Volcanic vent at head of lava flow Animas New Mexico (cropped), 2009
Animas’s story
117 years in pictures
The archive holds 10 old photos and papers going back to 2009 and 2 maps from 1918 on.
- 1909Animas is settled
AnimasNM
A town of 186, settled in 1909.
Photo: BAlvarius · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
186
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$124K
Census ACS
Household income
$103K
median
Median age
37.5
years
Land area
16 sq mi
Is Animas a good place to live?
Among 74 New Mexico towns, just 2 have a lower share of residents below the poverty line than Animas. 33% of the land in Animas is conserved, above both New Mexico’s towns (3.9%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). Animas has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
186 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Getting set up
Moving to Animas: who provides what
Animas is unincorporated, so Hidalgo County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerColumbus Electric CoopEIAHIFLD · EIA
Internet2 providers13% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesHidalgo CountyHidalgo County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn New Mexico you can register online until 28 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 28 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereHidalgo County ClerkHidalgo County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2021
ZIP code8802088020 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 27, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Animas.
Outdoors
Conserved land covers nearly a third of Animas
6.4 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves. At 0.4 miles per square mile, Animas’ trail density is below the New Mexico town median (1.0) and near the median of U.S. towns (0.4).
32.6%conserved
32.6%
conserved · 3,258 of 9,984 acres
6.4 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Schools
The schools Animas’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Animas school district. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Animas ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 48 | – |
| Animas 7-12 SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 90 | D− |
NCES · EDFacts
Natural hazards
Drought leads a very high hazard risk in Animas
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 87% of U.S. communities.
87risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
DroughtInland floodingWildfire
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Animas has mild winters and hot summers
Animas has chilly winters and hot summers, with very little rain. The July high in Animas is 94°F.
4″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter29–60°
Spring42–78°
Summer63–94°
Fall46–78°
Nov 7
typical first frost
Apr 2
typical last frost
+1.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
More middle-aged adults than New Mexico overall
Adults 35 to 64 are 42% of residents (37% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 17% of residents (23% statewide). 30% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 31% across New Mexico.
37.5median age · NM 39.4
| Animas | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 30% | 23% | 29% |
| Median age | 37.5 years | 37.2 years | 40.5 years |
AnimasNew MexicoUnited States
Ages · share of residents
26%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma0%
High school32%
Some college23%
Associate’s14%
Bachelor’s12%
Graduate19%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 38% and 81% women
The Census survey reached too few of Animas’ residents to say more: its margin here is ±21.7 points. Across New Mexico, 50.3% of residents are women.
| Animas | NM | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.2% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.3% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 0% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 17.2% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 26.3% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.4% | 11.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 2.2% | 12.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 19.4% | 11.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 0% | 7.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 0% | 12% | 10.4% |
| High school | 32.2% | 25.7% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.3% | 22.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 14.4% | 9.2% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 11.6% | 17.1% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 18.5% | 13.9% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 200, single groups can be off by several points
Health
How healthy Animas is
Animas beats the New Mexico average on 8 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 73% of Animas adults had a checkup this year. Only 6 of the 74 New Mexico towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Animas.
| Animas | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 73% | 69% | 79% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 17% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 23% | 23% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 35% | 35% |
32 measures vs. New Mexico
8 better21 too close to call3 worse
| What stands out | Animas | NM |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 9% | 15.6% |
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 10.3% | 14.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10% | 7.4% |
Northern Cochise Community Hospital
64.3 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Animas
16pages on Animas
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Animas; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Animas residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Mexico.
About Animas
Census-designated place in New Mexico, United States
Animas is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in west-central Hidalgo County, New Mexico, United States, in the southwestern corner of the state. As of the 2020 census, Animas had a population of 180. It lies at the intersection of State Roads 9 and 338, at an elevation of 4,406 feet (1,343 m) approximately 30 miles (48 km) south of the city of Lordsburg, the county seat. Although Animas is unincorporated, it has a post office, which opened in 1909, with the ZIP code of 88020.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 16 sq mi
- Elevation
- 4,406 ft
- ZIP code
- 88020
Questions about Animas
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Animas, NM a good place to live?
Animas has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.