Portales MainStreet: Community Economic Assessment

Portales’ population in 2000 was 10,848, up slightly from 1990. The age structure is somewhat more favorable than in other parts of the New Mexico Eastern Plains region (NMEP), at least in terms of economic prospects. Portales is a university town that also serves as the seat and service center for Roosevelt County and its agricultural economy. In terms of taxable gross receipts, Portales stands in a negative and declining balance with respect to New Mexico as a whole, but this outflow of about $35 million (2005) is at least partially offset by public sector and nontaxable revenues generated by ENMU.