Census-designated place · Socorro County, New Mexico

Polvadera, New Mexico

Polvadera is a census-designated place in Socorro County, New Mexico. It has 1,033 residents. Polvadera, New Mexico has a quality-of-life score of 3 out of 100 (very low), ranking #15,213 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within New Mexico it ranks #147 of 163 cities and towns. It ranks best on median Air Quality Index (low), unemployment rate (low) and uninsured residents (under 65) (low). It ranks worst on poverty rate (high), food environment index (low) and injury deaths (high).

3Very low

Quality-of-life score: #15,213 of 15,651 cities and towns
New Mexico: #147 of 163 in NM
Population: 1,033 (2020-2024)
Land area: 1 mi²
Density: 1,065.7 /mi²
FIPS code: 3558910

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 70 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

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

Safety2#15,255/15,637
Economy7#14,462/15,631
Housing—
Health8#14,338/15,609
Healthcare26#11,602/15,650
Environment82#2,826/15,453
Education8#14,377/15,649
Infrastructure2#15,335/15,650
Community7#14,543/15,651
Leisure & amenities4#15,045/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Polvadera, New Mexico ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Socorro 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

Median Air Quality Index · low16
99/100New Mexico 502024U.S. Environmental Protection AgencySocorro County value
Unemployment rate · low0.0%
98/100New Mexico 4.2%United States 4.3%2020-2024U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census table B23025
Uninsured residents (under 65) · low0.0%
98/100New Mexico 13.4%United States 9.8%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B27010
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · low5.1 µg/m³
96/100New Mexico 5.9 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencySocorro County value
Public libraries · high1.9 /10k
90/100New Mexico 0.6 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesSocorro County value
Comfortable days · high32.6%
89/100New Mexico 31.7%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationSocorro County value

Weaknesses

Poverty rate · high88.7%
0/100New Mexico 15.8%United States 12.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001
Food environment index · low4.2
0/100New Mexico 4.6United States 7.62019 & 2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteSocorro County value
Injury deaths · high199 /100k
1/100New Mexico 134 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteSocorro County value
Traffic deaths · high79.1 /100k
1/100New Mexico 20.7 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationProvisional dataSocorro County value
Premature death · high18,958 /100k
1/100New Mexico 12,175 /100kUnited States 8,123 /100k2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteSocorro County value
Pharmacies · low0.0 /10k
1/100New Mexico 1.4 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsSocorro County value

Trends

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

PopulationRising
126 (2015-2019) → 1,033 (2020-2024)
+720%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Poverty rateWorsening
5.6% (2015-2019) → 88.7% (2020-2024)
+83 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Unemployment rateImproving
18.7% (2015-2019) → 0.0% (2020-2024)
−19 pts5 yearsCensus table B23025US 3.7% → 4.0%
Income inequality (Gini index)Worsening
0.419 (2015-2019) → 0.716 (2020-2024)
+71%5 yearsCensus table B19083US 0.482 → 0.483
Bachelor's degree or higherWorsening
19.0% (2015-2019) → 7.8% (2020-2024)
−11 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%
Home price to income ratioImproving
7.4× (2016-2020) → 4.6× (2020-2024)
−38%4 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×

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, Polvadera, New Mexico improved on 1 of 5 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 4 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.

Improved1

Unemployment−19 points18.7% → 0.0%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 5 measures

Change of every measure of Polvadera, New Mexico between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Broadband subscriptions	80.6%2015-2019	74.3%2020-2024	−6.4 points	Within the margin of error	2%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4192015-2019	0.7162020-2024	+0.297	Within the margin of error	0%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Unemployment rate	18.7%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	−19 points	Improved	100%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	47%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 5712 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 Polvadera, New Mexico five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Polvadera, 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.

No place that looked like Polvadera, New Mexico five years ago has more measures that improved than declined, with a higher standing among its peers today.

For comparison, Polvadera, New Mexico itself moved −47 points in standing on average over the same 2 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

1,033 residents (±651)

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: Under 10 women (+39.9 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

1,033 residents (±651)

Polvadera, New Mexico
New Mexico share

White21%†222
Black0.0%0
Hispanic or Latino79%†811

Education

374 residents (±291)

Polvadera, New Mexico
New Mexico share

No high school diploma6.2%†23
High school or GED77%†287
Some college9.4%

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

202 households (±147)

Polvadera, New Mexico
New Mexico share

Under $25k0.0%0
$25k–50k74%†150
$50k–75k14%†29
$75k–100k0.0%0
$100k–150k0.0%0
$150k–200k0.0%0
$200k or more11%†23

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $25k–50k (+74.3 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

202 households (±147)

Polvadera, New Mexico
New Mexico share

Own83%†167
Rent17%†35

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

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

Table view

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

Rent paid

35 households (±43)

Polvadera, New Mexico
New Mexico share

Under $750100%†35
$750–1,0000.0%0
$1,000–1,5000.0%0

Home values

167 homes (±137)

Polvadera, New Mexico
New Mexico share

Under $150k51%†85
$150k–250k49%†82
$250k–400k0.0%0

Age of homes

231 homes (±148)

Polvadera, New Mexico
New Mexico share

2010 or later0.0%0
2000–20090.0%0
1980–199972%†167

Size of homes

231 homes (±148)

Polvadera, New Mexico
New Mexico share

Studio0.0%0
1 bedroom0.0%0
2 bedrooms39%†91

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

140 workers (±115)

Polvadera, New Mexico
New Mexico share

Drive alone41%†58
Carpool0.0%0
Public transit0.0%0
Walk0.0%0
Bike0.0%0
Work from home59%†82
Other0.0%0

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Work from home (+58.6 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 B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

58 workers (±56)

Polvadera, New Mexico
New Mexico share

Under 15 min0.0%0
15–29 min100%†58
30–44 min0.0%0

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

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 Socorro County, the county holding most of Polvadera's residents.

Socorro County has 221 employer establishments, 138 for every 10,000 residents (0.56× the US rate of 248; 0.65× New Mexico's), with 2,772 paid employees at an average annual pay of $36,868. The Census Bureau also counts 834 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 221; 834 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 138; US 248 · New Mexico 212
Paid employees: 2,772
Average annual pay: $36,868; US $68,342

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

Restaurants and other eating places	26	16.3	0.89×About typical	367	$19,169	—
Ambulatory health care services	20	12.5	0.60×Fewer than typical	432	$27,123	40
Full-service restaurants	15	9.4	1.22×About typical	195	$18,723	—
Gasoline stations	11	6.9	2.12×More than typical	88	$29,864	—
Specialty trade contractors	11	6.9	0.44×Fewer than typical	37	$41,649	52
Limited-service restaurants	9	5.6	0.70×Too few to compare	160	$20,250	—
Religious organizations	8	5	0.90×Too few to compare	22	$17,773	—
Building equipment contractors	7	4.4	0.73×Too few to compare	28	$40,000	15
General merchandise stores	7	4.4	2.48×Too few to compare	209	$32,086	4
Insurance agencies and brokerages	7	4.4	1.00×Too few to compare	22	$28,091	4
Traveler accommodation	7	4.4	2.43×Too few to compare	100	$29,920	10
Offices of other health practitioners	6	3.8	0.62×Too few to compare	310	$23,723	14

Rank places for an industry Open Socorro County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 15,988 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 $0 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Polvadera, New Mexico: $0 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $0
Per resident: $0; US $1,994
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; 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

Spending by fiscal year

1.2KFY2017
138.2KFY2020

What was bought

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 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 Polvadera, New Mexico, so they do not add up across cities.

Polvadera, New Mexico's figures are part of those of Socorro County, NM ($102M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.0% of that total.

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

See federal money in Socorro 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.

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

House

Gabe VasquezD-NM-2 · 100% of residentsWith party 89%Missed 0.7%

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.

Socorro County4100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Socorro County

Largest first.

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/3558910