Ruidoso is a small mountain village/city in Lincoln County, New Mexico, USA and is part of the Lincoln National Forest. The population was 21,698 at the 2000 census. The city of Ruidoso Downs as well as the city ofHollywood are suburbs of Ruidoso.
Ruidoso lies in the rugged Sierra Blanca mountain range of southcentral New Mexico, where it merges with the Sacramento Mountains to the south. Ruidoso is a rapidly growing resort community due to the region's alpine scenery, Ruidoso Downs racetrack, and slopes of Ski Apache, the Mescalero Apache Indian owned ski resort on the 12,000 foot mountain Sierra Blanca. The tribe also operates the Inn of the Mountain Gods resort in the area, which includes a casino, hotel, and golf course.
Ruidoso has been experiencing explosive growth. Massive investment has poured into the town from many developers. Major projects including large housing subdivisions, condos, and retail establishments have altered the face of the once "sleepy mountain community."
The village received its name from the Rio Ruidoso (Spanish for "Noisy River"), a small stream that weaves through the city.
Geography
Ruidoso is located at 33°20′29″N 105°39′58″W / 33.34139°N 105.66611°WInvalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (33.341371, -105.666235)Template:GR. Elevation is 6920 feet.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 37.2 km² (14.4 mi²). 37.0 km² (14.3 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (0.63%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 21,698 people, 14,434 households, and 15,232 families residing in the city. The population density was 208.0/km² (538.7/mi²). There were 42,584 housing units at an average density of 204.9/km² (530.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the village was 87.50% White, 0.29% African American, 2.38% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 7.44% from other races, and 2.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 18.21% of the population.
There were 11,434 households out of which 23.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.2% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.0% were non-families. 29.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.72.
In the village the population was spread out with 20.5% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 21.9% from 25 to 44, 30.1% from 45 to 64, and 21.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 90.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.1 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $37,107, and the median income for a family was $44,846. Males had a median income of $30,452 versus $21,974 for females. The per capita income for the village was $22,721. About 2.5% of families and 4.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.5% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
Airports
- Sierra Blanca Regional Airport, located about 15 miles northwest of Ruidoso.