Crow Canyon Petroglyphs, Cuervo Canyon at junction of Canon Largo
Blanco’s story
125 years in pictures
The archive holds 3 old photos and papers and 2 maps from 1960 on.
- 1901Blanco is settled
BlancoNM
A town of 492, settled in 1901.
Population
492
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$235K
+6.1% in a year
Household income
$56K
median
Median age
60.1
years
Jobs based here
69
A commuter town
Is Blanco a good place to live?
32% of residents live below the poverty line in Blanco, against 21% in New Mexico’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Of the 74 New Mexico towns we compare, none has a higher share of households owning their home than Blanco. Blanco’s trail density is 0.1 miles per square mile, below both New Mexico’s towns (1.0) and U.S. towns (0.4). The biggest park or preserve is Blanco River Tract, at 161 acres. Blanco has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
492 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
TurleySullivanAngusturaNavajo DamBlanco
Getting set up
Moving to Blanco: who provides what
Blanco is unincorporated, so San Juan County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerJemez Mountains Elec Coop15.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBlanco Mdwca water system4 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers11% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesSan Juan CountySan Juan 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 hereSan Juan County ClerkSan Juan County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2019
ZIP codes87412, 8741387412 74% · 87413 26%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 Blanco.
Who lives here
Fewer children than New Mexico overall
Children under 18 are 4% of residents (22% statewide); people 65 and older are 35% of residents (19% statewide). Blanco’s median age is 60.1 years. 21% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 31% across New Mexico.
60.1median age · NM 39.4
BlancoNew MexicoUnited States
Ages · share of residents
21%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma10%
High school27%
Some college22%
Associate’s21%
Bachelor’s12%
Graduate9%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 31% and 65% women
The Census survey reached too few of Blanco’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±16.9 points. Across New Mexico, 50.3% of residents are women.
| Blanco | NM | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 4.3% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 0% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.9% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 16.1% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 20.1% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 4.3% | 11.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 16.7% | 12.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 20.5% | 11.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 14.2% | 7.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 9.5% | 12% | 10.4% |
| High school | 27% | 25.7% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.5% | 22.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 20.8% | 9.2% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 12.4% | 17.1% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.8% | 13.9% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 500, single groups can be off by several points
Schools
The schools Blanco’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Bloomfield school district. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blanco ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades 1–6 | Grades 1–6 | 138 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Work & commute
Most of Blanco’s workers commute out: the town has 0.4 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Blanco for work: only 2% work in town. Since 2013, Blanco has added 28 jobs, to 69 in 2023. The top destinations are Farmington (31%), Albuquerque (12%) and Bloomfield (11%).
2%work in town
Where working residents work
In Blanco2%
Farmington31%
Albuquerque12%
Bloomfield11%
Aztec7%
21 mi
median commute distance
69
jobs based in Blanco
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Blanco faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 78% of U.S. communities.
78risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold waves
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Housing
Blanco’s typical home value is about $235K
The typical Blanco home is worth about $235,000, up 6.1% in a year, 26% below the New Mexico typical home.
$235KZillow home value
Typical home value
Blanco$235K
New Mexico$316K
+6.1%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Blanco has four seasons and hot summers
Blanco has chilly winters and hot summers, with very little rain. The July high in Blanco is 92°F.
11″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter19–45°
Spring35–68°
Summer56–90°
Fall37–68°
Oct 6
typical first frost
May 12
typical last frost
+1.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Outdoors
Blanco has set aside 10% of its land for conservation
0.8 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves.
10%conserved
10%
conserved · 413 of 4,135 acres
0.8 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Blanco River Tract | — | 161 |
| 2. Hammond Tract Wildlife Area | — | 43 |
| 3. Santa Rosa (River Tracts) | — | 25 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Health
Blanco stands out in New Mexico and nationally: a smaller share of its adults binge drink
10% of adults binge drink in Blanco. Blanco beats the New Mexico average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 18. 33% of adults get no exercise outside work in Blanco.
| Blanco | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 14% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 17% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 13% | 16% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 26% | 19% |
32 measures vs. New Mexico
3 better11 too close to call18 worse
| What stands out | Blanco | NM |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 10.2% | 13.7% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79.2% | 73.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.3% | 6.6% |
San Juan Regional Medical Center
24.8 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 Blanco
17pages on Blanco
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Blanco; the nearest are
San Juan CollegeCommunity college · Public · Farmington22.1 mi$1,928 in-state tuitionFort Lewis CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Durango, CO35.9 mi$9,958 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Blanco residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Mexico.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Blanco for work
Where Blanco’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
69jobs based in Blanco
2%of working residents work in town
21 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Questions about Blanco
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Blanco, NM a good place to live?
Blanco has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.