Carlsbad, NM
Census place 3512150 · pop 31,746
Gateway to Carlsbad Caverns National Park and its vast underground limestone chambers.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 1 days · worse than most cities
36 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
17.4% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
85.3% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities
2839 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
528 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
19.2% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
39.5% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities
49 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.45 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
27.0% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
13.8% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$72,306 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
13.6% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
17.2% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
22 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,550/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities
70.2% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$200,000 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+8.9% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
2.9% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.53% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities
48/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
Frequently asked
- Is Carlsbad, NM a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Carlsbad scores 46/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is natural disaster risk and its weakest is unhealthy air days. New Mexico overall ranks #41 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is Carlsbad, NM?
- Carlsbad reports 528 violent crimes per 100k and 2839 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Carlsbad, NM expensive to live in?
- Carlsbad has a median home value of $200,000 and typical rent around $1,550/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Carlsbad, NM?
- Its weakest measured area is unhealthy air days (36 days) — 8/100, worse than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.)
- What is Carlsbad, NM best at?
- Its strongest measured area is natural disaster risk (48/100) — 90/100, better than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.) Fun fact: Gateway to Carlsbad Caverns National Park and its vast underground limestone chambers.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.