Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety7#864/924
Economy48#485/925
Housing52#442/925
Health26#681/925
Healthcare2#900/923
Environment37#579/917
Education2#907/925
Infrastructure7#859/925
Community29#659/925
Leisure & amenities4#891/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Hobbs, NM micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Comfortable days · high32.8%
92/100New Mexico 31.7%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Average weekly wage · high$1,380
90/100New Mexico $1,214United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Access to exercise opportunities · high87.5%
86/100New Mexico 75.7%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Job growth · high1.3%
83/100New Mexico -0.4%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional data
Effective property tax rate · low0.52%
83/100New Mexico 0.63%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Depression · low21.5%
80/100New Mexico 23.9%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Flu vaccinations · low20.0%
0/100New Mexico 36.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Mammography screening · low29.0%
2/100New Mexico 38.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
High school diploma or higher · low74.7%
2/100New Mexico 88.0%United States 89.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
High ozone days · high10 days
3/100New Mexico 4 daysUnited States 7 days2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyAggregated from counties
Property crime rate · high2,505 /100k
3/100New Mexico 2,240 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties
Some college · low44.4%
4/100New Mexico 63.7%United States 67.8%2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Trends

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

High ozone daysWorsening
1 days (2017) → 10 days (2022)
+900%5 yearsUS 9 days → 7 days
Gyms and fitness centersImproving
0.1 /10k (2020) → 0.4 /10k (2025)
+200%5 yearsUS 1.2 /10k → 1.3 /10k
Drought exposureWorsening
64% (2021) → 90% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+26 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Child care cost burdenWorsening
20.5% (2020 & 2021) → 40.2% (2023 & 2024)
+20 pts3 yearsUS 24.5% → 27.9%
New business applicationsImproving
7.8 /1k (2020) → 14.5 /1k (2025)
+86%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
36.5% (2015-2019) → 48.4% (2020-2024)
+12 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%

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, Hobbs, NM micropolitan area improved on 14 of 31 measures with a comparison and declined on 8. 6 moved within the margin of error and 3 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved14

Gyms+200%0.1 /10k → 0.4 /10k
Weekly wage+35%$1,021 → $1,380
Unemployment−6.1 points9.6% → 3.5%
Grocery stores+28%0.9 /10k → 1.2 /10k
New businesses+86%7.8 /1k → 14.5 /1k

Declined8

Libraries−20%0.8 /10k → 0.7 /10k
Rent / income+6.6 points22.9% → 29.5%
Inequality+0.0460.442 → 0.489
Rent burden+12 points36.5% → 48.4%
Commute+3.2 min21.2 min → 24.4 min

All 31 measures

Change of every measure of Hobbs, NM micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	1.5 /10k2020	1.9 /10k2025	+27%	Improved	83%
Average commute time	21.2 min2015-2019	24.4 min2020-2024	+3.2 min	Declined	4%
Average weekly wage	$1,0212020	$1,3802025	+35%	Improved	99%
Bachelor's degree or higher	13.6%2015-2019	15.5%2020-2024	+1.9 points	Within the margin of error	30%
Broadband subscriptions	77.7%2015-2019	86.3%2020-2024	+8.6 points	Improved	47%
Child poverty rate	21.1%2015-2019	23.6%2020-2024	+2.5 points	Within the margin of error	8%
Distance to an airport	81 mi2020	81 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	24.1 /100k2020	29.1 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	+21%	Declined	17%
Effective property tax rate	0.61%2015-2019	0.52%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	36%
Firearm deaths	22.8 /100k2020	16.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−29%	Improved	91%
Grocery stores	0.9 /10k2020	1.2 /10k2025	+28%	Improved	93%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.1 /10k2020	0.4 /10k2025	+200%	Improved	99%
High school diploma or higher	74.3%2015-2019	74.7%2020-2024	+0.4 points	Within the margin of error	12%
Home price to income ratio	2.2×2015-2019	2.7×2020-2024	+0.5×	Declined	42%
Homicide rate	8.7 /100k2020	6.6 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−24%	Improved	48%
Income adjusted for local prices	$53,8402019	$69,1362024	+28%	Improved	24%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4422015-2019	0.4892020-2024	+0.046	Declined	2%
Median household income	$60,5462015-2019	$68,0152020-2024	+12%	Improved	3%
New business applications	7.8 /1k2020	14.5 /1k2025	+86%	Improved	91%
Pharmacies	1.1 /10k2020	1.2 /10k2025	+12%	Improved	90%
Poverty rate	15.8%2015-2019	18.7%2020-2024	+2.9 points	Within the margin of error	3%
Property crime rate	3,534 /100k2020	2,505 /100k2025	−29%	Improved	40%
Public libraries	0.8 /10k2019	0.7 /10k2024	−20%	Declined	4%
Rent as share of income	22.9%2015-2019	29.5%2020-2024	+6.6 points	Declined	1%
Rent-burdened households	36.5%2015-2019	48.4%2020-2024	+12 points	Declined	2%
Restaurants and bars	6.3 /10k2020	6.4 /10k2025	+2%	Little change	54%
Suicide rate	22.8 /100k2020	17.3 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−24%	Improved	89%
Traffic deaths	27.3 /100k2015-2019	26.7 /100k2020-2024	−2.4%	Little change	66%
Unemployment rate	9.6%2020	3.5%2025	−6.1 points	Improved	98%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	14.5%2015-2019	16.0%2020-2024	+1.5 points	Within the margin of error	13%
Violent crime rate	514 /100k2020	596 /100k2025	+16%	Declined	14%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. 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 925 metro and micro areas 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.

Metro and micro areas like Hobbs, NM micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Hobbs, NM micropolitan area 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, Hobbs, NM micropolitan area itself moved −5.2 points in standing on average over the same 30 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

73,733 residents

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: 50–59 women (−1.0 points).

Table view

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

Race and Hispanic origin

73,733 residents

Hobbs, NM micropolitan area
United States share

White31%22,854
Black3.1%2,307
Hispanic or Latino63%46,266

Education

44,215 residents (±282)

Hobbs, NM micropolitan area
United States share

No high school diploma25%11,204
High school or GED32%14,279
Some college19%8,553

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

24,670 households (±504)

Hobbs, NM micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k21%5,144
$25k–50k18%4,558
$50k–75k15%3,616
$75k–100k13%3,238
$100k–150k15%3,719
$150k–200k8.7%2,157
$200k or more9.1%2,238

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $50k–75k (−6.5 points).

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

24,670 households (±504)

Hobbs, NM micropolitan area
United States share

Own71%17,559
Rent29%7,111

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+4.4 points).

Table view

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

Rent paid

6,070 households (±606)

Hobbs, NM micropolitan area
United States share

Under $75018%1,068
$750–1,00021%1,287
$1,000–1,50044%2,669

Home values

17,559 homes (±654)

Hobbs, NM micropolitan area
United States share

Under $150k37%6,534
$150k–250k31%5,365
$250k–400k22%3,853

Age of homes

28,403 homes (±55)

Hobbs, NM micropolitan area
United States share

2010 or later16%4,475
2000–20098.8%2,503
1980–199924%6,716

Size of homes

28,403 homes (±55)

Hobbs, NM micropolitan area
United States share

Studio1.8%†514
1 bedroom5.1%1,445
2 bedrooms25%7,001

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

30,392 workers (±874)

Hobbs, NM micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone76%22,986
Carpool18%5,468
Public transit0.3%†91
Walk1.4%†418
Bike0.1%†45
Work from home3.7%1,118
Other0.9%†266

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Drive alone (−8.7 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

29,274 workers (±977)

Hobbs, NM micropolitan area
United States share

Under 15 min53%15,419
15–29 min22%6,391
30–44 min8.9%2,606

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 no occupation wages for Hobbs, NM micropolitan area.

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.

Hobbs, NM has 1,730 employer establishments, 236 for every 10,000 residents (0.95× the US rate of 248), with 24,911 paid employees at an average annual pay of $66,142. The Census Bureau also counts 4,706 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,730; 4,706 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 236; US 248
Paid employees: 24,911
Average annual pay: $66,142; US $68,342

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

Truck transportation	159	21.7	4.29×More than typical	1,415	$83,687	546
Restaurants and other eating places	128	17.5	0.95×About typical	2,205	$21,487	41
Specialty trade contractors	102	13.9	0.90×About typical	1,621	$77,785	412
Ambulatory health care services	77	10.5	0.50×Fewer than typical	869	$59,509	120
Limited-service restaurants	56	7.6	0.95×About typical	1,141	$20,627	21
Religious organizations	53	7.2	1.31×More than typical	342	$23,637	—
Building equipment contractors	50	6.8	1.13×About typical	714	$83,748	73
Full-service restaurants	47	6.4	0.84×About typical	864	$23,325	12
Automotive repair and maintenance	42	5.7	1.14×About typical	240	$56,038	157
Gasoline stations	39	5.3	1.64×More than typical	567	$32,656	—
Lessors of real estate	37	5.1	0.41×Fewer than typical	130	$36,715	282
Clothing and accessories stores	30	4.1	1.13×About typical	269	$25,639	48

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 73,214 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.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
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 contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $973.6K on contracts performed in Hobbs, NM micropolitan area: $13.02 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $973.6K; −22% vs FY2025
Per resident: $13.02; US $1,994
Sole-source: 0.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; 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

Bureau of Land Management$973.6K100%

Top recipients

ANGELL RANCH CO LLC$973.6K100%
LOUISIANA ENERGY SERVICES, LLC$00.0%

Spending by fiscal year

413.1KFY2017
908.9KFY2018
203KFY2019
799.4KFY2020
850.6KFY2021
1.2MFY2022
1.2MFY2023
1.3M

Top industries (NAICS)

Support activities for animal production · 1152$973.6K100%

Largest awards

TASK ORDER$973.9K
ANGELL RANCH CO LLC· Lea County, NM· Facilities & utilities· May 4, 2026 – May 4, 2026· 140L0126F0060
ANGELL RANCH CO. WILD HORSE OFF-RANGE PASTURE(ORP)FACILITIES$883.2K
ANGELL RANCH CO LLC· Lea County, NM· Facilities & utilities· Mar 7, 2024 – Apr 20, 2026· 140L0124F0014
PERFORM PHYSICAL RECEIPT, STORAGE, AND MAINTAIN A URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE (UF6) HOLDING ACCOUNT TO FACILITATE TRANSFERS (BOOK AND PHYSICAL TRANSFERS) OF UF6 FROM DOE TO OTHER ENTITIES.$0
LOUISIANA ENERGY SERVICES, LLC· Lea County, NM· Other equipment & supplies· Oct 20, 2025 – Oct 20, 2025· 89303326PEM000265

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.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $307.8M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Hobbs, NM micropolitan area: $4,118 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $307.8M; −2.6% vs FY2025
Per resident: $4,118; US $12,955
Loan face value: $11.4M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 1.1%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$158.7M52%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$27.9M9.1%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$26.4M8.6%
10.855 · Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grants$25M8.1%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$18.8M6.1%
20.205 · Highway Planning and Construction$13.6M4.4%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$10.1M3.3%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$5M1.6%

Top recipients (organizations)

LEACO RURAL TELEPHONE COOP INC$25.6M8.3%
HOBBS, NM
NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$16.7M5.4%
SANTA FE, NM
COUNTY OF LEA$5.7M1.9%
LOVINGTON, NM
NEW MEXICO JUNIOR COLLEGE$4.1M1.3%
HOBBS, NM
CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES INC, OF LEA COUNTY$3.1M

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$223.2M73%
Rural Utilities Service$25M8.1%
Department of Agriculture
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$21.1M6.8%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$16.7M5.4%
Department of Transportation
Federal Aviation Administration$5.7M

Assistance by fiscal year

269MFY2021
281.5MFY2022
256.5MFY2023
285.6MFY2024
316MFY2025
307.8MFY2026

County aggregates

80%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Hobbs, NM

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Lea CountyCentral county1174,749

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

HobbsPrincipal city40,252

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in New Mexico

Areas based in New Mexico, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

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.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
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
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M26020

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved14

Declined8

Metro and micro areas like Hobbs, NM micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Getting to work

How people get to work

Time to get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Hobbs, NM

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in New Mexico

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved14

Declined8

Household income

Age and sex

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Owners and renters

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

How people get to work

Time to get to work

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought