88242 ZIP Code — Hobbs, NM

Lea County, New Mexico

ZIP code 88242 is located in Hobbs, New Mexico, within Lea County. It covers approximately 70.37 square miles and serves a population of 7,312 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Mountain (MT) timezone, served by area code 575.

About ZIP code 88242

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 1980s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $213,200. Owner-occupancy is high at 82%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $82,041.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 21 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 17% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

16% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

Overall, ZIP code 88242 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce and high homeownership.

7,312

population

70.37

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Mountain (MT)

timezone

88242 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 88242

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 88242. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Hobbs	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

88244 Hobbs (8.4 mi) 88265 Monument (15.2 mi) 88260 Lovington (15.7 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	7,312
Population density	104 / sq mi
State FIPS	35
County FIPS	025

Geography
Land area	70.37 sq mi
Water area	0.08 sq mi
Latitude	32.8239
Longitude	-103.1697
Timezone	Mountain (MT)
Area code	575

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	29.0%	40.1%	48.8%
$50k – $100k	38.6%	35.0%	29.4%
$100k – $200k	30.6%	20.6%	17.6%
Over $200k	1.9%	4.3%	4.1%

Demographics & statistics

7,312

Population

104

People per sq mi

37.2

Median age

$82,041

Median household income

$36,403

Per capita income

$213,200

Median home value

$1,168

Median monthly rent

81.8%

Home ownership

11.0%

Poverty rate

8.8%

Unemployment

2,335

Housing units

17.2%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

165

Under 5

158

282

5–9

270

304

10–14

290

316

15–19

302

256

20–24

245

436

25–34

417

573

35–44

547

443

45–54

423

239

55–59

228

292

60–64

280

271

65–74

259

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,907	26.1%
18 and over	5,405	73.9%
65 and over	846	11.6%
Median age	37.2 years

Race & ethnicity

White 60.6%

Hispanic or Latino 19.1%

Two or more races 13.9%

Other race 5.4%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%

Group	Count	%
White	5,477	60.6%
Hispanic or Latino	1,728	19.1%
Two or more races	1,261	13.9%
Other race	490	5.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	84	0.9%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	29.0%	40.1%	48.8%
$50k – $100k	38.6%	35.0%	29.4%
$100k – $200k	30.6%	20.6%	17.6%
Over $200k	1.9%	4.3%	4.1%

Under $10k 9.7%

$10k–$15k 3.0%

$15k–$25k 7.8%

$25k–$35k 5.2%

$35k–$50k 7.4%

$50k–$75k 11.5%

$75k–$100k 16.2%

$100k–$150k 16.2%

$150k–$200k 12.3%

$200k+ 10.7%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	9.7%
$10k–$15k	3.0%
$15k–$25k	7.8%
$25k–$35k	5.2%
$35k–$50k	7.4%
$50k–$75k	11.5%
$75k–$100k	16.2%
$100k–$150k	16.2%
$150k–$200k	12.3%
$200k+	10.7%
Median income	$82,041

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 10.0%

$50k–$100k 5.3%

$100k–$150k 10.2%

$150k–$200k 19.5%

$200k–$300k 29.1%

$300k–$500k 19.0%

$500k–$1M 6.2%

$1M+ 0.7%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$213,200
Median rent / month	$1,168
Owner occupied	81.8%
Renter occupied	18.2%
Vacant	9.3%
Single-family detached	64.4%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	30.5%
Median rooms	5.6
Avg household size (owned)	3.01

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	2.9%
2010–2019	14.8%
2000–2009	20.7%
1990–1999	13.2%
1980–1989	22.7%
1970–1979	16.3%
1960–1969	3.6%
1950–1959	2.6%
1940–1949	2.2%
1939 or earlier	1.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.3%
1 bedroom	3.7%
2 bedrooms	15.0%
3 bedrooms	58.8%
4 bedrooms	15.4%
5+ bedrooms	4.9%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.4%
1 vehicle	13.4%
2 vehicles	47.2%
3 or more	36.0%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	19.1%
Electricity	71.4%
Propane / LP gas	4.5%
Wood	2.7%
No fuel used	0.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,524	60.1%
Cohabiting couple	122	4.8%
Male householder, no spouse	425	16.8%
Female householder, no spouse	466	18.4%
Households with children under 18	813	32.0%
Households with seniors (65+)	603	23.8%
Average household size	2.87

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	27.0%	22.9%
Married	59.2%	57.5%
Separated	0.9%	1.7%
Widowed	1.2%	8.5%
Divorced	11.5%	9.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 6.0%

Some HS, no diploma 9.8%

HS graduate 37.3%

Some college, no degree 22.3%

Associate's degree 7.3%

Bachelor's degree 8.0%

Graduate / professional 9.2%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	84.2%
Bachelor's or higher	17.2%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	90	5.4%
Kindergarten	80	4.8%
Elementary school	829	49.8%
High school	554	33.3%
College / grad school	112	6.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 18.5%

Agriculture & mining 14.5%

Construction 12.9%

Retail trade 11.5%

Transportation & utilities 9.4%

Professional & management 7.6%

Finance & real estate 6.8%

Arts, food & hospitality 5.5%

Public administration 5.4%

Wholesale trade 2.7%

Manufacturing 1.8%

Other services 1.7%

Information 1.6%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	35.4%
Service	11.4%
Sales & office	18.6%
Natural resources & construction	16.5%
Production & transportation	18.1%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	77.7%
Government	13.7%
Self-employed	7.8%
Unpaid family workers	0.8%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	83.7%
Carpool	11.6%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.5%
Work from home	2.4%
Other means	1.8%
Avg commute (minutes)	21.1

Poverty

All people 11.0%

Under 18 years 11.0%

18 and over 11.0%

Married-couple families 5.5%

Female-led households 34.7%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	23.6%
Retirement income	14.6%
Supplemental Security	3.7%
Cash public assistance	5.1%
Food stamps / SNAP	8.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	32.6%
High blood pressure	32.2%
High cholesterol	30.7%
Diabetes	9.7%
Heart disease	5.4%
Stroke	2.6%
Asthma	9.7%
Arthritis	21.3%
Kidney disease	2.6%
Pulmonary disease	5.9%
Cancer	5.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	19.0%
Binge drinking	15.9%
No physical activity	21.2%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	30.6%
Depression	20.0%
Fair or poor health	13.2%
Poor mental health	14.4%
Poor physical health	9.8%
No health insurance	12.3%
Visited doctor (checkup)	66.8%
Visited dentist	60.1%
Cholesterol screening	86.6%
Teeth loss	14.3%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	271	5.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	12.2%
Under 18	3.3%
18–64 years	12.1%
65 and over	32.5%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	59.7%
Public insurance	32.9%
No insurance	15.7%
Uninsured under 19	17.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	6,989	95.6%
Spanish	702	10.0%
Other Indo-European	691	9.9%
Asian & Pacific Islander	11	0.2%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	6,309	86.3%
Born in same state	6,309	86.3%
Born in different state	3,066	41.9%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	1,003	13.7%
Not a US citizen	325	32.4%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	921	12.6%
French	486	6.6%
Italian	374	5.1%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	76	1%
English	12	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	34.7%
Internet access	93.0%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 88242

What city is ZIP code 88242 in?

ZIP code 88242 is primarily assigned to Hobbs, New Mexico.

What county is ZIP code 88242 in?

ZIP code 88242 falls within Lea County, New Mexico.

Is ZIP code 88242 mostly owner-occupied?

82% of occupied units in ZIP code 88242 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What is the population of ZIP code 88242?

ZIP code 88242 has an estimated population of 7,312 residents, with a density of 104 people per square mile.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 88242?

The median home value in ZIP code 88242 is $213,200.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 88242?

The median household income in ZIP code 88242 is $82,041, above the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 88242 in?

ZIP code 88242 observes the MST timezone.