Abandoned edifice on U.S. 85 near Hatch, New Mexico, 1939
Hatch’s story
139 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1939.
- 1887Hatch is settled
HatchNM
Population 1,584: a town settled in 1887. A regional job hub with 1,038 jobs.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: AllenS · Public domain
Population
1,584
2025 Census estimate · +2.5% since 2020
Median home value
$103K
Census ACS
Household income
$43K
median
Median age
26.7
years
Jobs based here
1,038
A job hub
Is Hatch a good place to live?
Hatch’s best subject grade is an A+ for cost of living; its weakest is a D− for incomes. On cost of living, just 6 of New Mexico’s 156 towns do better. Residents are less healthy than 93% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. No town among the 71 in New Mexico we compare has a lower midpoint rent than Hatch. Hatch has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Hatch stand out
Where Hatch beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Jobs vs. working residents
Jobs here1,038
Residents who work364
Work
A regional job hub: more jobs per worker than 97% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023.
32 measures vs. New Mexico
1 better14 too close to call17 worse
| Widest gap | Hatch | NM |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 34.5% | 15.6% |
Worth knowing · HealthD
Trails NM on 17 of 32 CDC measures, beats it on 1
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
A job hub
Every workday, about 940 people come to Hatch for work
Where Hatch’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1,038jobs based in Hatch
27%of working residents work in town
31 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Hatch grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New Mexico), ordered by how far Hatch is from typical.
Cost of livingTypical home $103K, 1.8 years of the Las Cruces metro’s $57K median household incomeA+Open →Jobs & incomeIncomes and work are among the weakest comparedD−Open →HealthThree Crosses Regional Hospital 32.3 miles awayDOpen →Hazard riskInland flooding tops the listDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.3 of 20; 7.8% of households have no car; 7.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB+Open →SchoolsBased on how pupils do in exams and testsB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksBOpen →HistoryGraded on historic places and the town’s ageC−Open →Civic life4.9 library visits per resident; 3.2 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsCOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Hatch: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Hatch, and how to reach them.
PowerSierra Electric CoopEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterHatch Water Supply SystemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet1 providers0% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Hatch’s 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 hereDona Ana County Bureau of ElectionsDoña Ana County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2023
ZIP code8793787937 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 Hatch.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
Hatch has 2.9 jobs for every working resident, and 940 people commute in
Half of commuters travel less than 31 miles. Hatch’s typical journey to work is 18 minutes, where New Mexico’s towns sit at 23 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. In Hatch, about one in four working residents works in town. Also worth knowing: for Hatch, the middle household income is $43,000.
27%work in town
| Hatch | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 27% | 14% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $43,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 19% | 21% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Hatch27%
Las Cruces14%
El Paso7%
Albuquerque5%
Alamogordo2%
31 mi
median commute distance
1,038
jobs based in Hatch
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 68% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
SchoolsB−
Hatch’s schools rank behind 54% of New Mexico districts
The public schools here belong to the Hatch Valley school district. The largest public high school is Hatch Valley High, with 367 students. Two of the 4 schools are below, and why each made the list.
46%of NM districts it outscoresB−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hatch Valley MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 253 | – |
| Hatch Valley HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 367 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NM on state tests and graduation
HealthD
A larger share of adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance in Hatch than in most of New Mexico or the rest of the country
Among 74 New Mexico towns, just 4 have a higher share of adults who worry about having enough food than Hatch. In Hatch, two thirds of adults had a checkup this year, below both the New Mexico town median (69%) and the median of U.S. towns (79%). Hatch: 40% of adults get no exercise outside work.
7%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Hatch | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 26% | 19% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 17% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 27% | 25% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 23% | 14% |
32 measures vs. New Mexico
1 better14 too close to call17 worse
| What stands out | Hatch | NM |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 4.8% | 7.4% |
| More uninsured adults | 34.5% | 15.6% |
Three Crosses Regional Hospital
32.3 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Hatch faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 84% of U.S. communities. Hatch has had 44 paid flood insurance claims since 2000. 70% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by drought at 22%. Federal aid has come to Hatch households in 2 declared disasters; the latest was in 2025.
84risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingDrought
44
paid flood claims since 2000
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Hatch stands out in New Mexico and nationally: a typical July afternoon there is hotter
Expect chilly winters and hot summers in Hatch, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 97°, January nights drop to 24° and snow is almost unheard of.
97°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter26–61°
Spring42–79°
Summer63–96°
Fall44–79°
Nov 6
typical first frost
Mar 25
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
97°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Safety
Crime reported in Hatch
Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. Hatch's reported crime rate is well below New Mexico's. In Hatch, the violent crime rate is 1.2 per 1,000 residents. Violent crime is rare: 2 reported in 2025.
| Hatch | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.2 per 1,000 residents | 4.2 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 8.7 per 1,000 residents | 16.3 | 9.9 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Hatch1.2
New Mexico6.5
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Hatch8.7
New Mexico23.6
U.S.15.5
2
violent crimes reported in 2025
14
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
HousingCost of living grade A+
The median home in Hatch sells for about $249K
In Hatch, 71% of households are owner-occupiers.
$249Kmedian sale price
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Hatch
18pages on Hatch
The big questions
SchoolsB−Behind 54% of NM districts · 4 schoolsSafety1.2 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthDBetter than NM on 1 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingA+Work & commuteD−$43K median household income · 1,038 jobs hereNatural hazardsDFEMA risk higher than 84% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Hatch; the nearest are
New Mexico State University-Dona AnaCommunity college · Public · Las Cruces33.1 mi$2,322 in-state tuitionNew Mexico State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Las Cruces36.1 mi$8,183 in-state tuition
About 6 of every 100 Hatch residents are enrolled in college, about the same as New Mexico.
About Hatch
Village in New Mexico, United States
Hatch is a village in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2020 census, Hatch had a population of 1,539. The town is experiencing moderate growth, along with its outliers of Salem, Arrey, Derry, and Rincon. Hatch is widely known as the "best chile place in the World," for growing a wide variety of peppers, especially the New Mexican cuisine staple, and one of New Mexico's state vegetables, the New Mexico chile.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 4,058 ft
- ZIP code
- 87937
Hatch’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Hatch.
PlacitasRodeyHatch
How the neighbors grade
Hatch has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Hatch reports no FBI crime data of its own. Placitas and Rodey aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Hatch with a neighbor →
Questions about Hatch
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Hatch, NM expensive?
Not for the area. The typical home is worth about $103,000, 67% below the New Mexico typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A+.