The Town Files

Chaparral, New Mexico

Community in Otero County · population 16,551 (2020 Census) · spans 2 counties

Map: where Chaparral is in New MexicoChaparral
Median home
$109,300
Household income
$46,017
Jan low / Jul high
34° / 94°
Snow a year
1 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
1
Median age
31.6

Chaparral is a community of 16,551 people in Otero County, New Mexico. The median home is worth $109,300, below the typical New Mexico town ($187,400). It ranks better for a vacation home than 89% of New Mexico towns, better for first-time buyers than 82% of New Mexico towns, more of a college town than 70% of New Mexico towns.

How Chaparral ranks

Percentile among New Mexico towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of New Mexico towns.

Chaparral lifestyle rankings vs other New Mexico townsRetirement38th pctFamilies25th pctQuiet16th pctWalkability9th pctFirst-time buyers82nd pctYoung professionals27th pctVibrancy51st pctHip & trendy8th pctCollege town70th pctUpscale13th pctVacation homes89th pctSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving61st pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Chaparral is worth $109,300, below the typical New Mexico town ($187,400). Homes cost about 2.4 times the median household income of $46,017, which is more affordable than 77% of New Mexico towns. Median rent is $853 a month. 69.4% of households own their home.

Chaparral vs Otero County vs typical New Mexico townChaparralOtero CountyTypical New Mexico townHome value$109,300$162,700$187,400Household income$46,017$55,876$55,614Monthly rent$853$962$916
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of New Mexico towns with 500+ people.
HousingChaparralTypical New Mexico town
Median home value$109,300$187,400
Median rent$853$916
Median household income$46,017$55,614
Home value ÷ income2.4×3.2×
Homeownership69.4%80.1%
Median year built19941984
Seasonal / vacation homes3.9%—

Who lives in Chaparral

PeopleChaparralTypical New Mexico town
Median age31.639.9
Age 65 and over13.2%19.1%
Under 1826.7%—
Bachelor's degree or higher10.5%18.7%
Below the poverty line27.4%18.0%
Veterans6.6%—
Born outside the U.S.30.6%—
Work from home4.5%8.3%
Average commute29.9 min24.4 min
Homes with broadband90.0%82.9%

Weather in Chaparral

July highs average 94.3°F and January lows 34.0°F. About 9.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 1.1 inches of snow (typical New Mexico town: 10.7 in). Expect about 114 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 53 nights at or below freezing.

Chaparral monthly temperatures and precipitation30°40°50°60°70°80°90°100°32° freezing57°34°Jan63°39°Feb70°45°Mar79°51°Apr88°61°May95°70°Jun94°73°Jul92°72°Aug87°66°Sep78°54°Oct66°41°Nov56°34°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue0.50.30.30.10.10.00.30.72.41.61.40.70.40.20.50.6
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the La Tuna 1 S station (11.6 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 3 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Chaparral since 1950, compared with 3 for the typical New Mexico town. The strongest, an F0, struck on July 19, 1972 about 5.3 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 19, 1972.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Chaparral by decade01950s01960s11970s01980s01990s02000s02010s02020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 8 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on April 3, 2004.

Severe weather in Otero County since 1996

Storm events in Otero County since 1996 by typeHail97Flood2Drought429Tornado8High Wind86Dust Storm5Heavy Rain11Heavy Snow35
NOAA Storm Events Database, Otero County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996).

Otero County has been included in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
July 22, 2025FloodDR-4886: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Landslides
July 10, 2025FloodEM-3628: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Landslides
June 20, 2024FireDR-4795: South Fork Fire, Salt Fire, And Flooding
June 18, 2024FireFM-5498: Salt Fire
June 17, 2024FireFM-5497: South Fork Fire

Jobs and pay in Otero County

Otero County had 17,528 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $50,017 a year. Unemployment was 4% in 2023; in Chaparral itself the ACS puts it at 6.3%.

Largest industries in Otero CountyHealth care & social assistan…3,054 jobs · $52,344Retail2,339 jobs · $31,603Hotels & restaurants1,463 jobs · $23,924Construction956 jobs · $52,949Administrative & support944 jobs · $50,912Professional & technical serv…572 jobs · $73,356
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Otero County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%2000200420082012201620202023Otero 4%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Chaparral

6 public schools with 2,078 students, about 14.0 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
CHAPARRAL MIDDLE7-854514.3
YUCCA HEIGHTS ELEMENTARYK-648214.6
DESERT TRAIL ELEMENTARYK-646716.1
CHAPARRAL ELEMENTARYPK-642912.3
CHAPARRAL ON-TRACK PREK CENTERPK-PK15511.9
OTERO COUNTY PRISON8-12——

Towns near Chaparral

Chaparral questions

Is Chaparral, New Mexico a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Chaparral scores better for retirees than 38% of New Mexico towns and quieter than 16%. 13.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 31.6).

How much does a house cost in Chaparral?

The median owner-occupied home in Chaparral is valued at $109,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $46,017, so homes cost about 2.4 times income. Median rent is $853 a month.

What is the weather like in Chaparral?

July highs average 94.3°F and January lows 34.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 9.1 inches of precipitation a year and 1.1 inches of snow.

Does Chaparral get tornadoes?

1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Chaparral since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F0 on July 19, 1972. The typical New Mexico town has had 3.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Chaparral's Census boundary (GEOID 3514250). Comparisons use the median of New Mexico towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.