S. county is 4–6x.
Source: Redfin · Census BPS — Browse sales on Redfin →
Bars show percentile rank among all 996 counties.
Otero County has a Boom Town Index score of 70/100, ranking #302 among 996 U.S. counties. With a median household income of $50,833, it's an above-average county on economic indicators.
The median home value in Otero County is $139,100 with median rent at $882/month. The income-to-home-value ratio is 0.3654, which is more affordable than the national average.
Population growth: +0.8% year-over-year. Job growth: 0.0%. Home values changed -1.4% in the past 12 months.
Yes — 2.38% of Otero County's population moved from another state, which is above the national average and indicates strong in-migration.