Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Farmington's police reported 481 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, a higher rate per resident than 95% of U.S. towns. Overall it grades C−, 40th of 72 graded towns in New Mexico. It has 97 miles of trail and it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 83% of U.S. towns. 60% of working residents work locally in Farmington, above both the New Mexico town median (13%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). Farmington is home to San Juan College. Among 32 New Mexico towns, just 2 have a higher violent crime rate than Farmington.
Where Farmington beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New Mexico), ordered by how far Farmington is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 785 in 1910, 46,624 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1967 and 2 maps from 1965 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Farmington, 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 Farmington.
Farmington carries less natural-hazard risk than most of New Mexico (mostly inland flooding) and has home values climbing faster than New Mexico’s.
97 miles of trail in 48 parks and preserves. The trail density in Farmington is 2.8 miles per square mile. Lake Farmington Recreation Area, at 587 acres with 5.8 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Farmington | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 2.8 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 7.6% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Berg Park | 6.6 mi | 139 |
| 2. Lake Farmington Recreation Area | 5.8 mi | 587 |
| 3. Northeast Recreation Area | 2 mi | 277 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Farmington school district. Three of its 28 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heights Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 660 | – |
| Farmington HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,747 | A |
| San Juan College High SchoolTop results in townGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 300 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NM on state tests and graduation
Farmington’s property crime rate is 24.8 per 1,000 residents. Farmington reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 95% report less.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Farmington has chilly winters and hot summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 92°, January nights drop to 18° and about 9 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Farmington beats the New Mexico average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 10. 69% of adults had a checkup this year in Farmington.
| Farmington | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 69% | 69% | 79% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 34% | 33% |
| What stands out | Farmington | NM |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 12.4% | 15.6% |
| Fewer adults with high cholesterol | 31% | 35.1% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 14.7% | 11.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
17% of Farmington residents live below the poverty line. Since 2013, Farmington has lost 3,955 jobs, to 26,915 in 2023. 6.1% of Farmington workers work from home.
| Farmington | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 21% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 6.1% | 8.4% | 11% |
| Median household income | $69,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 79% of New Mexico towns, with expected losses of about $321 per resident a year; that rating is what its B for hazard risk is built on.
Since 1980, 7 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Farmington.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Children under 18 are 26% of residents (22% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 19% of residents (23% statewide). 26% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 31% across New Mexico.
| Farmington | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 26% | 23% | 22% |
| Median age | 38.7 years | 37.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 17% | 18% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 26% | 23% | 29% |
52% women, 48% men
About 94 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1.1 points). Across New Mexico, 50.3% of residents are women. Median age: women 39.8, men 37.6.
| Farmington | NM | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.5% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 13.9% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.7% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.8% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 16.6% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.5% | 11.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.4% | 12.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.9% | 11.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.7% | 7.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.4% | 12% | 10.4% |
| High school | 25% | 25.7% | 26% |
| Some college | 26.8% | 22.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 13.6% | 9.2% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 15.5% | 17.1% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.7% | 13.9% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Home values rose 42% in five years, to about $283K, against 25% across New Mexico.
The typical Farmington home is worth about $283,000, up 6.8% in a year, 10% below the New Mexico typical home.
| Farmington | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 66% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,037 a month | $936 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
1 within 15 miles of the center of Farmington
About 6 of every 100 Farmington residents are enrolled in college, about the same as New Mexico.
11 notable people were born in Farmington.
City in New Mexico, United States
Farmington is a city in San Juan County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 46,624 people. Farmington (and surrounding San Juan County) makes up one of the four metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) in New Mexico. Farmington is located at the junction of the San Juan River, the Animas River, and the La Plata River, and is located on the Colorado Plateau. Farmington is the largest city of San Juan County, one of the geographically largest counties in the United States covering 5,538 square miles (14,340 km2). Farmington serves as the commercial hub for most of northwestern New Mexico and the Four Corners region of four states. Farmington lies at or…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
7 towns share a border with Farmington.
| Town | NM rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farmington | #40 | C− | C | D | B | C+ |
| Flora Vista | #55 | D | C | — | B | C+ |
| Crouch Mesa | #21 | C | A− | — | B | C− |
| La Plata | — | — | B− | — | B | C− |
| Lee Acres | #60 | D | C+ | — | B | C− |
| Totah Vista | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| South River | — | — | B− | — | B | C |
| Upper Fruitland | — | — | A+ | — | D | D− |
La Plata, South River and Upper Fruitland have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Flora Vista, Crouch Mesa, La Plata, Lee Acres, South River and Upper Fruitland report no FBI crime data of their own. Totah Vista isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Farmington with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Farmington grades C− overall, better than 18% of U.S. towns and #40 of 72 in New Mexico. It grades C+ for health, D for safety and B for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D.
Within New Mexico, it does better than 25% of towns.
That is 5.1 years of the area's median household income ($55,872 across the Farmington, NM metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
11 notable people were born here, including Melanie Stansbury and Chevel Shepherd.