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Gila
New Mexico›Grant County

GilaNM

A town of 366, settled in 1875.

1 bordering townMap →
L. C. Ranch Headquarters · Photo: Fourlix · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo of Gila

Gila, NM · L. C. Ranch Headquarters · Photo: Fourlix · CC BY-SA 4.0

Is Gila a good place to live?

15% of the land in Gila is conserved, above both the New Mexico town median (3.9%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). L. C. Ranch Headquarters is on the National Register of Historic Places. Gila has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

Small town

366 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns
CliffCliffGila
L. C. Ranch Headquarters
L. C. Ranch Headquarters · National Register of Historic Places
Gila’s story

151 years in pictures

The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2012 and 2 maps from 1959 on.

1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.

  • 1875Gila is settled
Explore the history →
Getting set up

Moving to Gila: who provides what

Gila is unincorporated, so Grant County and regional agencies provide most services.

PowerPNM16.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet1 providers72% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesGrant CountyGrant County provides services here
SchoolsSilver City Consolidated SchoolsWhich school depends on your addressNCES
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.gov
Who runs elections hereGrant County ClerkGrant County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2023
ZIP codes88038, 8802888038 79% · 88028 21%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 Gila.

Natural hazards

Gila stands out in New Mexico and nationally, with the FEMA risk score higher than most

Of the losses FEMA expects in Gila, 57% come from inland flooding and 40% from wildfires. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 99% of U.S. communities.

99risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
99Very high riskLowerHigher
Inland floodingWildfire

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Work & commute

Most of Gila’s workers commute out: the town has 0.1 jobs for each of them

30% of residents live below the poverty line in Gila. The top destinations are Silver City (27%), Albuquerque (16%) and Las Cruces (6%). The median commute is under 44 miles.

0%work in town

Where working residents work

In Gila0%
Silver City27%
Albuquerque16%
Las Cruces6%
Bayard3%
44 mi
median commute distance
6
jobs based in Gila
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Climate

Mild winters and hot summers: that is Gila’s year

The July high here is 93°F.

2″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter24–59°
Spring36–76°
Summer58–92°
Fall40–77°
Oct 15
typical first frost
May 9
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Outdoors

15.2% of Gila is conserved land

Trails total 0.1 miles in 2 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is State Game Commission Land, at 111 acres.

15.2%conserved
15.2%
conserved · 909 of 5,989 acres
0.1 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
Biggest places to walkTrailsAcres
1. State Game Commission Land—111
2. Gila Park—2

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

Health

Compared with most of New Mexico and the rest of the country, fewer of Gila’s adults binge drink

Gila does better than the New Mexico average on 13 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 8. 30% of Gila adults sleep under 7 hours. Only one of the 74 New Mexico towns we compare has a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Gila.

GilaNew Mexico townsU.S. towns
Binge drink (CDC PLACES)10%13%16%
High blood pressure (CDC PLACES)44%35%35%
Feel lonely (CDC PLACES)29%35%33%
Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES)30%34%36%
32 measures vs. New Mexico
13 better11 too close to call8 worse
What stands outGilaNM
Fewer uninsured adults9%15.6%
Fewer adults facing housing insecurity9.6%16.5%
More adults who have had cancer13.1%7.4%
Gila Regional Medical Center
20.6 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 Gila

15pages on Gila
After high school

Colleges nearby

None within 15 miles of Gila; the nearest are

A commuter town

100% of working residents leave Gila for work

Where Gila’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

27% → Silver City Silver City 27% 16% → Albuquerque Albuquerque 16% 6% → Las Cruces Las Cruces 6% 3% → Bayard Bayard 3% 3% → Raton Raton 3% 3% → Deming Deming 3% Gila · 0% stay
6jobs based in Gila
0%of working residents work in town
44 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

About Gila

Census-designated place in New Mexico, United States

Gila is a census-designated place (CDP) in Grant County, New Mexico, United States. It is 48 kilometres (30 miles) northwest of the county seat, Silver City. Its population was 285 as of the 2020 census. The community is located in the irrigated valley of the Gila River in the midst of hilly and mountainous semi-arid terrain. The townsite was sporadically populated by the Apache, Spanish and Mexican colonists, and American mountain men prior to the rise to prominence of the million-acre Lyons & Campbell Ranch. The ranch established its headquarters in Gila in 1890 and was one of the largest ranches in the United States. The headquarters building is on the National Register of Historic Place…

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Established
1884
Area
9.4 sq mi
Elevation
4,557 ft
ZIP code
88038

Questions about Gila

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Gila, NM a good place to live?

Gila has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.