RugMakingWomanPassesShuttle (cropped), 1939
Costilla’s story
154 years in pictures
The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1939 and a map from 1963 on.
- 1872Costilla is settled
CostillaNM
Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 4.0
Is Costilla a good place to live?
Of the 74 New Mexico towns we compare, none has a higher home-ownership rate than Costilla. Costilla has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Costilla stand out
Where Costilla beats most towns.
Small town
450 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
Moving to Costilla: who provides what
Costilla is unincorporated, so Taos County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerKit Carson Electric Coop15.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCostilla Mdwca water system5 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers92% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesTaos CountyTaos 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 hereTaos County ClerkTaos County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2021
ZIP code8752487524 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 Costilla.
Natural hazards
Costilla has a high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from avalanches
Costilla’s risk rating from FEMA stands at 71 of 100, against 66 of 100 in New Mexico’s towns and 44 of 100 across U.S. towns. FEMA puts nearly three fifths of the town’s expected hazard losses down to avalanches, and 28% to inland flooding.
71risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
AvalanchesInland flooding
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Compared with most of New Mexico and the rest of the country, a typical July afternoon in Costilla is cooler
The seasons in Costilla: cold, snowy winters, pleasant summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 8° and about 62 inches of snow falls in a winter.
62″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter9–39°
Spring27–59°
Summer45–80°
Fall28–61°
Sep 23
typical first frost
May 31
typical last frost
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
A smaller share of adults in Costilla have been diagnosed with depression than in the typical New Mexico or U.S. town
Nearly a fifth of Costilla adults worry about having enough food, where New Mexico’s towns sit at 23% and U.S. towns at 14%. For adults here, the share who have obesity is 30%. Only 7 of the 74 New Mexico towns we compare have a lower share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Costilla.
| Costilla | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 23% | 23% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 8.1% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 71% | 69% | 79% |
32 measures vs. New Mexico
7 better25 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Costilla | NM |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.4% | 14.2% |
| Fewer smokers | 10.3% | 13.4% |
San Luis Valley Regional Medical Center
39.2 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
0% of Costilla is conserved land
2.4 miles of trail. Costilla’s concentration of trails stands at 0.8 miles per square mile.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 1,925 acres
2.4 mi
of trails · 0.8 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Costilla
14pages on Costilla
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Costilla; the nearest are
Adams State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Alamosa, CO39.1 mi$9,824 in-state tuitionUniversity of New Mexico-Taos CampusCommunity college · Public · Ranchos de Taos44 mi$2,136 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Costilla residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Mexico.
About Costilla
Census-designated place in New Mexico, United States
Costilla is a census-designated place in Taos County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2020 census, Costilla had a population of 177. Costilla has a post office with ZIP code 87524. State roads 196 and 522 intersect in the community.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 7,812 ft
- ZIP code
- 87524
Questions about Costilla
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Costilla, NM a good place to live?
Costilla has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.