Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety95#722/15,637
Economy98#368/15,631
Housing97#377/14,977
Health95#755/15,609
Healthcare95#802/15,650
Environment100#6/15,453
Education95#737/15,649
Infrastructure98#285/15,650
Community100#33/15,651
Leisure & amenities58#6,584/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Los Alamos, New Mexico ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Los Alamos County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · low3.9 µg/m³
100/100New Mexico 5.9 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyLos Alamos County value
Average commute time · low12.4 min
99/100New Mexico 23.5 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Voter turnout · high85.3%
99/100New Mexico 59.7%United States 65.2%2024U.S. Election Assistance CommissionLos Alamos County value
Median Air Quality Index · low14
99/100New Mexico 502023U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyLos Alamos County value
Average weekly wage · high$2,270
99/100New Mexico $1,214United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsLos Alamos County value
Primary care physicians · high146 /100k
99/100New Mexico 75 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteLos Alamos County value

Weaknesses

Drought exposure · high100%
1/100New Mexico 84%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAALos Alamos County value
Pharmacies · low0.5 /10k
4/100New Mexico 1.4 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsLos Alamos County value
Restaurants and bars · low4.1 /10k
5/100New Mexico 6.4 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsLos Alamos County value
New business applications · low9.3 /1k
18/100New Mexico 19.2 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauLos Alamos County value
Suicide rate · high20.1 /100k
22/100New Mexico 22.3 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimateProvisional dataLos Alamos County value
Job growth · low-1.1%
25/100New Mexico -0.4%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataLos Alamos County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
12,666 (2015-2019) → 13,317 (2020-2024)
+5.1%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
20.5% (2015-2019) → 29.8% (2020-2024)
+9.3 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
87.3% (2015-2019) → 94.5% (2020-2024)
+7.2 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
2.7× (2015-2019) → 3.6× (2020-2024)
+34%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Median household incomeImproving
$116,116 (2015-2019) → $141,018 (2020-2024)
+21%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Average commute timeImproving
15.1 min (2015-2019) → 12.4 min (2020-2024)
−18%5 yearsCensus table B08013US 26.9 min → 26.4 min

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Los Alamos, New Mexico improved on 3 of 12 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 8 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved3

Commute−2.7 min15.1 min → 12.4 min
Broadband+7.2 points87.3% → 94.5%
Household income+21%$116,116 → $141,018

Declined1

Price / income+0.9×2.7× → 3.6×

All 12 measures

Change of every measure of Los Alamos, New Mexico between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	15.1 min2015-2019	12.4 min2020-2024	−2.7 min	Improved	77%
Bachelor's degree or higher	68.3%2015-2019	69.8%2020-2024	+1.5 points	Within the margin of error	38%
Broadband subscriptions	87.3%2015-2019	94.5%2020-2024	+7.2 points	Improved	45%
Effective property tax rate	0.67%2015-2019	0.58%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	33%
High school diploma or higher	96.9%2015-2019	97.6%2020-2024	+0.8 points	Within the margin of error	43%
Home price to income ratio	2.7×2015-2019	3.6×2020-2024	+0.9×	Declined	26%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4102015-2019	0.3902020-2024	−0.020	Within the margin of error	68%
Median household income	$116,1162015-2019	$141,0182020-2024	+21%	Improved	36%
Poverty rate	5.2%2015-2019	4.1%2020-2024	−1.1 points	Within the margin of error	55%
Rent as share of income	17.6%2015-2019	18.5%2020-2024	+0.9 points	Within the margin of error	48%
Rent-burdened households	20.5%2015-2019	29.8%2020-2024	+9.3 points	Within the margin of error	26%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	4.3%2015-2019	4.0%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Within the margin of error	51%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Los Alamos, New Mexico five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Los Alamos, New Mexico in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Los Alamos, New Mexico itself moved −0.3 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

13,317 residents (±655)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69
50–59
40–49
30–39
20–29
10–19
Under 10

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 20–29 women (+1.8 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

13,317 residents (±655)

Los Alamos, New Mexico
New Mexico share

White70%9,259
Black0.8%†102
Hispanic or Latino18%2,381

Education

9,753 residents (±450)

Los Alamos, New Mexico
New Mexico share

No high school diploma2.4%†232
High school or GED9.5%924
Some college13%1,307

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

5,975 households (±278)

Los Alamos, New Mexico
New Mexico share

Under $25k6.7%†398
$25k–50k6.8%†406
$50k–75k11%†651
$75k–100k7.8%464
$100k–150k20%1,193
$150k–200k20%1,202
$200k or more28%1,661

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $200k or more (+9.6 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

5,975 households (±278)

Los Alamos, New Mexico
New Mexico share

Own67%3,976
Rent33%1,999

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

1,982 households (±313)

Los Alamos, New Mexico
New Mexico share

Under $7507.4%†146
$750–1,00029%†570
$1,000–1,50023%†452

Home values

3,976 homes (±290)

Los Alamos, New Mexico
New Mexico share

Under $150k4.5%†177
$150k–250k9.3%†368
$250k–400k21%823

Age of homes

6,190 homes (±242)

Los Alamos, New Mexico
New Mexico share

2010 or later7.1%†442
2000–200913%821
1980–199923%1,419

Size of homes

6,190 homes (±242)

Los Alamos, New Mexico
New Mexico share

Studio7.7%†474
1 bedroom4.7%†288
2 bedrooms26%1,629

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

7,386 workers (±497)

Los Alamos, New Mexico
New Mexico share

Drive alone71%5,208
Carpool5.6%†413
Public transit1.4%†100
Walk3.2%†236
Bike1.2%†89
Work from home17%1,241
Other1.3%†99

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Work from home (+12.1 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

6,145 workers (±522)

Los Alamos, New Mexico
New Mexico share

Under 15 min62%3,786
15–29 min34%2,119
30–44 min2.2%†136

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Los Alamos, NM

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Los Alamos County, the county holding most of Los Alamos's residents.

Los Alamos County has 373 employer establishments, 193 for every 10,000 residents (0.78× the US rate of 248; 0.91× New Mexico's), with 17,888 paid employees at an average annual pay of $113,028. The Census Bureau also counts 992 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 373; 992 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 193; US 248 · New Mexico 212
Paid employees: 17,888
Average annual pay: $113,028; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Los Alamos County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	51	26.4	1.27×More than typical	443	$53,587	75
Restaurants and other eating places	28	14.5	0.79×Fewer than typical	374	$25,759	4
Offices of other health practitioners	22	11.4	1.87×More than typical	92	$41,380	42
Lessors of real estate	18	9.3	0.76×Fewer than typical	50	$63,160	94
Limited-service restaurants	17	8.8	1.10×About typical	257	$23,767	—
Religious organizations	17	8.8	1.59×More than typical	96	$29,396	—
Construction of buildings	14	7.2	0.96×About typical	64	$111,156	21
Management, scientific and technical consulting	13	6.7	1.00×About typical	177	$95,655	89
Offices of physicians	13	6.7	1.04×About typical	194	$63,655	9
Specialty trade contractors	12	6.2	0.40×Fewer than typical	83	$134,012	17
Banks and credit unions	11	5.7	1.76×More than typical	145	$69,469	—
Individual and family services	11	5.7	2.03×More than typical	98	$31,194	8

Rank places for an industry Open Los Alamos County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 19,312 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $7.2M of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Los Alamos, New Mexico: $538 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $7.2M; −40% vs FY2025
Per resident: $538; US $1,995
Sole-source: 6.9%; US 30%
Single offer: 16%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

TECHSOURCE, LLC$3.7M52%
VECTOR RESOURCE INC$1.1M15%
S&K MISSION SUPPORT, LLC$1.1M15%
NEWPORT NEWS NUCLEAR BWXT-LOS ALAMOS LLC$606.6K8.5%
TEKPRO SUPPORT SERVICES, LLC$222K3.1%

Spending by fiscal year

34MFY2017
34.9MFY2018
25MFY2019
14MFY2020
16.8MFY2021
7.5MFY2022
13.4MFY2023
10.7M

Top industries (NAICS)

Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$3.8M53%
Remediation and other waste management services · 5629$1.7M23%
Management, scientific, and technical consulting services · 5416$936.9K13%
Business support services · 5614$222K3.1%
Nonscheduled air transportation · 4812$176.4K2.5%

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Los Alamos, New Mexico, so they do not add up across cities.

Los Alamos, New Mexico's figures are part of those of Los Alamos County, NM ($5.5B in FY2026), never added to them: 0.1% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Los Alamos is mostly in Los Alamos County.

See federal money in Los Alamos County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Los Alamos, New Mexico is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Teresa Leger FernandezD-NM-3 · 100% of residentsWith party 99%Missed 8.7%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Los Alamos County100100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Los Alamos, NM100

Other cities and towns in Los Alamos County

Largest first.

White Rock1005,716

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/3542320

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends