Capitan is a village in Lincoln County, New Mexico, home to about 1,191 people across 3.3 square miles. Its ZIP code is 88316.
Homes sold for a median of $299 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a buyer’s market.
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Capitan. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Capitan’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ)119 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Roswell Air Center Airport (ROW)60 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Albuquerque, NM124 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Phoenix, AZ378 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Capitan; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Capitan had 1,391 residents in the 2020 census, down 4% since 2000.
It’s the 143rd largest of 494 towns in New Mexico by population.
Lincoln County grew from 4,953 residents in 1900 to 20,269 in 2020.
Lincoln County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 87°F in summer, and winter lows average 24°F. About 16.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 27 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Capitan, NM weather station (4 miles away).
5,538 jobs at 695 businesses in Lincoln County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
5 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Capitan.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 1 |
|---|---|
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 2 |
| Mental health providers | 1 |
| Chiropractors | 1 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Grocery stores
Museums
Counts are within about 1.5 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Public schools here are run by Capitan. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capitan ElementaryCapitan | Pre-K–5 | 207 | Public | 3.4 mi |
| Capitan MiddleCapitan | 6–8 | 102 | Public | 3.4 mi |
| Capitan HighCapitan | 9–12 | 134 | Public | 3.4 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.