NMMap-doton-ChurchRock, 2004
Church Rock’s story
Church Rock in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2004.
Explore the history →Church RockNM
A town of 1,381.
Population
1,381
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$39K
Census ACS
Household income
$35K
median
Median age
32.1
years
Jobs based here
361
A job hub
Is Church Rock a good place to live?
Church Rock’s best subject grade is an A for cost of living; its weakest is a D− for incomes. 34% of residents live below the poverty line in Church Rock, where New Mexico’s towns sit at 21% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 100% of U.S. towns. On health, just 2 of New Mexico’s 161 towns do worse. 12% of the land in Church Rock is conserved, where New Mexico’s towns sit at 3.9% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. On history, just 15 of New Mexico’s 161 towns do worse. Church Rock has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Church Rock stand out
Where Church Rock beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Jobs vs. working residents
Jobs here361
Residents who work178
Work
2 jobs for every working resident
A regional job hub: more jobs per worker than 93% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023.
Natural hazardsA−
Very low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
32 measures vs. New Mexico
1 better5 too close to call26 worse
| Widest gap | Church Rock | NM |
|---|---|---|
| More adults without reliable transportation | 32.7% | 11% |
Worth knowing · HealthD−
Less healthy than 99% of U.S. towns
Trails NM on 26 of 32 CDC measures, beats it on 1
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
A growing town
Church Rock has grown 37% from 2010 to 2020
1,128 counted in 2010 and 1,542 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
How Church Rock grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New Mexico), ordered by how far Church Rock is from typical.
Jobs & income$35K median household incomeD−Open →HealthNear the bottom of U.S. towns on CDC estimates; Rehoboth Mckinley Christian Health Care Services 9.6 miles awayD−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 2.7 of 20; 8.7% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitD−Open →Cost of livingTypical home $39K, 0.8 years of the Gallup area’s $48K median household incomeAOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 19% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listA−Open →SchoolsBehind 71% of New Mexico districts on tests and graduationCOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Church Rock: who provides what
Church Rock is unincorporated, so McKinley County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerContinental Divide El Coop16.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterGallup Water System8 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers95% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesMcKinley CountyMcKinley 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 hereMcKinley County ClerkMcKinley County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Dec 2025
ZIP code8731187311 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 Church Rock.
HealthD−
A larger share of adults say their health is fair or poor in Church Rock than in most of New Mexico or the rest of the country
43% of Church Rock adults say their health is fair or poor. No town among the 74 in New Mexico we compare has a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Church Rock. 28% of Church Rock adults report frequent mental distress.
1%healthier than U.S. townsD−Health Grade
| Church Rock | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 26% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 16% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 17% | 14% |
32 measures vs. New Mexico
1 better5 too close to call26 worse
| What stands out | Church Rock | NM |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.2% | 7.4% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 32.7% | 11% |
Rehoboth Mckinley Christian Health Care Services
9.6 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
About half of Church Rock’s working residents commute to Gallup
Most working residents leave Church Rock for work: only 3% work in town. The average trip to work in Church Rock is 31 minutes. Jobs based in Church Rock grew to 361 in 2023, 357 more than in 2013.
3%work in town
| Church Rock | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $35,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.8% | 14% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Church Rock3%
Gallup46%
Albuquerque10%
Farmington8%
Crownpoint6%
12 mi
median commute distance
361
jobs based in Church Rock
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
D−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 0% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A−
Church Rock faces a very low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 81% of U.S. communities.
19risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesLightning
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Church Rock
Church Rock has chilly winters and warm summers, with very little rain. Church Rock’s July high is 87°F.
21″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter20–45°
Spring33–64°
Summer54–85°
Fall36–66°
Oct 7
typical first frost
May 11
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
12%conserved
12%
conserved · 1,409 of 11,714 acres
19 mi
of trails · 1 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Church Rock
17pages on Church Rock
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Church Rock
About 3 of every 100 Church Rock residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Mexico.
Small town
1,381 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
GallupIyanbitoSundanceChurch Rock
About Church Rock
Human settlement in New Mexico, United States
Church Rock (Navajo: Kinłitsosinil) is a census-designated place (CDP) in McKinley County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,542 at the 2020 census, up from 1,128 in 2010. The community is named for Church Rock, a prominent natural landmark.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 6,686 ft
- ZIP code
- 87311
Questions about Church Rock
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Church Rock, NM expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.