87553 ZIP Code — Penasco, NM

Taos County, New Mexico

ZIP code 87553 is located in Penasco, New Mexico, within Taos County. It covers approximately 11.95 square miles and serves a population of 1,583 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Mountain (MT) timezone, served by area code 575/505.

About ZIP code 87553

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $181,300. Owner-occupancy is high at 75%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $37,143. Poverty affects 22% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 21% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 51% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 32 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 13% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of diabetes (17%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include disability rates above the national average at 25%.

Overall, ZIP code 87553 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, high homeownership, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

1,583

population

11.95

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Mountain (MT)

timezone

87553 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 87553

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 87553. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Penasco	Acceptable
Penasco	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

87579 Vadito (9.3 mi) 87557 Ranchos De Taos (10.9 mi) 87521 Chamisal (10.9 mi) 87522 Chimayo (14 mi) 87571 Taos (17 mi) 87531 Embudo (17 mi) 87529 El Prado (18.5 mi) 87713 Chacon (19.2 mi) 87715 Cleveland (20 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	1,583
Population density	132 / sq mi
State FIPS	35
County FIPS	055

Geography
Land area	11.95 sq mi
Water area	0.00 sq mi
Latitude	36.2250
Longitude	-105.7249
Timezone	Mountain (MT)
Area code	575/505

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	71.5%	56.4%	48.8%
$50k – $100k	19.7%	21.2%	29.4%
$100k – $200k	8.0%	17.5%	17.6%
Over $200k	0.8%	4.8%	4.1%

Demographics & statistics

1,583

Population

132

People per sq mi

39.2

Median age

$37,143

Median household income

$23,798

Per capita income

$181,300

Median home value

$718

Median monthly rent

75.2%

Home ownership

22.0%

Poverty rate

6.1%

Unemployment

559

Housing units

13.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

112

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

103

25–34

165

35–44

111

45–54

55–59

60–64

65–74

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	378	23.9%
18 and over	1,205	76.1%
65 and over	334	21.1%
Median age	39.2 years

Race & ethnicity

Hispanic or Latino 33.4%

Two or more races 31.2%

White 23.1%

American Indian / Alaska Native 8.4%

Other race 3.3%

Black or African American 0.3%

Asian 0.3%

Group	Count	%
Hispanic or Latino	795	33.4%
Two or more races	741	31.2%
White	549	23.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	199	8.4%
Other race	78	3.3%
Black or African American	8	0.3%
Asian	8	0.3%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	71.5%	56.4%	48.8%
$50k – $100k	19.7%	21.2%	29.4%
$100k – $200k	8.0%	17.5%	17.6%
Over $200k	0.8%	4.8%	4.1%

Under $10k 9.3%

$10k–$15k 6.6%

$15k–$25k 15.7%

$25k–$35k 17.2%

$35k–$50k 11.7%

$50k–$75k 13.4%

$75k–$100k 13.1%

$100k–$150k 7.6%

$150k–$200k 2.1%

$200k+ 3.2%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	9.3%
$10k–$15k	6.6%
$15k–$25k	15.7%
$25k–$35k	17.2%
$35k–$50k	11.7%
$50k–$75k	13.4%
$75k–$100k	13.1%
$100k–$150k	7.6%
$150k–$200k	2.1%
$200k+	3.2%
Median income	$37,143

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 5.0%

$50k–$100k 13.6%

$100k–$150k 16.4%

$150k–$200k 22.2%

$200k–$300k 32.7%

$300k–$500k 5.0%

$500k–$1M 3.3%

$1M+ 1.8%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$181,300
Median rent / month	$718
Owner occupied	75.2%
Renter occupied	24.8%
Vacant	23.5%
Single-family detached	61.6%
Large apartment buildings	0.1%
Mobile homes	32.0%
Median rooms	4.6
Avg household size (owned)	2.77

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	0.9%
2000–2009	9.1%
1990–1999	14.5%
1980–1989	14.8%
1970–1979	19.4%
1960–1969	10.1%
1950–1959	7.2%
1940–1949	6.4%
1939 or earlier	17.5%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.9%
1 bedroom	6.2%
2 bedrooms	19.6%
3 bedrooms	56.2%
4 bedrooms	14.1%
5+ bedrooms	2.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	9.1%
1 vehicle	32.6%
2 vehicles	31.6%
3 or more	26.7%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	2.8%
Electricity	7.8%
Propane / LP gas	37.9%
Wood	48.7%
Solar	0.9%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	137	25.9%
Cohabiting couple	43	8.1%
Male householder, no spouse	154	29.2%
Female householder, no spouse	194	36.7%
Households with children under 18	122	23.1%
Households with seniors (65+)	235	44.5%
Average household size	3.00

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	54.8%	41.1%
Married	24.2%	26.5%
Separated	8.2%	3.1%
Widowed	4.6%	16.8%
Divorced	8.1%	12.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.7%

Some HS, no diploma 9.2%

HS graduate 39.7%

Some college, no degree 23.4%

Associate's degree 11.7%

Bachelor's degree 7.8%

Graduate / professional 5.3%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	88.0%
Bachelor's or higher	13.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	42	9.4%
Kindergarten	24	5.4%
Elementary school	246	54.9%
High school	96	21.4%
College / grad school	40	8.9%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 28.0%

Construction 20.4%

Professional & management 15.1%

Public administration 11.3%

Retail trade 10.7%

Other services 4.9%

Arts, food & hospitality 3.1%

Finance & real estate 2.2%

Agriculture & mining 2.0%

Transportation & utilities 1.8%

Wholesale trade 0.4%

Manufacturing 0.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	28.5%
Service	20.5%
Sales & office	16.7%
Natural resources & construction	24.5%
Production & transportation	9.6%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	42.9%
Government	39.8%
Self-employed	17.3%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	62.1%
Carpool	10.9%
Public transit	1.8%
Walk	11.6%
Work from home	13.6%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	32.0

Poverty

All people 22.0%

Under 18 years 28.8%

18 and over 19.9%

Married-couple families 11.7%

Female-led households 25.5%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	50.9%
Retirement income	34.5%
Supplemental Security	4.2%
Cash public assistance	0.9%
Food stamps / SNAP	20.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	28.7%
High blood pressure	35.0%
High cholesterol	32.6%
Diabetes	17.4%
Heart disease	7.7%
Stroke	3.9%
Asthma	9.7%
Arthritis	25.2%
Kidney disease	4.3%
Pulmonary disease	6.1%
Cancer	5.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	16.4%
Binge drinking	11.9%
No physical activity	29.2%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.4%
Depression	17.2%
Fair or poor health	22.0%
Poor mental health	13.8%
Poor physical health	13.9%
No health insurance	19.8%
Visited doctor (checkup)	68.5%
Visited dentist	56.3%
Cholesterol screening	88.3%
Teeth loss	15.3%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	96	8.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	25.0%
Under 18	2.9%
18–64 years	19.6%
65 and over	64.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	31.3%
Public insurance	72.4%
No insurance	5.4%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,523	96.2%
Spanish	41	2.7%
Other Indo-European	41	2.7%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	1,552	98.0%
Born in same state	1,551	98.0%
Born in different state	1,234	78.0%
Foreign born	1	0.1%
Naturalized citizen	31	2.0%
Not a US citizen	5	16.1%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	38	2.4%
French	18	1.1%
Arab	10	0.6%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	4	0.3%
Dutch	2	0.1%
Polish	1	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	33.4%
Internet access	70.3%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 87553

What city is ZIP code 87553 in?

ZIP code 87553 is primarily assigned to Penasco, New Mexico.

What county is ZIP code 87553 in?

ZIP code 87553 falls within Taos County, New Mexico.

Does ZIP code 87553 have a large retiree population?

51% of households in ZIP code 87553 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 87553?

22% of residents in ZIP code 87553 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 87553?

13% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 87553?

The median household income in ZIP code 87553 is $37,143, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 87553 in?

ZIP code 87553 observes the MST timezone.