ZipCodesToGo
New Mexico ZIP Codes
Lincoln County
Alto, NM
88312
88312 ZIP Code — Alto, NM
Lincoln County, New Mexico
ZIP code 88312 is located in
Alto ,
New Mexico ,
within Lincoln County .
It covers approximately 71.17 square miles and serves a population of
2,800 residents.
This is a standard ZIP code in the Mountain (MT) timezone,
served by area code 575 .
About ZIP code 88312
The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 2000s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $312,500. Owner-occupancy is high at 98%, well above the national average.
The gap between median ($56,686) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 56% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.
The dominant occupation class is sales and office, with retail trade as the leading industry. The average commute of 28 minutes is near the national average. Remote work is prevalent — 20% of workers work from home.
Educational attainment is near the national average, with 37% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.
Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 13% of civilians, above the national average of 7%; and disability rates above the national average at 25%.
Overall, ZIP code 88312 reflects a community defined by a strong veteran community, high homeownership, a high rate of remote workers, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.
88312 ZIP code map
View map of 88312
Cities in ZIP code 88312
Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 88312. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.
City
Status
Alto
Acceptable
Alto
Preferred
Nearby ZIP codes
Demographics
updated 06/2026
Population
Total population
2,800
Population density
39 / sq mi
State FIPS
35
County FIPS
027
Geography
Land area
71.17 sq mi
Water area
0.00 sq mi
Latitude
33.4247
Longitude
-105.6679
Timezone
Mountain (MT)
Area code
575
Economics
updated 06/2026
Household income
Income range
This ZIP
County avg
State avg
Under $50k
51.7%
54.8%
48.8%
$50k – $100k
16.7%
25.6%
29.4%
$100k – $200k
25.0%
17.4%
17.6%
Over $200k
6.6%
2.3%
4.1%
Demographics & statistics
$56,686
Median household income
$312,500
Median home value
36.8%
Bachelor's or higher
Age distribution
Age summary
Group Count % Under 18 360 12.9% 18 and over 2,440 87.1% 65 and over 1,221 43.6% Median age 63.2 years
Race & ethnicity
American Indian / Alaska Native
2.6%
Black or African American
0.1%
Group Count % White 2,061 60.1% Hispanic or Latino 630 18.4% Two or more races 573 16.7% American Indian / Alaska Native 89 2.6% Other race 57 1.7% Asian 15 0.4% Black or African American 5 0.1%
Household income
Income range
This ZIP
County avg
State avg
Under $50k
51.7%
54.8%
48.8%
$50k – $100k
16.7%
25.6%
29.4%
$100k – $200k
25.0%
17.4%
17.6%
Over $200k
6.6%
2.3%
4.1%
Range % of households Under $10k 12.7% $15k–$25k 3.8% $25k–$35k 9.1% $35k–$50k 20.2% $50k–$75k 14.8% $75k–$100k 3.9% $100k–$150k 17.9% $150k–$200k 6.2% $200k+ 11.4% Median income $56,686
Housing
Housing overview
Metric Value Median home value $312,500 Median rent / month $0 Owner occupied 97.6% Renter occupied 2.4% Vacant 59.1% Single-family detached 75.1% Large apartment buildings 0.0% Mobile homes 18.2% Median rooms 6.1 Avg household size (owned) 2.25
Year built
Era % 2020 or later 1.1% 2010–2019 6.4% 2000–2009 29.6% 1990–1999 17.0% 1980–1989 29.1% 1970–1979 13.9% 1960–1969 0.6% 1950–1959 0.0% 1940–1949 0.8% 1939 or earlier 1.5%
Bedrooms
Size % of units No bedroom (studio) 0.0% 1 bedroom 6.0% 2 bedrooms 17.4% 3 bedrooms 51.3% 4 bedrooms 22.3% 5+ bedrooms 3.0%
Vehicles per household
Vehicles % of households No vehicle 0.6% 1 vehicle 17.8% 2 vehicles 41.3% 3 or more 40.2%
Heating fuel
Fuel type % Utility gas 67.5% Electricity 22.3% Propane / LP gas 2.6% Wood 3.5% Solar 1.6% No fuel used 2.6%
Households & families
Household type Count % Married-couple family 813 65.2% Cohabiting couple 40 3.2% Male householder, no spouse 165 13.2% Female householder, no spouse 228 18.3% Households with children under 18 120 9.6% Households with seniors (65+) 770 61.8% Average household size 2.25
Marital status
Status Male Female Never married 6.0% 9.2% Married 70.0% 67.6% Separated 0.0% 3.2% Widowed 4.4% 10.4% Divorced 19.6% 9.7%
Education
Some college, no degree
27.2%
Graduate / professional
15.9%
Metric % HS diploma or higher 93.6% Bachelor's or higher 36.8%
School enrollment (ages 3–17)
Type Count % Nursery / preschool 0 0.0% Kindergarten 10 2.8% Elementary school 140 39.5% High school 204 57.6% College / grad school 0 0.0%
Employment
Industry of employment
Professional & management
18.2%
Education & healthcare
16.5%
Arts, food & hospitality
11.4%
Transportation & utilities
8.9%
Agriculture & mining
5.5%
Finance & real estate
5.4%
Public administration
0.6%
Occupation
Category % Management, business & arts 28.4% Service 15.3% Sales & office 29.9% Natural resources & construction 20.8% Production & transportation 5.7%
Employment type
Type % Private sector 67.6% Government 11.8% Self-employed 20.6% Unpaid family workers 0.0%
Commute
Method % Drive alone 76.4% Carpool 3.3% Public transit 0.0% Walk 0.0% Work from home 20.4% Other means 0.0% Avg commute (minutes) 28.3
Poverty
Married-couple families
5.0%
Female-led households
0.0%
Income support
Source % of households Social Security 55.8% Retirement income 38.9% Supplemental Security 1.0% Cash public assistance 2.0% Food stamps / SNAP 3.8%
Health indicators
Condition % Obesity 28.9% High blood pressure 39.4% High cholesterol 39.6% Diabetes 12.7% Heart disease 8.9% Stroke 4.1% Asthma 9.8% Arthritis 32.7% Kidney disease 3.9% Pulmonary disease 8.7% Cancer 9.0%
Behavior / access % Smoking 17.6% Binge drinking 11.5% No physical activity 21.5% Less than 7 hrs sleep 31.1% Depression 18.5% Fair or poor health 15.1% Poor mental health 12.3% Poor physical health 12.1% No health insurance 8.4% Visited doctor (checkup) 72.3% Visited dentist 65.2% Cholesterol screening 92.6% Teeth loss 12.6%
Veterans & disability
Veterans Count % Civilian veterans 321 13.2%
Disability % Any disability 24.8% Under 18 0.0% 18–64 years 18.8% 65 and over 38.2%
Health insurance coverage
Type % Private insurance 63.2% Public insurance 58.1% No insurance 13.6% Uninsured under 19 21.1%
Language & origin
Language spoken at home (age 5+)
Language Count % English only 2,794 99.8% Spanish 62 2.2% Other Indo-European 62 2.2% Asian & Pacific Islander 0 0.0% Other languages 0 0.0%
Place of birth & citizenship
Origin Count % Native born (US) 2,702 96.5% Born in same state 2,681 95.8% Born in different state 646 23.1% Foreign born 21 0.8% Naturalized citizen 98 3.5% Not a US citizen 53 54.1%
Ancestry
Ancestry Count % French 366 13.1% Arab 246 8.8%
Ancestry Count % Italian 192 6.9% Polish 54 1.9%
Technology access
Metric % of households Computer access 44.5% Internet access 98.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.
Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 88312
What city is ZIP code 88312 in?
ZIP code 88312 is primarily assigned to Alto, New Mexico.
What county is ZIP code 88312 in?
ZIP code 88312 falls within Lincoln County, New Mexico.
Does ZIP code 88312 have an older population?
44% of residents in ZIP code 88312 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.
Is ZIP code 88312 mostly owner-occupied?
98% of occupied units in ZIP code 88312 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.
Does ZIP code 88312 have a large retiree population?
56% of households in ZIP code 88312 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.
Does ZIP code 88312 have a large veteran population?
13% of civilians in ZIP code 88312 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.
What timezone is ZIP code 88312 in?
ZIP code 88312 observes the MST timezone.
Need the complete ZIP code database?
Download all 42,000+ US ZIP codes — Excel, CSV, or Access. Includes lat/lng, county FIPS & timezone.
Download database →
