Burnham Ward Meeting House, 1914
Kirtland’s story
123 years in pictures
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 1914 and 2 maps from 1966 on.
- 1903Kirtland is settled
KirtlandNM
A town of 572, settled in 1903.
Population
572
2025 Census estimate · −2.1% since 2020
Typical home
$230K
+5.2% in a year
Household income
$100K
median
Median age
36.1
years
Jobs based here
410
A job hub
Is Kirtland a good place to live?
Kirtland’s average trip to work is 31 minutes, against 23 minutes in New Mexico’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Only 7 of the 73 New Mexico towns we compare have a higher median household income than Kirtland. Kirtland’s trail density is 3.6 miles per square mile, where New Mexico’s towns sit at 1.0 and U.S. towns at 0.4. Kirtland has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
A shrinking town
Kirtland has shrunk 93% since 2010
7,875 counted in 2010 and 585 in 2020; an estimated 572 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Kirtland: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Kirtland, and how to reach them.
PowerNavajo Tribal Utility Authority16.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterLower Valley Water Users AssociationNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpKirtland Dump StationIn townOpenStreetMap
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 hereSan Juan County ClerkSan Juan County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2019
ZIP codes87401, 8741787401 60% · 87417 40%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 Kirtland.
Work & commute
About two in five of Kirtland’s working residents commute to Farmington
Most working residents leave Kirtland for work: only 3% work in town. 8.6% of Kirtland residents live below the poverty line. Jobs based in Kirtland grew to 410 in 2023, 247 more than in 2013.
3%work in town
| Kirtland | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 8.6% | 21% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.9% | 14% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Kirtland3%
Farmington41%
Albuquerque7%
Shiprock4%
Bloomfield3%
9 mi
median commute distance
410
jobs based in Kirtland
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kirtland Pre-K Early Childhood CenterLargest public school before high schoolGrades PK | Grades PK | – | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Natural hazards
Very low risk in Kirtland, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 85% of U.S. communities.
15risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesEarthquakes
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Housing
Homes in Kirtland are worth about $230K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Kirtland home is worth about $230,000, up 5.2% in a year, 27% below the New Mexico typical home. 82% of households own their home in Kirtland.
$230KZillow home value
| Kirtland | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 82% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $920 a month | $940 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Kirtland$230K
New Mexico$316K
+5.2%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Kirtland has four seasons and hot summers
Kirtland has chilly winters and hot summers, with very little rain. The July high in Kirtland is 93°F.
8″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter20–46°
Spring36–69°
Summer57–91°
Fall38–69°
Oct 4
typical first frost
May 12
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
More children than New Mexico overall
Children under 18 are 27% of residents (22% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 19% of residents (23% statewide). Kirtland has lost 2.1% of its people since 2020, down to 572 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 39% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 31% across New Mexico.
36.1median age · NM 39.4
| Kirtland | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 39% | 23% | 29% |
| Median age | 36.1 years | 37.2 years | 40.5 years |
KirtlandNew MexicoUnited States
Ages · share of residents
18%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma4%
High school28%
Some college20%
Associate’s10%
Bachelor’s26%
Graduate12%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 13% and 70% women
The Census survey reached too few of Kirtland’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±28.7 points. Across New Mexico, 50.3% of residents are women.
| Kirtland | NM | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.8% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 18.1% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 2.2% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 16.3% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.5% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.8% | 11.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 17% | 12.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.4% | 11.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 3.9% | 7.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.2% | 12% | 10.4% |
| High school | 27.6% | 25.7% | 26% |
| Some college | 20% | 22.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.7% | 9.2% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 26.1% | 17.1% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.4% | 13.9% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 600, single groups can be off by several points
Health
How healthy Kirtland is
Kirtland beats the New Mexico average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11.
| Kirtland | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 35% | 33% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 70% | 69% | 79% |
32 measures vs. New Mexico
1 better20 too close to call11 worse
| What stands out | Kirtland | NM |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 11.5% | 15.6% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 22.1% | 14.2% |
San Juan Regional Medical Center
8.7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1.1%conserved
1.1%
conserved · 12 of 1,125 acres
6.4 mi
of trails · 3.6 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Kirtland
18pages on Kirtland
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Kirtland
About 1 of every 100 Kirtland residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Mexico.
Small town
572 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
About Kirtland
Town in New Mexico, United States
Kirtland is a town, made up of part of the former census-designated place (CDP) of the same name in San Juan County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2020 census, Kirtland had a population of 585. It is part of the Farmington Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 5,187 ft
- ZIP code
- 87417
Questions about Kirtland
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Kirtland, NM a good place to live?
Kirtland has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.