2013 - Thunderstorm, Placer Mountain and the Sandia Mountains, 2013
La Bajada’s story
156 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2013 and 3 maps from 1953 on.
- 1870La Bajada is settled
La BajadaNM
11 people live in this town, settled in 1870.
Is La Bajada a good place to live?
100% of households are owner-occupiers in La Bajada, against 70% in New Mexico’s towns and 73% across U.S. towns. La Bajada’s concentration of trails is 8.0 miles per square mile, above both New Mexico’s towns (1.0) and U.S. towns (0.4). La Bajada has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
11 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
The data
Ordered by what stands out in La Bajada.
Natural hazards
La Bajada has a high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding
69risk score of 100
Expected losses in La Bajada break down as 63% from inland flooding and 30% from wildfires. The risk rating from FEMA locally is 69 of 100.
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingWildfire
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
La Bajada: four seasons and hot summers
8″snow a winter
La Bajada’s midsummer high is recorded as 91°F.
Typical low → high °F
Winter22–49°
Spring37–70°
Summer57–90°
Fall39–70°
Oct 21
typical first frost
Apr 26
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy La Bajada is
67% of La Bajada adults had a checkup this year. Among 74 New Mexico towns, just 6 have a lower share of adults who have high blood pressure than La Bajada.
| La Bajada | Typical New Mexico town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 67% | 69% | 79% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 8.1% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 35% | 35% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 35% | 35% |
32 measures vs. New Mexico
8 better23 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | La Bajada | NM |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 11.3% | 14.2% |
| Fewer adults with COPD | 5.4% | 6.6% |
| More uninsured adults | 19.2% | 15.6% |
Presbyterian Santa Fe Medical Center
12.8 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0
homes sold in September
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
0%
conserved · 0 of 111 acres
1.6 mi
of trails · 8.0 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about La Bajada
15pages on La Bajada
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
Nearby attractions
All 45 attractions →Bandelier National Monument and 38 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around La Bajada. Close and well known come first.
10 mi National MonumentBandelier National Monument248K visitors a year
22 mi National PreserveValles Caldera National Preserve85K visitors a year
19 mi MuseumGeorgia O'Keeffe Museum
13 mi Park & preserveKasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument
23 mi National Historical ParkPecos National Historical Park37K visitors a year
19 mi Park & preserveSanta Fe PlazaSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo 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 · Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument: Marshallhenrie, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Pecos National Historical Park: Mosamiazaz at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Santa Fe Plaza: See above, CC BY 2.0
Getting set up
Moving to La Bajada: who provides what
La Bajada is unincorporated, so Santa Fe County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPNM16.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterLa Bajada Mdwca water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & county servicesSanta Fe CountySanta Fe County provides services here
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 hereSanta Fe County ClerkSanta Fe County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Dec 2025
ZIP code8750787507 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.
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of La Bajada
Southwestern CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Santa Fe12.1 miInstitute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts DevelopmentUniversity or college · Public · Santa Fe13.3 mi$5,920 in-state tuitionSanta Fe Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Santa Fe14.2 mi$1,851 in-state tuition
About 9 of every 100 La Bajada residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Mexico.
About La Bajada
Census-designated place in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States
La Bajada is a census-designated place in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2020 census, La Bajada had a population of 26. It is named after a geographical feature of the nearby Caja del Rio.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 5,472 ft
Questions about La Bajada
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is La Bajada, NM a good place to live?
La Bajada has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
La Bajada is in here
Say something about La Bajada.
Ask a question, answer one, post a photo or an event. Free, and the parts only a neighbor would know are the parts worth reading.