CliffNM
A town of 106, settled in 1894.
Is Cliff a good place to live?
Cliff’s median age is 69.5 years, against 37.2 years in New Mexico’s towns and 40.5 years across U.S. towns. Only 7 of the 74 New Mexico towns we compare have a higher share of households owning their home than Cliff. The biggest park or preserve is State Game Commission Land, at 55 acres. Cliff has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Cliff stand out
Where Cliff beats most towns.
106 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Cliff: who provides what
Cliff is unincorporated, so Grant County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Cliff.
70% of residents are 65 or older
People 65 and older are 70% of residents (19% statewide); children under 18 are 0% of residents (22% statewide). 29% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 31% across New Mexico.
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±9.2 points. Across New Mexico, 50.3% of residents are women.
| Cliff | NM | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 0% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 0% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.7% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 0% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 0% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 0% | 11.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 24.5% | 12.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 50.9% | 11.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 18.9% | 7.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8% | 12% | 10.4% |
| High school | 40% | 25.7% | 26% |
| Some college | 14% | 22.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9% | 9.2% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 29% | 17.1% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 0% | 13.9% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 100, single groups can be off by several points
The schools Cliff’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Silver City school district. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cliff ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 92 | – |
| Cliff HighLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 95 | B |
NCES · EDFacts
Cliff has 2.1 jobs for every working resident, and 130 people commute in
Most working residents leave Cliff for work: only 6% work in town. 9.4% of residents live below the poverty line in Cliff, where New Mexico’s towns sit at 21% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Since 2013, Cliff has added 27 jobs, to 134 in 2023.
| Cliff | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 9.4% | 21% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $48,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 6.2% | 14% | 8% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Cliff stands out in New Mexico and nationally: the FEMA risk score there is higher
Cliff’s FEMA risk score is 95 of 100.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Mild winters and hot summers in Cliff
Cliff has chilly winters and hot summers, with very little rain. The July high in Cliff is 93°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
How healthy Cliff is
Cliff beats the New Mexico average on 11 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 30% of Cliff adults sleep under 7 hours. Only 4 of the 74 New Mexico towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Cliff.
| Cliff | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 34% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 35% | 33% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 74% | 69% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 13% | 16% |
| What stands out | Cliff | NM |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 8.3% | 15.6% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 9.3% | 16.5% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 12.3% | 7.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Cliff has set aside 6.2% of its land for conservation
3.3 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
| Cliff | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 6.2% | 3.9% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. State Game Commission Land | — | 55 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Everything we know about Cliff
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Cliff; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Cliff residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Mexico.
Every workday, about 130 people come to Cliff for work
Where Cliff’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Questions about Cliff
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Cliff, NM a good place to live?
Cliff has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.