Scores by category

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

Safety99#14/924
Economy100#1/925
Housing96#42/925
Health99#7/925
Healthcare95#47/923
Environment99#7/917
Education100#1/925
Infrastructure100#3/925
Community100#4/925
Leisure & amenities65#328/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Strengths

Food insecurity · low6.9%
100/100New Mexico 22.2%United States 15.6%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Severe housing problems · low5.9%
100/100New Mexico 16.5%United States 16.8%2017-2021University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Poor or fair health · low11.0%
100/100New Mexico 25.1%United States 19.9%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Frequent mental distress · low13.0%
100/100New Mexico 17.5%United States 18.6%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Bachelor's degree or higher · high69.7%
100/100New Mexico 31.0%United States 35.7%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
High school diploma or higher · high98.3%
100/100New Mexico 88.0%United States 89.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003

Weaknesses

Drought exposure · high100%
1/100New Mexico 84%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAAggregated from counties
Restaurants and bars · low4.1 /10k
2/100New Mexico 6.4 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Pharmacies · low0.5 /10k
3/100New Mexico 1.4 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
New homes permitted · low0.6 /1k
10/100New Mexico 3.8 /1kUnited States 4.2 /1kSep 2025–Aug 2026U.S. Census BureauProvisional data
New business applications · low9.3 /1k
25/100New Mexico 19.2 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Distance to an emergency room · high7.9 mi
29/100New Mexico 9.8 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesAggregated from counties

Trends

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

Traffic deathsWorsening
1.1 /100k (2015-2019) → 7.2 /100k (2020-2024)
+575%5 yearsUS 11.3 /100k → 12.3 /100k
Homicide rateImproving
8.1 /100k (2021) → 0.0 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−100%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k
Drug overdose deathsImproving
30.4 /100k (2022) → 0.0 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−100%4 yearsUS 30.9 /100k → 18.4 /100k
New homes permittedWorsening
2.1 /1k (2021) → 0.6 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−73%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Hot daysWorsening
2 days (2011-2020) → 3 days (2016-2025)
+60%5 yearsUS 41 days → 42 days
Flu vaccinationsImproving
45.0% (2019) → 56.0% (2023)
+11 pts4 yearsUS 48.0% → 44.0%

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, NM micropolitan area improved on 11 of 28 measures with a comparison and declined on 3. 8 moved within the margin of error and 6 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.

Improved11

Grocery stores+33%1.5 /10k → 2.1 /10k
Real income+41%$81,054 → $114,529
Arts & recreation+38%4.1 /10k → 5.7 /10k
Suicides−20%25.0 /100k → 20.1 /100k
Firearm deaths−27%21.6 /100k → 15.8 /100k

Declined3

Traffic deaths+575%1.1 /100k → 7.2 /100k
Gyms−40%2.6 /10k → 1.5 /10k
Price / income+0.9×2.5× → 3.4×

All 28 measures

Change of every measure of Los Alamos, NM micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	4.1 /10k2020	5.7 /10k2025	+38%	Improved	92%
Average commute time	16.2 min2015-2019	14.7 min2020-2024	−1.5 min	Within the margin of error	92%
Average weekly wage	$1,8202020	$2,2702025	+25%	Improved	63%
Bachelor's degree or higher	67.4%2015-2019	69.7%2020-2024	+2.3 points	Within the margin of error	39%
Broadband subscriptions	89.6%2015-2019	93.4%2020-2024	+3.8 points	Improved	4%
Distance to an airport	60 mi2020	60 mi2025	−0 mi	Little change	76%
Effective property tax rate	0.67%2015-2019	0.56%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Little change	45%
Firearm deaths	21.6 /100k2020	15.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−27%	Improved	90%
Grocery stores	1.5 /10k2020	2.1 /10k2025	+33%	Improved	94%
Gyms and fitness centers	2.6 /10k2020	1.5 /10k2025	−40%	Declined	7%
High school diploma or higher	97.6%2015-2019	98.3%2020-2024	+0.7 points	Within the margin of error	18%
Home price to income ratio	2.5×2015-2019	3.4×2020-2024	+0.9×	Declined	16%
Income adjusted for local prices	$81,0542019	$114,5292024	+41%	Improved	92%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3912015-2019	0.3822020-2024	−0.009	Within the margin of error	76%
Median household income	$121,3242015-2019	$147,1392020-2024	+21%	Improved	19%
New business applications	9.4 /1k2020	9.3 /1k2025	−0.5%	Little change	5%
Pharmacies	0.5 /10k2020	0.5 /10k2025	+0%	Little change	72%
Poverty rate	4.4%2015-2019	3.5%2020-2024	−0.8 points	Within the margin of error	47%
Property crime rate	380 /100k2020	295 /100k2025	−22%	Improved	28%
Public libraries	1.0 /10k2019	1.0 /10k2024	−0.2%	Little change	62%
Rent as share of income	18.6%2015-2019	18.6%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	59%
Rent-burdened households	23.3%2015-2019	28.8%2020-2024	+5.5 points	Within the margin of error	14%
Restaurants and bars	4.1 /10k2020	4.1 /10k2025	+0%	Little change	46%
Suicide rate	25.0 /100k2020	20.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−20%	Improved	86%
Traffic deaths	1.1 /100k2015-2019	7.2 /100k2020-2024	+575%	Declined	0%
Unemployment rate	3.2%2020	1.8%2025	−1.4 points	Improved	10%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	3.7%2015-2019	2.9%2020-2024	−0.8 points	Within the margin of error	66%
Violent crime rate	80 /100k2020	61 /100k2025	−23%	Improved	63%

“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 Los Alamos, NM micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Los Alamos, 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, Los Alamos, NM micropolitan area itself moved +0.4 points in standing on average over the same 28 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

19,435 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

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

Household income

8,247 households (±164)

Los Alamos, NM micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k5.6%†464
$25k–50k6.1%†505
$50k–75k10%857

Homes

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

Owners and renters

8,247 households (±164)

Los Alamos, NM micropolitan area
United States share

Own75%6,171
Rent25%2,076

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

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

10,510 workers (±409)

Los Alamos, NM micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone72%7,551
Carpool7.2%†756
Public transit1.2%†128

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 Los Alamos, 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.

Los Alamos, NM has 373 employer establishments, 193 for every 10,000 residents (0.78× the US rate of 248), 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
Paid employees: 17,888
Average annual pay: $113,028; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Los Alamos, NM 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

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.
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 $5.5B on contracts performed in Los Alamos, NM micropolitan area: $284,696 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $5.5B; +4.7% vs FY2025
Per resident: $284,696; US $1,994
Sole-source: 0.1%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.1%; 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

Department of Energy$5.5B100.0%
Forest Service$845K0.0%
Federal Acquisition Service$465.7K0.0%
Department of the Army$248.1K0.0%
Departmental Offices$49.9K0.0%
Defense Logistics Agency$30.4K0.0%
National Park Service$19.3K0.0%
National Aeronautics and Space Administration$16.6K0.0%

Top recipients

TRIAD NATIONAL SECURITY, LLC$5.5B99%
TECHSOURCE, LLC$19M0.3%
VECTOR RESOURCE INC$5.6M0.1%
S&K MISSION SUPPORT, LLC$5.3M0.1%
NEWPORT NEWS NUCLEAR BWXT-LOS ALAMOS LLC$3.1M0.1%

Spending by fiscal year

2.6BFY2017
2.7BFY2018
2.9BFY2019
3.1BFY2020
4BFY2021
4BFY2022
4.7BFY2023
5.2B

Top industries (NAICS)

Facilities support services · 5612$5.5B99%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$20M0.4%
Remediation and other waste management services · 5629$8.4M0.2%
Management, scientific, and technical consulting services · 5416$4.8M0.1%
Business support services · 5614$1.1M0.0%
Nonscheduled air transportation · 4812

Largest awards

COMPETITION FOR MANAGEMENT AND OPERATION OF LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY$35.4B
TRIAD NATIONAL SECURITY, LLC· Los Alamos County, NM· Facilities & utilities· Jun 8, 2018 – Sep 28, 2026· 89233218CNA000001
M&O OF LANL BR OF U OF CA$35.3B
REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, THE· Los Alamos County, NM· Facilities & utilities· Nov 3, 2016 – Jun 12, 2026· DEAC3243AL00036
THE CONTRACTOR SHALL, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS CONTRACT, PROVIDE THE PERSONNEL, EQUIPMENT, MATERIALS, SUPPLIES, AND SERVICES (EXCEPT AS MAY BE FURNISHED BY THE GOVERNMENT) AND OTHERWISE DO ALL THING NECESSARY FOR, OR INCIDENT TO PROVIDING ITS BEST EFFORTS TO EFFECTIVELY, EFFICIENTLY AND SAFELY MANAGE AND OPERATE THE LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY FOR THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY/NATIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITY ADMINISTRATION.$27.4B
LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL SECURITY LLC· Los Alamos County, NM

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 $113.3M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Los Alamos, NM micropolitan area: $5,838 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $113.3M; −5.4% vs FY2025
Per resident: $5,838; US $12,955
Loan face value: $8.6M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.1%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$82M72%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$10M8.8%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$4.5M4.0%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$3.3M3.0%
93.855 · Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research$3.2M2.9%
20.265 · Carbon Reduction Program$2.1M1.9%
43.001 · Science$1.8M1.5%
84.041 · Impact Aid$901.4K0.8%

Top recipients (organizations)

TRIAD NATIONAL SECURITY, LLC$4.3M3.8%
COLUMBUS, OH
NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$2.5M2.2%
SANTA FE, NM
NMC, INC.$1.3M1.1%
LOS ALAMOS, NM
LOS ALAMOS PUBLIC SCHOOLS$948.2K0.8%
LOS ALAMOS, NM
GEOLABE LLC$495.3K

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$90.3M80%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$11.1M9.8%
Department of Veterans Affairs
National Institutes of Health$4.3M3.8%
Department of Health and Human Services
Federal Highway Administration$2.5M2.2%
Department of Transportation
National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Assistance by fiscal year

94.2MFY2021
86.5MFY2022
95.4MFY2023
108.3MFY2024
119.8MFY2025
113.3MFY2026

County aggregates

90%

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 Los Alamos, 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.

Los Alamos CountyCentral county10019,407

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

Los AlamosPrincipal city13,317

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/M31060

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved11

Declined3

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

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people 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 Los Alamos, 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

Improved11

Declined3

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

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