Orchard. Dixon, New Mexico, 1940
Dixon’s story
126 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1940 and 2 maps from 1953 on.
- 1900Dixon is settled
DixonNM
A town of 1,623, settled in 1900.
Population
1,623
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$393K
Census ACS
Household income
$54K
median
Median age
38.4
years
Jobs based here
49
A commuter town
Is Dixon a good place to live?
Dixon’s weakest subject grade is a D− for incomes. 81% of the land in Dixon is conserved, against 3.9% in New Mexico’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. Only 5 of New Mexico’s 161 towns score lower on history. Dixon has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Dixon for work
Where Dixon’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
49jobs based in Dixon
1%of working residents work in town
35 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Dixon grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New Mexico), ordered by how far Dixon is from typical.
Jobs & income$54K median household incomeD−Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listDOpen →SchoolsC−Open →HealthPresbyterian Espanola Hospital 16.7 miles awayC−Open →Cost of livingTypical home $393K, 6.9 years of the Española area’s $57K median household incomeC+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 3.5 of 20; 0% of households have no car; 14.3% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Dixon: who provides what
Dixon is unincorporated, so Rio Arriba County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerJemez Mountains Elec Coop15.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterDixon Mdwca water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesRio Arriba CountyRio Arriba 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 hereRio Arriba County ClerkRio Arriba County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Mar 2023
ZIP codes87527, 8753187527 89% · 87531 11%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 Dixon.
OutdoorsC+
Protected land: nearly a third of Dixon
5.0 miles of trail. Dixon’s density of trails stands at 0.4 miles per square mile, where New Mexico’s towns sit at 1.0 and U.S. towns at 0.4.
80.7%conserved
80.7%
conserved · 5,970 of 7,396 acres
5.0 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsC−
On state tests, Dixon’s schools trail 78% of New Mexico districts
The Espanola school district runs its public schools. Its one school is below. Enrollment at Dixon’s public school: 50 students.
22%of NM districts it outscoresC−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dixon ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 50 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NM on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Very high risk in Dixon, with inland flooding at the top
Expected losses in Dixon break down as 74% from inland flooding and 14% from wildfires. Compared with 90% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage here is higher.
90risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingWildfire
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Who lives here
Fewer young adults than New Mexico overall
Adults 18 to 34 are 8% of residents (23% statewide); people 65 and older are 31% of residents (19% statewide). 29% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 31% across New Mexico. The midpoint age for Dixon comes to 38.4 years.
38.4median age · NM 39.4
| Dixon | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 38.4 years | 37.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 29% | 23% | 29% |
DixonNew MexicoUnited States
Ages · share of residents
20%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma19%
High school19%
Some college28%
Associate’s6%
Bachelor’s14%
Graduate15%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 41% and 64% women
The Census survey reached too few of Dixon’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±11.4 points. Across New Mexico, 50.3% of residents are women.
| Dixon | NM | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 19.3% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12.7% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.6% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 4.8% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 18.7% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 3.8% | 11.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 6% | 12.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.5% | 11.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 19.5% | 7.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 19% | 12% | 10.4% |
| High school | 18.7% | 25.7% | 26% |
| Some college | 27.5% | 22.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 6% | 9.2% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 13.9% | 17.1% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 14.9% | 13.9% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,600, single groups can be off by several points
HealthC−
Dixon is less healthy than three in four U.S. towns
Among adults in Dixon, 32% feel lonely. CDC measures, 32 in all: Dixon beats New Mexico on 4 and trails on 11. Two figures for adults locally: 11% binge drink, 19% report frequent physical distress. Only 6 of the 74 New Mexico towns we compare have a lower share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Dixon.
24%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
| Dixon | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 14% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 16% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 26% | 19% |
32 measures vs. New Mexico
4 better17 too close to call11 worse
| What stands out | Dixon | NM |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 10.5% | 13.7% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79.7% | 73.3% |
| More adults with heart disease | 10.5% | 7.2% |
Presbyterian Espanola Hospital
16.7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
Dixon stands out in New Mexico and nationally, with the average trip to work longer than most
For residents in Dixon, the share who live below the poverty line is 38%. Among 74 New Mexico towns, just one has a lower share of working residents who work in town than Dixon. Since 2013, Dixon has added 21 jobs, to 49 in 2023. The top destinations are Los Alamos (23%), Albuquerque (17%) and Española (11%).
1%work in town
| Dixon | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 65 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 38% | 21% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.5% | 14% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Dixon1%
Los Alamos23%
Albuquerque17%
Española11%
Santa Fe11%
35 mi
median commute distance
49
jobs based in Dixon
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 52% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Expect four seasons and pleasant summers in Dixon
Dixon’s typical July afternoon high is 87°F.
11″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter18–46°
Spring33–66°
Summer53–86°
Fall35–67°
Oct 4
typical first frost
May 10
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Dixon
17pages on Dixon
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Dixon; the nearest are
Northern New Mexico CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Espanola16.2 mi$6,400 in-state tuitionUniversity of New Mexico-Taos CampusCommunity college · Public · Ranchos de Taos17.7 mi$2,136 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Dixon residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Mexico.
Questions about Dixon
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Dixon, NM expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.