Black Rock’s best subject grade is a B for walkability; its weakest is a D− for incomes. 39% of residents live below the poverty line in Black Rock, above both New Mexico’s towns (21%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Only 12 of New Mexico’s 156 towns score lower on incomes. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 91% of the country. Only 8 of New Mexico’s 161 towns score lower on history. Black Rock has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.

WeakestD⁻Jobs & income DHealth C⁻Schools

Small town

1,125 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Zuni PuebloBlack Rock

How Black Rock grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New Mexico), ordered by how far Black Rock is from typical.

How grading works

Jobs & incomeD⁻Open →HealthRehoboth Mckinley Christian Health Care Services 29.8 miles awayDOpen →SchoolsC⁻Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.2 of 20; 18.7% of households have no car; 4.9% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →Cost of livingTypical home $101K, 2.1 years of the Gallup area’s $48K median household incomeC⁺Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 40% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →

Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.

Outdoors2 miles of trailsDOpen →HistoryD⁻Open →

Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.

Climate–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 28.7; 16% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →

How TownRatings grades towns →

Getting set up

Moving to Black Rock: who provides what

Black Rock is unincorporated, so McKinley County and regional agencies provide most services.

PowerContinental Divide El Coop16.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA

WaterZuni Pueblo water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA

Internet2 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC

Trash & county servicesMcKinley CountyMcKinley County provides services here

SchoolsZuni Public SchoolsWhich school depends on your addressNCES

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.gov

Who runs elections hereMcKinley County ClerkMcKinley County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Dec 2025

ZIP code8732787327 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 Black Rock.

Work & commuteJobs & income grade D⁻

Black Rock has 1.6 jobs for every working resident, and 413 people commute in

About one in 3 of Black Rock’s working residents works in town. Jobs based in Black Rock grew to 516 in 2023, 87 more than in 2013. Black Rock’s median household income is $46,000, against $55,000 in New Mexico’s towns and $80,000 across U.S. towns.

32%work in town

	Black Rock	New Mexico towns	U.S. towns
Working residents who work in town	32%	14%	8%
Median household income	$46,000	$55,000	$80,000
Average trip to work	26 minutes	23 minutes	25 minutes

Where working residents work

In Black Rock32%

Gallup21%

Zuni Pueblo19%

Albuquerque7%

Crownpoint3%

3 mi

median commute distance

516

jobs based in Black Rock

A job hub

jobs vs. working residents

Walkability grade: more walkable than 63% of U.S. towns

Full pageBlack Rock’s work & commute pageOpen the page

The jobs here516 jobs based here · A job hub Where people work32% work in Black Rock Commute times26 minutes · The average commute How far they goHalf commute less than 3 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

SchoolsC⁻

Black Rock’s public schools trail 81% of New Mexico districts

Its public schools are run by the Zuni school district. Its two schools are below.

19%of NM districts it outscoresC⁻School Grade

School	Level	Students	Letter
Shiwi Ts'ana ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5	Grades PK–5	447	–
Zuni HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12	Grades 9–12	295	–

Full pageBlack Rock’s schools pageOpen the page

The districtsZUNI Vs. the neighborsBehind its graded neighbor Every school2 schools · Shiwi Ts'ana Elementary Questions“Are Black Rock’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts · graded within NM on state tests and graduation

HealthD

A larger share of adults sleep under 7 hours in Black Rock than in most of New Mexico or the rest of the country

42% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Black Rock. Among 74 New Mexico towns, just 4 have a higher share of adults who smoke cigarettes than Black Rock. 14% of adults binge drink in Black Rock.

9%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade

	Black Rock	New Mexico towns	U.S. towns
Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES)	25%	14%	14%
Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES)	24%	16%	17%
Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES)	63%	69%	79%
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)	19%	17%	14%