Des Moines, New Mexico, 2026
Des Moines’s story
120 years in pictures
Census counts: 800 in 1920, 117 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2026 and 2 maps from 1972 on.
- 1906Des Moines is settled
Des MoinesNM
The town, settled in 1906, counts 105 residents.
Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 4.0
Population
105
2025 Census estimate · −7.9% since 2020
Median home value
$153K
Census ACS
Household income
$64K
median
Median age
17.8
years
Land area
1 sq mi
Is Des Moines a good place to live?
Des Moines’ mean commuting time is 10 minutes, below both New Mexico’s towns (23 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Among 74 New Mexico towns, just 2 have a lower peak summer temperature than Des Moines. Des Moines has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
105 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Des Moines: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Des Moines, and how to reach them.
PowerSouthwestern Electric Coop25.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterDes Moines Water System10 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 providers0% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Des Moines’ trash rules yet
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 hereUnion County ClerkUnion County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Dec 2025
ZIP code8841888418 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 Des Moines.
Who lives here
More children than New Mexico overall
105 people lived in Des Moines by the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate, 7.9% fewer than in 2020. A bachelor’s degree or higher: 27% of adults 25 and older, vs 31% across New Mexico. 26% never finished high school.
17.8median age · NM 39.4
Des MoinesNew MexicoUnited States
Ages · share of residents
35%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma26%
High school41%
Some college7%
Associate’s0%
Bachelor’s13%
Graduate14%
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.4 points. Across New Mexico, 50.3% of residents are women.
| Des Moines | NM | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 34.5% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 16.1% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 0% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 0% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 23% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 2.3% | 11.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.4% | 12.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 5.7% | 11.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4% | 7.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 25.6% | 12% | 10.4% |
| High school | 40.7% | 25.7% | 26% |
| Some college | 7% | 22.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 0% | 9.2% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 12.8% | 17.1% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 14% | 13.9% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 100, single groups can be off by several points
Schools
The schools Des Moines’s kids attend
The public schools here belong to the Des Moines school district. Its two schools are below. The 2 public schools in Des Moines teach 132 students between them.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 82 | A |
| Des Moines HighLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 50 | A |
NCES · EDFacts
Natural hazards
Natural hazards: high risk in Des Moines, mostly drought
For Des Moines, the risk rating from FEMA is 75 of 100. FEMA puts 37% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to drought, and 21% to wildfires.
75risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
DroughtWildfireInland flooding
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Expect snowy winters and pleasant summers in Des Moines
July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 17° and about 41 inches of snow falls in a winter.
41″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter18–45°
Spring33–62°
Summer53–82°
Fall36–64°
Oct 1
typical first frost
May 17
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Des Moines is
Only 3 of the 74 New Mexico towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Des Moines. The town beats the New Mexico average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 11% of Des Moines adults binge drink.
| Des Moines | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 16% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 26% | 19% |
32 measures vs. New Mexico
1 better23 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Des Moines | NM |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79.7% | 73.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.3% | 6.6% |
Miners' Colfax Medical Center
34.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Des Moines
16pages on Des Moines
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Des Moines; the nearest are
Trinidad State CollegeCommunity college · Public · Trinidad, CO47 mi$4,608 in-state tuitionOtero CollegeCommunity college · Public · La Junta, CO85 mi$4,576 in-state tuitionNew Mexico Highlands UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Las Vegas111.6 mi$7,416 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Des Moines residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Mexico.
About Des Moines
Village in New Mexico, United States
Des Moines ("Dez Moynz") is a village in Union County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 117 in the 2020 census. The population has been declining since its peak in about 1920. Des Moines is a small village surrounded by large cattle ranches. Inactive volcanoes dot the region.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 6,647 ft
- ZIP code
- 88418
Questions about Des Moines
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Des Moines, NM a good place to live?
Des Moines has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.