Chaparral is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, suc ...

(CDP) in Doña Ana and Otero counties,

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex , Offi ...

. The population was 14,631 at the 2010 census. Chaparral is primarily a

bedroom community A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...

for the neighboring city of

El Paso, Texas El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the seat of El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the U.S. Census Bureau was 678,815, making it the 23rd-largest city in the U.S., the ...

, and the neighboring military installations of

White Sands Missile Range White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) is a United States Army military testing area and firing range located in the US state of New Mexico. The range was originally established as the White Sands Proving Ground on 9July 1945. White Sands National P ...

and

Fort Bliss Fort Bliss is a United States Army post in New Mexico and Texas, with its headquarters in El Paso, Texas. Named in honor of William Wallace Smith Bliss, LTC William Bliss (1815–1853), a mathematics professor who was the son-in-law of President ...

. It is officially part of the Las Cruces

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...

Geography

Chaparral is located in the southeast corner of Doña Ana County and the southwest corner of Otero County at (32.039072, −106.429630). Its southern border is the

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

state line, the northern limit of the city of El Paso. Chaparral is geographically isolated from the rest of Doña Ana County due to its location on the east side of the Franklin Mountains. Downtown

is to the south,

in Texas is to the south, and the White Sands Missile Range is to the north. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the Chaparral CDP has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2000, there were 6,117 people, 1,837 households, and 1,497 families residing in the CDP. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was 157.8 people per square mile (60.9/km²). There were 2,134 housing units at an average density of 55.1 per square mile (21.3/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 70.69%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 1.26%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 1.29% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 0.18%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 21.38% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 4.77% from two or more races.

Hispanics The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latinos of any race were 64.49% of the population. There were 1,837 households, out of which 48.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.6% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.5% were non-families. 15.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.32 and the average family size was 3.70. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 36.2% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 7.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.1 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 95.1 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $22,692, and the median income for a family was $26,153. Males had a median income of $23,904 versus $17,750 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the CDP was $10,033. About 25.2% of families and 31.3% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 42.6% of those under age 18 and 24.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education

As part of the

Gadsden Independent School District The Gadsden Independent School District (GISD) is a New Mexico school district headquartered in Sunland Park. Gadsden ISD's superintendent is currently Travis Dempsey who was appointed by the board of education after Efren Yturralde's resignation ...

, Chaparral has the following public schools:

Elementary schools

* Chaparral Elementary School * Desert Trail Elementary School * Sunrise Elementary School * Yucca Heights Elementary school

Middle schools

* Chaparral Middle School

High schools

* Chaparral High School Doña Ana Community College maintains a satellite campus in Chaparral.

Transportation

Commercial air and rail transportation are available in the neighboring city of El Paso, Texas. Several highways (state and federal) pass through Chaparral: * NM 213, which runs north-south connecting El Paso to White Sands Missile Range. In Chaparral it is known as War Highway (which refers to its construction during World War II as a military access road) and connects to Martin Luther King Boulevard (Texas Farm-to-Market Road 3255) at the El Paso city limits. * NM 404, which runs east-west. This highway connects Chaparral to

Anthony, New Mexico Anthony is a city in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 9,360 at the 2010 census. It is located on the New Mexico–Texas state line in the Upper Mesilla Valley (immediately north of Anthony, Texas), and on Interstate ...

and

Interstate 10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost cross-country highway in the American Interstate Highway System. I-10 is the fourth-longest Interstate in the United States at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. This freeway is part of the originally p ...

, which is approximately to the west through the Anthony Gap. In both Anthony and Chaparral it is known as O'Hara Road. * U.S. Route 54, which runs north-south along Chaparral's eastern border, connects to Dyer Street and the Patriot Freeway in El Paso.

Town highlights

* Chaparral High School * Dolores Wright Park * Chaparral Taekwondo Academy

Notable people

* Willie D. Madrid, member of the

New Mexico House of Representatives ) is the lower house of the New Mexico State Legislature. There are 70 members of the House. Each member represents roughly 25,980 residents of New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , ...

* Siddeeq Shabazz, professional football player

References

{{authority control Census-designated places in Doña Ana County, New Mexico Census-designated places in New Mexico