Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Public schools that outperform most of New Mexico.
Clayton gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $99K for a typical one, or 2.1 years of the county’s $47K median household income. It grades B− overall, 7th of 72 graded towns in New Mexico. The low prices come with trade-offs. The median household income is $34K, and 20% of residents live below the poverty line, and FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 75% of U.S. communities, with drought at the top. On the plus side, its schools rank ahead of 80% of New Mexico towns. 47% of working residents work locally in Clayton, above both New Mexico’s towns (13%) and U.S. towns (8%). Only 2 of New Mexico’s 32 towns score higher on safety. Clayton has 6 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Rabbit Ears and Union County Courthouse.
Where Clayton beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Alvis Elementary | PK–4 | 152 |
| Kiser Elementary | 5–6 | 63 |
| Clayton Junior High | 7–8 | 61 |
Union County Courthouse2,980 counted in 2010 and 2,643 in 2020; an estimated 2,510 in 2025.
The decline has continued: down 5.4% since 2020, after 11.3% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New Mexico), ordered by how far Clayton is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 970 in 1910, 2,643 in 2020. The archive holds 16 old photos and papers going back to 1901 and 3 maps from 1970 on.
6 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Clayton, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 27, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Clayton.
Clayton fares better on crime within New Mexico than nationally, pairs an A− for schools with modest home prices and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
At 2.1 years of the county’s $47K median household income, the typical home (about $99K) costs less against local pay than in 88% of New Mexico towns; that ratio is one input to its B+ for cost of living. Values fell 14% in the past year while the New Mexico typical home rose 1.7%.
Clayton’s median rent is $652 a month. Typical home values fell 14% in the year to September 2026.
| Clayton | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $652 a month | $944 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 73% | 70% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its A− for schools comes with a B+ for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $99K. Its A− ranks #4 of the 73 New Mexico towns we grade for schools.
Its public schools are run by the Clayton school district. Two of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alvis ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 152 | – |
| Clayton HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 121 | D− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NM on state tests and graduation
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Against the 1,179 U.S. towns with household incomes like Clayton’s, it is healthier than 90%, so its C isn’t only a matter of income.
Clayton beats the New Mexico average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 68% of Clayton adults had a checkup this year.
| Clayton | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 68% | 69% | 79% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 8.1% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 25% | 19% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 17% | 14% |
| What stands out | Clayton | NM |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults seeing a dentist | 54.9% | 61.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Clayton has chilly winters and warm summers, with very little rain. The July high in Clayton is 90°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Jobs based here fell from 1,211 in 2013 to 809. The average commute for its 871 working residents takes 11.8 minutes, against 23.5 across New Mexico.
Jobs based in Clayton fell to 809 in 2023, 402 fewer than in 2013. 21% of residents live below the poverty line in Clayton. Among 72 New Mexico towns, just 5 have a lower median household income than Clayton.
| Clayton | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 12 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $35,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 21% | 21% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
At 14.9 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 93% of New Mexico’s graded towns. Violent crime is rare: 2 reported in 2025, 0.8 per 1,000 residents.
No town among the 32 in New Mexico we compare has a lower property crime rate than Clayton. Clayton reports less crime per resident than 59% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade. Among 32 New Mexico towns, just 1 have a lower violent crime rate than Clayton.
| Clayton | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.8 per 1,000 residents | 16.4 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.8 per 1,000 residents | 4.4 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
None within 15 miles of Clayton; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Clayton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Mexico.
6 places in Clayton on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born in Clayton.
Town in New Mexico, United States
Clayton is a town in and the county seat of Union County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2020 census, Clayton had a population of 2,643. Clayton is home to the historic Luna Theater, a municipal airport, Clayton High School, and Herzstein Memorial Museum. Clayton Lake State Park is about 15 miles away.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Clayton grades B− overall, better than 50% of U.S. towns and #7 of 72 in New Mexico. It grades C for health, B for safety and A− for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D−.
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 B+.
3 notable people were born here, including Charles Deaton and Edward L. Tixier.
