Livingston Hearing Aid Center in Hobbs, NM: 70 Years of Hearing Care

Last updated July 04, 2026

Seventy years is a long time to do anything well. Livingston Hearing Aid Center, which opened its doors in Lubbock, Texas in 1953 and now serves patients at more than 100 locations across the southern United States, has been fitting people with hearing aids and providing audiological care longer than most of its competitors have existed. The Hobbs, New Mexico location, situated at 100 E Broadway St, brings that same depth of experience to Lea County residents who need hearing evaluations, hearing aids, and the kind of follow-up care that keeps those devices working year after year.

Hobbs sits in the southeastern corner of New Mexico, close to the Texas state line, and the community has long relied on regional providers for specialized healthcare services. Livingston's presence on Broadway Street gives local residents access to a provider network that spans six states, backed by decades of institutional knowledge and a staff that, by all accounts, treats patients less like appointments and more like neighbors.

For a city the size of Hobbs, having a certified VA provider and a full-service audiology practice within reach is no small thing. Livingston Hearing Aid Center fills that role, offering everything from initial hearing screenings to ongoing device maintenance under one roof.

History and Founding of Livingston Hearing Aid Center

The story starts with Ollie Livingston, who served as an audiologist in the United States Army before returning to civilian life. In 1953, after completing his military service, Livingston moved to Lubbock, Texas and opened the first Livingston Hearing Aid Center. The timing made sense: postwar America had a significant population of veterans dealing with noise-induced hearing loss, and audiology as a formal profession was still finding its footing. Livingston positioned himself at the front of that wave.

From that single Lubbock location, the company grew steadily over the following seven decades. What began as a one-man practice in west Texas eventually expanded into a regional network spanning six states across the South. The growth was not rapid or speculative; it was the kind of measured expansion that comes from building a reputation location by location, patient by patient.

The milestone that punctuated Livingston's 70th year in business was the opening of its 100th location, an announcement the company made as it continued expanding across the southern United States. Reaching 100 locations as an independent hearing aid center, without being absorbed by one of the large corporate audiology chains, is a meaningful distinction in an industry where consolidation has been the dominant trend for years.

Hearing Services and Specialties at the Hobbs Location

Livingston Hearing Aid Center offers a comprehensive range of audiology services, from diagnostic hearing evaluations to hearing aid fittings and long-term device care. The practice uses advanced testing methodologies to assess hearing loss accurately before recommending any course of treatment or device, which matters because a poorly fitted hearing aid is often worse than no hearing aid at all.

Key services available include:

• Comprehensive hearing evaluations and diagnostic testing
• Hearing aid fittings across multiple technology levels and styles
• Hearing aid repair and maintenance
• Continuous aftercare to ensure devices perform consistently over time
• Veterans' hearing services through the VA MISSION Act

The aftercare component deserves particular attention. Many audiology providers treat the sale of a hearing aid as the end of the relationship. Livingston's model treats it as the beginning. Patients return for ongoing adjustments, cleaning, and maintenance, which extends the life of their devices and keeps performance at the level it was when the aids were first fitted. For older patients on fixed incomes, that kind of support can make the difference between a hearing aid that gets used and one that ends up in a drawer.

The practice also serves eligible veterans as a certified in-network VA provider under the MISSION Act of 2018. That certification means qualifying veterans can receive hearing care at Livingston without navigating the VA facility system, which for many rural and semi-rural patients in southeastern New Mexico is a significant practical benefit. The nearest large VA medical center can be a long drive from Hobbs, and having a local certified provider removes a real barrier to care.

Team and Leadership

Livingston Hearing Aid Center's Hobbs office is staffed by audiologists and hearing care professionals operating within the company's broader network of credentialed providers. The audiologists across the Livingston system hold the certifications required to serve as VA in-network providers, a designation that requires meeting specific federal standards for audiological care.

The company's approach to staffing reflects its founding philosophy: hearing care is a relationship business. Patients often return to the same provider for years, and the continuity of that relationship matters for outcomes. Staff at the Hobbs location work within a system that has refined its patient care processes over 70 years, giving them both the tools and the institutional backing to handle complex cases and straightforward ones alike.

Milestones and Track Record

• 1953: Ollie Livingston opens the first location in Lubbock, Texas after completing his service as an Army audiologist
• Expanded from a single west Texas location to the largest independent hearing aid center in the southern United States
• Grew to serve patients across six states
• Celebrated the opening of its 100th location during its 70th year of operation
• Achieved and maintains certification as a VA in-network provider under the MISSION Act of 2018

The company has also been featured in regional coverage for its expansion into new markets, including announcements tied to new facility openings in west Texas and surrounding areas. For an independent, family-rooted business operating in a sector dominated by large corporate chains, that kind of sustained press attention reflects genuine regional significance.

What Customers Say

Patient feedback about Livingston Hearing Aid Center centers on the quality of personal attention they receive. One customer described the experience in terms that go beyond standard service language:

'They treat me like family! They are the best!... The staff went above and beyond to make sure I felt at home and comfortable.'

That kind of response is common in audiology when practices get it right. Hearing loss is often tied to feelings of isolation and frustration, and patients who feel genuinely cared for tend to engage more fully with their treatment. The Livingston model, built around continuous aftercare and long-term patient relationships, creates the conditions for that kind of feedback.

Location and Community in Hobbs, NM

The Hobbs, New Mexico office is located at 100 E Broadway St, Hobbs, NM 88240, in the heart of a city that serves as the commercial and healthcare hub for Lea County. Hobbs has a strong connection to the oil and gas industry, and the workforce demographics that come with that economy include a significant number of workers and retirees who have experienced occupational noise exposure over the course of their careers. That makes access to quality hearing care not just convenient but genuinely necessary for a meaningful portion of the local population.

Southeastern New Mexico is also home to a veteran community that benefits directly from Livingston's VA certification. The MISSION Act expanded veterans' ability to seek care from community providers, and Livingston's status as a certified in-network provider makes it a practical first stop for eligible veterans in the Hobbs area who need audiological services.

Broadway Street is a central corridor in Hobbs, and the location is accessible to patients coming from across the city and from surrounding communities in Lea County. For a region where driving distances to specialty healthcare can be significant, having a full-service hearing care provider on a main commercial street is a genuine community asset.

Why Choose Livingston Hearing Aid Center in Hobbs

Livingston Hearing Aid Center brings something that newer practices simply cannot replicate: 70 years of accumulated experience in hearing healthcare, a network of more than 100 locations, and a patient care model built around long-term relationships rather than one-time transactions. The Hobbs location gives Lea County residents access to that depth of expertise without leaving town.

For veterans, for workers with occupational hearing loss, and for anyone navigating the often confusing process of getting fitted for hearing aids, the combination of certified audiologists, continuous aftercare, and VA provider status makes Livingston a practical and reliable choice. The office at 100 E Broadway St is where that 70-year track record shows up in person.

Customer quotes shown above are from public Google reviews.