HernandezNM
A town of 769, settled in 1920.
Is Hernandez a good place to live?
28% of residents live below the poverty line in Hernandez, above both New Mexico’s towns (21%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). No town among the 73 in New Mexico we compare has a lower typical household income than Hernandez. Hernandez has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
769 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Hernandez: who provides what
Hernandez is unincorporated, so Rio Arriba County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Hernandez.
Natural hazards: very high risk in Hernandez, mostly inland flooding
Hernandez’s FEMA risk score is 89 of 100. 73% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by wildfires at 11%. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Hernandez once, in 2024.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The schools Hernandez’s kids attend
Its one school is below. The Espanola school district runs its public schools. 85 students attend Hernandez’s public school.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hernandez ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 85 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
With only 0.2 jobs per working resident, most people in Hernandez work out of town
In Hernandez, 0.7% of working residents work locally, where New Mexico’s towns sit at 14% and U.S. towns at 8%. Jobs locally fell by 42 from 2013 to 2023, to 28. Its mean commuting time comes in at 27 minutes. The top destinations are Los Alamos (26%), Albuquerque (16%) and Española (10%).
| Hernandez | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 0.7% | 14% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expect four seasons and hot summers in Hernandez
Expect July afternoons of 90° and January nights of 17°, with about 11 inches of snow a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Hernandez stands out in New Mexico and nationally, with fewer of its adults who have been diagnosed with depression
31% of adults get no exercise outside work in Hernandez. This New Mexico town does better than the New Mexico average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 7. Among adults in the town, 29% say their health is fair or poor and 26% worry about having enough food.
| Hernandez | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 12% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 26% | 19% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 23% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 13% | 16% |
| What stands out | Hernandez | NM |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.9% | 7.4% |
| Fewer adults with depression | 19.2% | 23.2% |
| More uninsured adults | 21.3% | 15.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
A home in Hernandez sells for about $170K at the median
In Hernandez, the median rent is $894 a month. The share of households in Hernandez who live in a home they own: 62%.
| Hernandez | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 62% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $894 a month | $940 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Bandelier National Monument and 25 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Hernandez. Close and well known come first.
14 mi National MonumentBandelier National Monument248K visitors a year
17 mi National PreserveValles Caldera National Preserve85K visitors a year
27 mi MuseumGeorgia O'Keeffe Museum
17 mi National Historical ParkManhattan Project National Historical Park56K visitors a year
39 mi National Historical ParkPecos National Historical Park37K visitors a year
27 mi Park & preserveSanta Fe PlazaPhoto credits
Bandelier National Monument: Andrew Dunn (talk · contribs), CC BY-SA 2.0 · Valles Caldera National Preserve: Jesse Allen and Robert Simmon, Public domain · Georgia O'Keeffe Museum: John Phelan, CC BY 3.0 · Manhattan Project National Historical Park: Unknown, Public domain · Pecos National Historical Park: Mosamiazaz at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Santa Fe Plaza: See above, CC BY 2.0
Everything we know about Hernandez
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Hernandez
About 3 of every 100 Hernandez residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Mexico.
99% of working residents leave Hernandez for work
Where Hernandez’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Hernandez
Unincorporated community and CDP in New Mexico, US
Hernandez is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States. Hernandez is approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) northwest of Española on highway US 84 / US 285. As of the 2020 census, Hernandez had a population of 756.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 5,689 ft
- ZIP code
- 87537
Questions about Hernandez
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Hernandez, NM a good place to live?
Hernandez has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.