Portales, NM: Local News, Events & Neighbors

Portales () is a city in and the county seat of Roosevelt County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2020 census, Portales had a population of 12,137. Portales is located near the larger city of Clovis, and Cannon Air Force Base, a major contributor to the economy of the region. Eastern New Mexico University opened in Portales in 1934 as Eastern New Mexico Junior College, and has since grown to become the third-largest university in the state. The area is one of the largest producers of Valencia peanuts in the United States and is the nation's top producer of certified organic peanut butter. Portales is home to about 40 dairies and a major US dairy solids plant, together producing and exp…

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

How Portales ranks

All →

#3Most walkable in NM #9Shortest commute in NM #11Lowest property tax in NM All NM rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code88130

Area code575

Living in Portales

Housing in Portales

$139K▲ 0.7% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Portales home is worth about $139,000, up 0.7% in a year, 56% below the New Mexico typical home.

A seller's market

Buyer’sBalancedSeller’s

Days on market48

Sold in May17

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Portales

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Not graded

A grade needs all of the FBI's latest years (2023–2025). Portales's police department reported only 2024, so we don't grade it yet. The figures below are still real.

Violent crime per 1,000

Portales 7.8

New Mexico 7.4

U.S. 3.6

Property crime per 1,000

Portales 28.7

New Mexico 28.9

U.S. 17.7

FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Health in Portales

Compared with New Mexico

7better than NM·4worse

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 21 are too close to call.

Conditions 7▲ 5 close Habits all close Care 3▼ 4 close Mind 1▼ 4 close Everyday needs all close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

5.6%Fewer adults who have had cancerNM 7.4% · better 10.2%Fewer adults with diabetesNM 13.2% · better 18.5%More adults in frequent mental distressNM 16.1% · worse

Care nearby

Roosevelt General HospitalPortales · 0.7 mi · ER

Dba La Casa Family Health CenterPortales · 0.6 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careShortage · county-wide

DentalShortage · county-wide

Mental healthShortage · county-wide

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Portales · CMS · HRSAHealth in Portales →

Schools in Portales

All Portales schools →

C⁺

School Grade C+

The public schools Portales’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 65% of New Mexico’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.

#20Best public schoolsof 47 in NM

DistrictPORTALESSchools7

Valencia Elementary B+Elementary · Grades 3–4 · 366 students James ElementaryElementary · Grades 1–2 · 364 students Brown Early Childhood CenterElementary · Grades PK–K · 332 students Lindsey-Steiner Elementary B+Middle · Grades 5–6 · 376 students Portales Jr. High BMiddle · Grades 7–8 · 326 students Portales High B-High · Grades 9–12 · 754 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within NM. Ratings are from neighbors.