The Town FilesMescalero, New Mexico
Community in Otero County · population 1,480 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $43,300
- Household income
- $24,313
- Jan low / Jul high
- 26° / 81°
- Snow a year
- 32 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 0
- Median age
- 44.6
Mescalero is a community of 1,480 people in Otero County, New Mexico. The median home is worth $43,300, below the typical New Mexico town ($187,400). It ranks better transit than 100% of New Mexico towns, better for young professionals than 85% of New Mexico towns, hipper than 72% of New Mexico towns.
How Mescalero 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.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Mescalero is worth $43,300, below the typical New Mexico town ($187,400). Homes cost about 1.8 times the median household income of $24,313, which is more affordable than 90% of New Mexico towns. Median rent is $260 a month. 72.2% of households own their home.
| Housing | Mescalero | Typical New Mexico town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $43,300 | $187,400 |
| Median rent | $260 | $916 |
| Median household income | $24,313 | $55,614 |
| Home value ÷ income | 1.8× | 3.2× |
| Homeownership | 72.2% | 80.1% |
| Median year built | 1978 | 1984 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.9% | — |
Who lives in Mescalero
| People | Mescalero | Typical New Mexico town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 44.6 | 39.9 |
| Age 65 and over | 17.3% | 19.1% |
| Under 18 | 19.1% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 7.7% | 18.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 42.7% | 18.0% |
| Veterans | 6.1% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 1.9% | — |
| Work from home | 0.0% | 8.3% |
| Average commute | 17.1 min | 24.4 min |
| Homes with broadband | 64.5% | 82.9% |
Weather in Mescalero
July highs average 80.7°F and January lows 25.9°F. About 19.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 31.9 inches of snow (typical New Mexico town: 10.7 in). Expect about 5 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 106 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
NOAA's Storm Events Database has no tornado within 10 miles of Mescalero since 1950.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 4 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on September 15, 2016.
Severe weather in Otero County since 1996
Otero County has been included in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| July 22, 2025 | Flood | DR-4886: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Landslides |
| July 10, 2025 | Flood | EM-3628: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Landslides |
| June 20, 2024 | Fire | DR-4795: South Fork Fire, Salt Fire, And Flooding |
| June 18, 2024 | Fire | FM-5498: Salt Fire |
| June 17, 2024 | Fire | FM-5497: South Fork Fire |
Jobs and pay in Otero County
Otero County had 17,528 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $50,017 a year. Unemployment was 4% in 2023; in Mescalero itself the ACS puts it at 10.7%.
Towns near Mescalero
- Cloudcroft, NM13.2 mi · 750 people · home $234,800
- Tularosa, NM13.2 mi · 2,553 people · home $150,600
- La Luz, NM13.9 mi · 1,578 people · home $68,100
- High Rolls, NM13.9 mi · 862 people · home $257,600
- Ruidoso, NM16.7 mi · 7,679 people · home $243,800
- Ruidoso Downs, NM18.0 mi · 2,620 people · home $154,000
- Alamogordo, NM19.8 mi · 30,898 people · home $172,900
- Boles Acres, NM24.1 mi · 1,788 people · home —
Mescalero questions
Is Mescalero, New Mexico a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Mescalero scores better for retirees than 23% of New Mexico towns and quieter than 31%. 17.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 44.6).
How much does a house cost in Mescalero?
The median owner-occupied home in Mescalero is valued at $43,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $24,313, so homes cost about 1.8 times income. Median rent is $260 a month.
What is the weather like in Mescalero?
July highs average 80.7°F and January lows 25.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 19.3 inches of precipitation a year and 31.9 inches of snow.
Does Mescalero get tornadoes?
No tornado has been recorded within 10 miles of Mescalero in NOAA's Storm Events Database since 1950.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)