Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 4.0Living in Costilla, NM: what to set up and who to call
An EPA health-based violation from 2024 is still open for the Costilla Mdwca water system. Costilla has no town government of its own, so Taos County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Questa Independent Schools.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Costilla, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.
Power, water and internet
Who to call to start service at a new address in Costilla.
Power comes from Kit Carson Electric Coop
Kit Carson Electric Coop (Kit Carson Electric Coop, Inc), a cooperative utility, serves all of Costilla. Its homes paid an average of 15.7¢ per kWh in 2025, about $78 a month (its average across New Mexico).
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Costilla Mdwca water system
The Costilla Mdwca water system supplies almost all of Costilla. It draws ground water and serves 244 people in all.
5 health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a groundwater treatment requirement (Groundwater Rule) ×4, a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule Revisions), the latest beginning Oct 2024. 77% of the 15,074 systems serving 101–500 people had none. 6 older violations are still open, since 2024: a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule Revisions), per EPA’s records.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2020–Dec 2022, was 2.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. That’s higher than 70% of similar systems’ latest results.
The system’s full record: EPA ECHO report
EPA SDWIS via Envirofacts (violations pulled Oct 9, 2026) and ECHO (lead samples, 2026Q3); service area: EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3.0. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. NM3505929.
3 home internet providers serve Costilla
92% of 148 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 87% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kit Carson Internet | Fiber | 84% | 1,000/1,000 |
| Ethos Broadband | Fixed wireless | 83% | 400/80 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 11% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Costilla’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Costilla.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Costilla is in Questa Independent Schools.
Test scores and every school: see Schools →U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.
No town hall: the county runs things
Costilla is unincorporated, so Taos County is the local government.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Jul 2021; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Aug 27, 2026.
Costilla is in ZIP code 87524
ZIP codes where Costilla residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Costilla | ZIP’s residents in Costilla |
|---|---|---|---|
| 87524 | Costilla, NM | 100% | 87% |
Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.
Getting around, the ER and the library
One line each; the subject pages have the rest.
ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.
Questions about living in Costilla
Who supplies Costilla’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Costilla Mdwca water system (EPA ID NM3505929). It reported 5 health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a groundwater treatment requirement (Groundwater Rule) ×4, a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule Revisions). 77% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 2.0 ppb (Jan 2020–Dec 2022), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Costilla?
Kit Carson Electric Coop (Kit Carson Electric Coop, Inc), a cooperative utility. Its homes paid about 15.7¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Costilla?
Kit Carson Internet, Ethos Broadband, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Costilla?
87524. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Costilla in?
Questa Independent Schools.
How do I register to vote in Costilla?
In 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). Elections here are run by the Taos County Clerk. Check your registration at voterportal.servis.sos.state.nm.us.
Sources & dates
Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.
- Water: EPA SDWIS (Envirofacts, pulled Oct 9, 2026), ECHO SDWA 2026Q3, EPA CWS Service Area Boundaries v3.0.
- Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
- Trash: OpenStreetMap, Geofabrik extract of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
- ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
- Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
- Registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 27, 2026 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
- Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
- Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.