Chaparral is a community in Otero County, New Mexico, home to about 18,186 people across 59 square miles. Its ZIP code is 88081.
Homes sold for a median of $187 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a balanced market.
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Chaparral. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Chaparral’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | El Paso International Airport (ELP)29 miles away |
|---|---|
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | El Paso, TX28 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Phoenix, AZ350 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Chaparral; 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.
Chaparral had 16,551 residents in the 2020 census, up 171% since 2000.
It’s the 14th largest of 494 towns in New Mexico by population.
Otero County grew from 4,791 residents in 1900 to 67,839 in 2020.
Otero County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 97°F in summer, and winter lows average 29°F. About 12.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 2 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Orogrande, NM weather station (15 miles away).
12,847 jobs at 988 businesses in Otero County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
50 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Chaparral.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 3 |
|---|---|
| Dentists | 4 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 10 |
| Mental health providers | 33 |
| Pharmacies | 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.
Public schools here are run by Gadsden. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chaparral On-Track Prek CenterChapparal | Pre-K | 160 | Public | 14.4 mi |
| Yucca Heights ElementaryChapparal | K–6 | 439 | Public | 13.6 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.