Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Elephant Butte’s subject grades is a B+ for the outdoors; the weakest is a D for incomes. Elephant Butte’s average trip to work is 12 minutes, below both the New Mexico town median (23 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Only 3 of the 74 New Mexico towns we compare have a higher median age than Elephant Butte. 69% of the land in Elephant Butte is conserved, above both the New Mexico town median (3.9%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). Elephant Butte has 2 places on the National Register. Elephant Butte has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New Mexico), ordered by how far Elephant Butte is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,390 in 2000, 1,447 in 2020. The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 2003 and 2 maps from 1958 on.
Explore the history →Who provides power, water and the rest in Elephant Butte, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 27, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Elephant Butte.
16 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves. Elephant Butte’s trail density is 3.7 miles per square mile.
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The typical Elephant Butte home is worth about $240,000, up 1.5% in a year, 24% below the New Mexico typical home. 78% of Elephant Butte households own their home.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Elephant Butte has chilly winters and hot summers, with very little rain. The July high in Elephant Butte is 96°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Elephant Butte for work: only 7% work in town. Since 2013, Elephant Butte has added 94 jobs, to 340 in 2023. 11% of residents live below the poverty line in Elephant Butte.
| Elephant Butte | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 21% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $53,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 7% | 14% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Among 74 New Mexico towns, just 1 have a lower share of adults who binge drink than Elephant Butte. Elephant Butte beats the New Mexico average on 13 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8. Among 74 New Mexico towns, just 5 have a lower share of adults who sleep under 7 hours than Elephant Butte.
| Elephant Butte | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 35% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 13% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 34% | 36% |
| What stands out | Elephant Butte | NM |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.8% | 16.5% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.6% | 20.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 14.4% | 7.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 51% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Elephant Butte; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Elephant Butte residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Mexico.
City in Sierra County, New Mexico, United States
Elephant Butte is a city in Sierra County, New Mexico, United States, located near Elephant Butte Reservoir and Elephant Butte Lake State Park. The population was 1,447 at the time of the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
That is 5.8 years of the area's median household income ($41,600 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.