Jal is a city in Lea County, New Mexico, home to about 2,364 people across 4.8 square miles. Its ZIP code is 88252.
Homes sold for a median of $121 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Jal. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Jal’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)187 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Lea County Regional Airport (HOB)40 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Lubbock, TX126 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | San Antonio, TX332 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Jal; 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.
Jal had 2,202 residents in the 2020 census, up 10% since 2000.
It’s the 79th largest of 494 towns in New Mexico by population.
Lea County grew from 3,545 residents in 1920 to 74,455 in 2020.
Lea County, 1920–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 96°F in summer, and winter lows average 27°F. About 12.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 2 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Jal, NM weather station (about a mile away).
24,911 jobs at 1,730 businesses in Lea County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
9 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Jal.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 1 |
|---|---|
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 5 |
| Mental health providers | 1 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 1 |
| Chiropractors | 1 |
| Pharmacies | 3 |
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.
Parks (6 nearby)
Grocery stores (1 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
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 Jal. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jal ElementaryJal | Pre-K–5 | 290 | Public | 0.5 mi |
| Jal Jr. HighJal | 6–8 | 119 | Public | 0.4 mi |
| Jal HighJal | 9–12 | 158 | Public | 0.4 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.