The Town Files

Hobbs, New Mexico

City in Lea County · population 40,508 (2020 Census)

Map: where Hobbs is in New MexicoHobbs
Median home
$191,300
Household income
$64,021
Jan low / Jul high
30° / 94°
Snow a year
2 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
28
Median age
32.5

Hobbs is a city of 40,508 people in Lea County, New Mexico. The median home is worth $191,300, close to the typical New Mexico town ($187,400). It ranks more vibrant than 96% of New Mexico towns, more walkable than 82% of New Mexico towns, better for cycling than 75% of New Mexico towns.

How Hobbs ranks

Percentile among New Mexico towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of New Mexico towns.

Hobbs lifestyle rankings vs other New Mexico townsRetirement4th pctFamilies18th pctQuiet5th pctWalkability82nd pctFirst-time buyers43rd pctYoung professionals68th pctVibrancy96th pctHip & trendy47th pctCollege town30th pctUpscale46th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling75th pctTransit68th pctDriving60th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Hobbs is worth $191,300, close to the typical New Mexico town ($187,400). Homes cost about 3.0 times the median household income of $64,021, which is more affordable than 61% of New Mexico towns. Median rent is $1,112 a month. 66.0% of households own their home.

Hobbs vs Lea County vs typical New Mexico townHobbsLea CountyTypical New Mexico townHome value$191,300$184,000$187,400Household income$64,021$68,015$55,614Monthly rent$1,112$1,101$916
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of New Mexico towns with 500+ people.
HousingHobbsTypical New Mexico town
Median home value$191,300$187,400
Median rent$1,112$916
Median household income$64,021$55,614
Home value ÷ income3.0×3.2×
Homeownership66.0%80.1%
Median year built19801984
Seasonal / vacation homes1.5%—

Who lives in Hobbs

PeopleHobbsTypical New Mexico town
Median age32.539.9
Age 65 and over11.9%19.1%
Under 1827.8%—
Bachelor's degree or higher17.3%18.7%
Below the poverty line19.7%18.0%
Veterans3.2%—
Born outside the U.S.18.3%—
Work from home2.3%8.3%
Average commute23.8 min24.4 min
Homes with broadband86.5%82.9%

Weather in Hobbs

July highs average 94.1°F and January lows 29.6°F. About 13.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 1.8 inches of snow (typical New Mexico town: 10.7 in). Expect about 104 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 72 nights at or below freezing.

Hobbs monthly temperatures and precipitation20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°100°32° freezing55°30°Jan61°33°Feb69°40°Mar77°48°Apr85°57°May93°65°Jun94°69°Jul92°68°Aug85°61°Sep76°50°Oct64°38°Nov56°31°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue0.50.90.50.20.60.80.11.91.31.72.12.50.90.10.50.50.5
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Hobbs station (1.7 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

28 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Hobbs since 1950, compared with 3 for the typical New Mexico town. 5 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on June 6, 1991 about 9.1 miles from the town center. The most recent was on April 3, 2004.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Hobbs by decade11950s31960s21970s81980s131990s12000s02010s02020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 124 times; the largest was 4.50 inches on April 3, 2004.

Severe weather in Lea County since 1996

Storm events in Lea County since 1996 by typeHail383Flood5Drought14Tornado15High Wind115Ice Storm10Heavy Snow25Flash Flood93
NOAA Storm Events Database, Lea County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 2 deaths recorded.

Lea County has been included in 7 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
April 5, 2020BiologicalDR-4529: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3460: Covid-19
October 29, 2014Severe StormDR-4199: Severe Storms And Flooding
January 2, 2006FireFM-2600: Southeast New Mexico Fire Complex
September 7, 2005HurricaneEM-3229: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

Jobs and pay in Lea County

Lea County had 33,770 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $69,342 a year. Unemployment was 3.5% in 2023; in Hobbs itself the ACS puts it at 6.3%.

Largest industries in Lea CountyMining, oil & gas8,171 jobs · $101,206Retail3,451 jobs · $36,639Hotels & restaurants3,262 jobs · $25,301Construction2,994 jobs · $75,775Health care & social assistan…2,641 jobs · $50,915Transportation & warehousing2,075 jobs · $89,080
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Lea County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023Lea 3.5%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Hobbs

19 public schools with 10,153 students, about 16.5 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
HOBBS HIGH9-122,29117.8
HOBBS FRESHMAN HIGH9-1082820.7
HOUSTON MIDDLE SCHOOL6-982418.7
HIGHLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL6-881217.7
HEIZER MIDDLE SCHOOL6-858014.9
COLLEGE LANE ELEMENTARYK-552316.9
SOUTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARYPK-544515.3
MURRAY ELEMENTARYPK-544314.3
CORONADO ELEMENTARYK-541017.1
STONE ELEMENTARYPK-540917.8
MILLS ELEMENTARYPK-540617.7
TAYLOR ELEMENTARYPK-539314.6

Towns near Hobbs

Hobbs questions

Is Hobbs, New Mexico a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Hobbs scores better for retirees than 4% of New Mexico towns and quieter than 5%. 11.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 32.5).

How much does a house cost in Hobbs?

The median owner-occupied home in Hobbs is valued at $191,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $64,021, so homes cost about 3.0 times income. Median rent is $1,112 a month.

What is the weather like in Hobbs?

July highs average 94.1°F and January lows 29.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 13.8 inches of precipitation a year and 1.8 inches of snow.

Does Hobbs get tornadoes?

28 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Hobbs since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on June 6, 1991. The typical New Mexico town has had 3.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Hobbs's Census boundary (GEOID 3532520). Comparisons use the median of New Mexico towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.