Portales culture influenced by agriculture, higher ed and military communities
The small city of Portales, near the border of Texas is on the flat Eastern Plains of New Mexico, where summers are hot and winters are cold and windy. Built around a railroad line where ranchers shipped cattle, it was named after nearby springs with rock ledges that resembled porches, “portales” in Spanish. Farmers began flocking to the area when irrigation methods made the soil more productive. Portales became an agricultural hub for the region and the seat of Roosevelt County, and peanut and dairy producers are still some of the biggest employers in the area.
A large college student population and strong military community contribute to the current culture of Portales. The city’s population of 12,000 expands to 17,000 when Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU) is in session. ENMU, the largest regional university in the state, is also the largest employer in the city, with 500 employees on its payroll. And Cannon Air Force Base sits north of Portales, with some of its active-duty and civilian workforce of 6,500 living in the city.
With the high number of students and military personnel moving in and out, Portales has a lot of renters, says Jessica Paz Lombardi, Realtor with eXp Realty and ICON leader. Blocks of one-story homes on quiet streets surround the downtown area and ENMU district. “Most buyers are looking for a country feel. It’s a laid-back small-town kind of vibe.”
The small city of Portales, near the border of Texas is on the flat Eastern Plains of NM.
Portales was originally built around a railroad line where ranchers shipped cattle.
Dairy producers, like Dairy Farmers of America is one of the biggest employers in the area.
The population of 12,000 increases to 17,000 when Eastern New Mexico University is open.
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Downtown commercial district includes Roosevelt Brewing Company
The Roosevelt County Courthouse, an Art Deco building built in 1938, sits on the town square. Surrounding the building are government agencies and businesses, including secondhand stores and western wear shops. Eateries include the locally owned Courthouse Cafe, housed in a former JC Penney building. Establishments old and new line the Highway 70 corridor that dissects Portales, including ice cream shops, burger joints and El Rancho, known for its red and green chiles. Bargain grocery stores are located throughout the city, and a Walmart Supercenter is on the north end.
Roosevelt County prohibited liquor until 1975 and since then the city of Portales has gone back and forth on alcohol restrictions. But Roosevelt Brewing Company has been catty-corner from the courthouse complex for a decade, run by the grandson of moonshiners. A mile down the road is Enchantment Winery, owned by a wine-loving local family who studied soil conditions and planted their first grapes in 2015.
Roosevelt County Courthouse, an Art Deco building built in 1938, sits on the town square.
Eateries include the locally owned Courthouse Cafe, housed in a former JC Penney building.
Roosevelt Brewing Company has been catty-corner from the courthouse complex for a decade.
Enchantment Winery, owned by a local family, planted their first vineyards in 2015.
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Events include parades, museums and Greyhound sports
Community events include the Peanut Valley Festival, a music and crafts festival held in October for over 50 years. Portales also hosts a Heritage Days Parade in July and the Roosevelt County Fair in August. ENMU brings the community together around college sports, especially Greyhound football. ENMU also provides cultural attractions, including the Blackwater Draw Museum, which displays artifacts from a nearby archeological dig. ENMU shows support for the military community by offering financial support and hosting military appreciation events. And the community comes together around the annual Wings Over Cannon airshow, open to the public, attracts over 11,000 visitors.
ENMU brings the community together around college sports, especially Greyhound football.
ENMU's Blackwater Draw Museum displays artifacts from a nearby archeological dig.
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Home prices are lower than the national average
Portales has gridded blocks of cottages and ranch-style homes on either side of Highway 70 with brick or stucco exteriors and few garages. They are set along wide streets with no sidewalks and have sandy, grassy lawns punctuated by cottonwood trees. Lombardi sees homes stay on the market for two-and-a-half or three months, and the average sales price is $184,000, significantly lower than the national average of $555,000. There are two- and three-bedroom fixer-uppers under $100,000. Homes with three or four bedrooms range from $100,000 to $400,000, with those in move-in condition on the higher end. A few manufactured homes scattered throughout the city range from $70,000 to $120,000.
Portales homes are set along wide streets with no sidewalks and have gravel and grass lawns.
The average sales price is $184,000, significantly lower than the national average of $555K.
Larger homes in Portales with three or four bedrooms range from $100,000 to $400,000.
A few manufactured homes scattered throughout the city range from $70,000 to $120,000.
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Unique school system assigns by grade
Portales Municipal Schools are graded B by Niche. Uniquely, students are assigned to schools by grade level rather than neighborhood. There are three elementary schools: one for first and second graders, another for third and fourth graders, and another for fifth and sixth graders. The Portales Academy is a middle school for seventh and eighth graders. Ninth through twelfth graders attend Portales High School. ENMU offers 50 undergraduate majors in business, education and technology, fine arts, and liberal arts and sciences as well as graduate programs in 10 areas.
Portales Municipal Schools, which include RM James Elementary, are graded B by Niche.
Uniquely, Portales students are assigned to schools by grade level rather than neighborhood.
Ninth through twelfth graders in Portales attend Portales High School, home of the Rams.
ENMU offers 50 undergraduate majors in business, education, technology and many more.
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Recreation and entertainment in Portales and Clovis
Portales has several city parks with playgrounds, picnic tables and sports fields. Oasis State Park is 8 miles north and offers hiking, camping and fishing in a landscape of sand dunes and cottonwood tree. An arcade with bowling and a roller-skating rink closed in 2024, and some Portales residents go out of town for entertainment. “For fun, typically people go to Clovis,” says Lombardi. “There are several parks, restaurants, breweries, bars, an arcade, Just Kiln Me Now (a pottery place), the zoo, a skating rink, etc."
Portales has several city parks with playgrounds, picnic tables and sports fields.
Oasis State Park is 8 miles north and offers hiking, camping and fishing.
Portales locals head to Clovis for fun activities like painty pottery at Just Kiln Me Now.
North of Portales, the Clovis Zoo features a beautiful park and many wild animals.
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Highway 70 connects to nearby communities
Portales has on-demand public bus transportation free for veterans and seniors and $1 for the general public. The full-service Roosevelt General Hospital is on the south end of town. The city has built a bike path from the ENMC campus to downtown. Highway 70 runs through Portales, with Cannon Air Force Base and the small city of Clovis under 20 miles away. The nearest urban center is across the border in Lubbock, Texas, 100 miles away. Portales has a municipal airport with no commercial flights, but Clovis Regional Airport has daily flights to Dallas and Denver. Albuquerque is 231 miles away via Interstate 40.
Dry with an occasional tornado, crime rates above national average
Summer thunderstorms occasionally produce weak tornadoes in the Portales area. The bigger climate threat is drought, and sometimes water restrictions are in place that limit lawn watering and car washing. The decline of the Ogallala Aquifer, a source of underground water for the region has given rise to a pipeline project that will bring water from the Ute Reservoir 100 miles north to Portales, Cannon Air Force Base and nearby communities. Some pipeline sections are expected to be complete by 2025 with full completion expected by 2031. According to FBI data, both property and violent crime rates were higher than national rates as of October 2023. Violent crime rates were 1.17 per 1,000 nationally and 1.6 per 1,000 in Portales. Property crime rates were 1.66 per 1,000 nationally and 1.85 in Portales.
Written By
Carol Parish
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Nate Myers
Video By
Luke Basinger
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